3 Selected for Neighborhood Honor Roll
Congratulations to Therese Hackenmueller, Dawn Lamm, and Jennifer Victor-Larsen! They are District 10’s selections for the city’s 2019 Neighborhood Honor Roll.
The Honor Roll is an annual tribute organized by the city’s 17 district councils. It recognizes everyday residents and organizations who make a sustained and lasting impact in their neighborhood or the city.
Those selected will be honored at a citywide celebration in early 2020, and be immortalized by having their names added to a plaque that hangs in City Hall. See previous honorees from District 10
The Como Community Council board selected Therese, Dawn, and Jennifer at the board’s final meeting of 2019. They were chosen from among eight nominees suggested by residents of District 10. Here’s what supporters had to say about each of the honorees.
Therese Hackenmueller
Therese is 73, lives in Como by the Lake Apartments (15 years) and is a very active volunteer for the North End South Como Block Nurse Program, Memorial Blood Centers, and Mt. Olivet Church. A few of the ways she helps:
- grocery shopping for senior residents
- delivers food to seniors
- friendly — visits isolated seniors
- helps coordinate bulk mailings
- organizes and leads an art project for seniors and 4th-grade pen pals on a yearly basis
- gardens the community space at Como By The Lake
- helps organize social events
Dawn Lamm
Dawn has passionately exemplified the conviction that what we do today can have substantial benefits tomorrow. Whether it is a single small seed, the restoration of a residential yard or contributing toward the health of Como Lake, she has enthusiastically devoted her time and talents to improving the quality of life in our neighborhood and passionately engaging us in caring for the environment. Dawn is worthy of consideration for the Saint Paul Neighborhood Honor Roll by her active championing of the following community efforts:
- Member of the District 10 Como Community Council’s Environmental Committee
- Initiator and Organizer for the ComoConnect: Neighborhood Resource Fair
- Organizer of the District 10 Como Community Council’s Pollinator Garden Tour
- Founder and Leader of the Como Community Seed Library
- Initiator and Organizer of the Como Community Seed Library’s Annual Spring Community Events
- Demonstration House since 2010 for the Como Active Citizen Network’s Como Curb Cleanup
- Consultant for Environmentally Friendly Yards and Gardens
- Outreach Committee Member of the Pollinator Friendly Alliance
Jennifer Victor-Larsen
Jen started and maintains the Donate Good Stuff program (previously known as Hero Search), which matches people who have household items they no longer use with organizations whose clients need those items. In addition to providing a convenient way to donate to local nonprofit organizations, the website has lots of information on making donations count.
Jen supports the Como and larger community in other ways too. She invites neighbors to a monthly International Dinner Night at a different restaurant each month to explore the diversity of restaurants St. Paul has to offer. A Spanish speaker, she has participated in a number of international service trips and volunteered to observe and assist asylum seekers at the southern U.S. border. Jen and her sister wrote and published a children’s book, Baby Thunder, that gently calms young children who may be afraid during storms.
Many of us have enjoyed her photographs of Como Park and the vicinity appearing on Facebook and in the District 10 newsletter. She is a current member of the District 10 board.
By generously sharing her energy and talent, Jen shows how one person can make a difference in the community and the world.