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Sister Kevin John Shields, O.P., accepted a citizenship award on behalf of the volunteers with whom she has served over the last 40 years.
The regional catechetical director for Orange and Sullivan counties was awarded the Distinguished Citizenship Award from the Sullivan County Legislature Dec. 21.
“I can’t say enough about the volunteers,’’ Sister Kevin John told CNY. “I’m just in awe of the generosity of these people and I don’t know where I’d be without him. They’ve made everything I’ve been doing for these 40 years possible, and it’s the only reason I accepted the award. I accepted the award on their behalf. It was the only reason I said yes.”
Sister Kevin John was appointed to her position at the Sullivan County Catechetical Office in 1977, an office funded by the Cardinal’s Annual Stewardship Appeal in the archdiocese, and later became the regional director in Orange County.
In 1983, she founded the Sullivan County Care Coalition, a nonprofit organization devoted to the substance abuse and addiction crisis in the county. Individual volunteers and volunteers from various agencies raised awareness about the crisis and promoted events like awareness days where people could learn skills, such as playing a musical instrument, to show there are positive alternatives to using drugs.
Sister Kevin John, a member of the Dominican Sisters of Amityville, first came to Sullivan County when she ran the Sisters of St. Dominic camp in St. Joseph’s in Forestburgh in the 1960s.
“I did fall in love with this county,’’ she said. “When I first came up early on, I just loved the country and enjoyed working in the camp. Afterwards, our community used to be able to take additional college courses up here, and when I had the opportunity to come up, I took advantage of it.
“When I had opportunity to come up full time, I said yes and never regretted it.”
