This year Volunteer Fox Cities decided to expand our celebration of National Make a Difference Day into a whole week. With the support of Miron Construction, today we’re launching Make a Difference Week, Oct. 20-25.
Each day this week, we’ll be sharing a “Difference-Maker of the Day” to lift up stories of people who are making a positive impact on our community. We can’t think of a better way to start this series than by honoring the memory of Anne Kidd, our longest-serving volunteer in our Retired & Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP), who recently passed away on Oct 10.
Anne was a remarkable woman whose life was defined by generosity, faith, and love for her community. Over the years she worked as a child care provider and later at the Appleton Public Library and Lawrence University.
She selflessly served for 26 years through our RSVP program, contributing over 7,700 volunteer hours and touching countless lives. She was honored in 2021 with the Governor’s Service Award. As a dedicated Hooks & Needles volunteer, she shared her lifelong passion for knitting to bring warmth and comfort to those in need.
Anne believed deeply in giving back—whether donating blood to the Red Cross, supporting local schools and nonprofits, or quietly helping neighbors and first responders. She was known for her kindness, her Irish spirit, and her heart for service. She was honored in 2021 with the Governor’s Service Award (pictured right).
She said once when we interviewed her in 2018, “There’s so much in life that you can’t control. But there is one thing you can control – your willingness to give. Sometimes it’s just encouragement and sometimes it might be something material.”
Anne was more than a volunteer—she was family to us at Volunteer Fox Cities. Her legacy of compassion will continue to inspire us, and she will be dearly missed. Our hearts are with her loved ones.
You can learn more about Anne here: https://www.verkuilenfh.com/obituary/JoanAnne-Kidd