“We want to thank you for all you do in our community,” Skiffington said in making the Citizen of the Year presentation to Guth, for whom Pennridge’s Patricia A. Guth Elementary School is named.
Her volunteer activities include Pennridge Community Center, St. Paul’s United Church of Christ in Sellersville, Pennridge schools and the Pennridge Community Day Essay Contest for students in grades four, five and six.
Along with the Citizen of the Year designation, Guth received congratulations and citations from the state Senate and House of Representatives, through the offices of Sen. Chuck McIlhinney, R-10, and Rep. Craig Staats, R-145, Skiffington said.
“She has shaped the futures of thousands and thousands of children who’ve gone on to do great things,” Fitzpatrick said of Guth. “She’s shaped change in a very positive way for our community.”
“I can’t imagine how many kids’ lives you’ve touched in your career,” Loughery told Guth, “and just where they are, whether they’re in this community here or you think about all the communities elsewhere that they are and just the impact that you’ve had on their lives.”
Guth said she was humbled and honored by the award.
“Thank you very much. I appreciate it more than you know,” Guth said.
She’s had a lot of good experiences in the 56 years since moving to the Pennridge community, she said.
“My experience as an educator was extraordinary. Since retiring, volunteering in the community has become an enjoyable and enlightening activity,” Guth said. “It has provided many challenges, new opportunities and many new friends.”
She said she shares the award with many other people who serve as volunteers in the community, including her husband, Buster Guth.
“Education and writing are my passions, so my involvement with the essay contest is really a joy,” Guth said.
More than 45,000 essays have been submitted over the years, she said, congratulating this year’s winners and advising them to “keep on writing. That’s the only way you get better and better and better.”
She said she shared the award’s honor with “energetic, dedicated community volunteers” in the organizations in which she is involved.
“You really never know how many of those people are with us and the work they do until you’re actively involved with them,” Guth said.
The involvement of volunteers in Pennridge Community Day was also noted by Skiffington.
“Community Day could not happen without all the volunteers and the local businesses’ support,” Skiffington said. “We work on this starting in September for the following year, so it takes almost a year to plan this event and we couldn’t do it without all the volunteers. We’d like to thank them.”
