On November 8, 2017, Keystone hosted the 2017 Community Service Award Dinner at Mancini’s Char House and presented the West 7th Community Service Awards and the Keystone Good Neighbor Award. We are honored to share more about our deserving award recipients.
West 7th Community Service Award
Betty Moran and Ed Johnson are the 2017 recipients of the West 7th Community Service Award. The award has been presented each year since 1987 to individuals who have given selflessly to the West 7th Community. With their retirement from their leadership positions at the West 7th/Fort Road Federation, they are the heroes we honor this year.
Betty Moran has been the Community Organizer for the Federation since 1976. A lifelong resident of the West End, Betty has been instrumental in the development of the character of the neighborhood over the past forty years. She has quietly fostered a generation of community activists who have learned the ins and outs of organizing to make sure the voices of residents and businesses are heard loud and clear. Her encyclopedic knowledge of the people, traditions, and institutions in the West 7th neighborhood have made it easy for people to step in and do the good work every neighborhood requires. Saving schools, reigning in adult businesses, fighting off a stinky ethanol plant, enduring problem properties – Betty has done it all for the West End. Community does not build itself; it takes hard work and ongoing nurturing. Betty has been doing it all graciously for many years and we are pleased that she has agreed to accept this award.
Ed Johnson has filled the position of Executive Director for the Federation since 1976. In that role, he has led the Federation into a unique position within the city’s District Council system. He was able to guide the Federation into development projects that have profoundly improved the residential housing stock and fostered commercial growth. While remaining true to his community organizing roots, he brought business acumen to the Federation’s projects. The Houses to Homes project became a model for other parts of the city to revive housing. The Brewery Breakthrough project set the stage for the eventual redevelopment of the Schmidt Brewery. With a delightful measure of idealism tempered by experience and good humor, Ed has never abandoned his vision for this unique urban neighborhood. Through Ed’s efforts over the years, the West End has become a destination for businesses, retail, and importantly, people who want the benefits of city life in an accessible and affordable location.
Keystone Good Neighbor Award
Winsor Learning is the recipient of the 2017 Keystone Good Neighbor Award. The award is presented annually to an organization that has shown a commitment to supporting Keystone and the people in our community.
Winsor Learning has been a steadfast partner to Keystone Community Services. Winsor Learning has partnered with Keystone’s Teen Tutor program which provides teens with a meaningful work experience as tutors to their younger peers living in St. Paul’s North End. Teen Tutors are trained to deliver the evidence-based Sonday System, a product of Winsor Learning, to help younger English Language Learners fill in gaps in reading. Winsor Learning provides curriculum training for the teen tutors and offers quarterly coaching sessions to ensure program quality. Since 1997, Winsor Learning has partnered with thousands of school districts and community non-profits to improve reading scores by providing Orton-Gillingham based multisensory tools and training to educators working with struggling students. Winsor Learning is an advocate of Keystone, supporting our work through sponsorships and other invaluable services. Keystone Community Services is honored to work with Winsor Learning to support St. Paul residents.
