Sussex Senior Honored for Thousands of Volunteer Hours

Upon retiring, Joan Maier took the words "spare time" to an entirely new level.

The Hamilton School Board has recognized Maier, now affectionately known as “Grandma Joanie,” for contributing more than 4,000 hours as a Seniors and Students volunteer at .

The program is a partnership between the and the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program. Seniors and Students recruits, trains and places seniors 55 and older in the district to help teachers and staff with student learning.

“Grandma Joanie” joined the program when her daughter, Maple Avenue teacher Jeni Maier-Ortlieb, told her about the opportunity. Since then, Maier has touched the lives of hundreds of Maple Avenue students.

The Pen Pal Project, one component of the Seniors and Students program, is in need of senior volunteers. If you would like to share what life was like in the past and help students practice their letter-writing skills by exchanging letters throughout the school year, please contact Becky Hubred at (262) 391-2232.