BEVERLY — Some have been at the right place at the right time, and their quick thinking saved a life. Others have saved someone in more subtle ways, dedicating their own lives to rescue efforts and training. Many more have quietly dedicated years to helping those in need, whether it's a homeless person or a confused tourist.
What ties these people together is their sense of selflessness, and the North Shore would be a poorer place without them. Every year the American Red Cross honors a few such people, and this year's Community Heroes Breakfast is no exception.
You'll have the chance to meet all nine, up close and personal, next Thursday at the Danversport Yacht Club. But here's a sneak peak at who they are and the good they've done.
FRANK RAFFA: ENDURING HERO
Frank Raffa marches to the beat of his own drum. Literally.
The owner of Raffa Construction in Beverly Farms has been a lifelong devotee of drum corps, serving as leader of the Cardinals Drum and Bugle Corps of St. Mary's Church in the 1960s, marching band instructor at Beverly High School from 1985 to 2004, president of the Cardinal Alumni Association. He's also been the organizer of the Drum Corps International competition for two decades, bringing in people from across the country and raising nearly $80,000 in scholarships for student musicians.
But it doesn't stop with drums. Every Christmas he and his friends pile into one of his construction vehicles for "Dump Truck Caroling," visiting nursing homes and shut-ins. He's also a promoter of the Good Friday Walk to raise money for residents in need of food, housing and other necessities, and has personally donated both materials and labor throughout his life. He also sets up Bingo every Wednesday at the Beverly Senior Center.
MICHELLE LIPINSKI: EDUCATION HERO
If not for Michelle Lipinski, many kids would not be alive.
As principal of Recovery High School, she's provided counseling, support and love — sometimes the tough kind — to help many students sober up after struggling with substance abuse and addictions.
The state-subsidized program, run by the Northshore Education Consortium, started in 2006 in a Beverly basement. As a former teacher at Salem High School, Lipinski became interested in the problems of troubled youth as that school's director of alternative programs.
She took on the challenge of leading Recovery High School three months before it started, beginning with an empty building devoid of books, furniture and staff, and made sure it was equipped and ready for the opening of school. Now the program has a permanent home in the city's Memorial Building. As one of only three such schools in the state, it provides more than 40 students not only with regular classes, but with after-school activities and sobriety meetings that Lipinski herself often leads or attends, as she gets to know each and every student in the program.
MAUREEN FORBES: HEALTH CARE HERO
Hundreds of North Shore families with seriously ill and grieving children have been helped and comforted by Maureen Forbes. A certified child life specialist, Maureen heads the Pediatric Palliative Care Program at Hospice of the North Shore. She works with children who have life-threatening diseases, congenital conditions, or injuries, helping them and their families cope with the often devastating consequences.
Through the Bertolon Center for Grief and Healing, Forbes also coordinates an annual bereavement camp in Beverly Farms for children who have lost someone close, helping more than 400 families handle their grief. She is also active in outreach to many schools, churches and parenting organizations, and developed a tool kit to help parents keep records and manage their child's treatment. She is committed to improving the lives of those who must deal with death.
STEPHEN PELLEGRINI: FIRST RESPONDER HERO
On a quiet Saturday in October, off-duty Peabody firefighter Stephen Pellegrini was in Essex working on his boat when he heard frantic yelling near the Periwinkle restaurant. He ran to the town dock and saw a car, with two people inside, sinking into the Essex River. It had backed into the water from the restaurant parking lot. Pellegrini jumped into assistant harbormaster Jason Simpson's boat and dove into the 56-degree water to help the 79-year-old driver and her 95-year-old husband, who were trapped in the submerged vehicle. He freed the passenger and helped him into a kayak. In a letter of gratitude, the woman, who had escaped on her own, singled out Pellegrini for saving her husband, saying he will "always remember Steve calling to him. It gave him the courage to get out of the car, and he was there for him when he came out." As Essex police Chief Peter Silva pointed out, without Pellegrini's quick actions it would have been a recovery, not a rescue.
ROSEMARY LESCH: COMMUNITY HERO
As one of Rockport's two harbormasters patrolling the coastline, and head of the town's ambulance department, Rosemary Lesch is in the business of saving lives. She's also made sure she's not the only one prepared to do so. As a first aid and CPR instructor through the American Red Cross Rockport Chapter, for more than 35 years she has taught classes to help others respond to an emergency, whether it's the actual skill of CPR, or being able to call as well as care for a family member or friend in need.
Lesch also goes above and beyond. She and co-harbormaster Scott Story have not only provided their own vehicles to save the town money, but regularly equip them and fuel them at their own expense. She's someone the community can count on both on and off duty, whether she's flipping pancakes for the annual Ambulance Benefit Breakfast, rescuing a kayaker off Thacher's Island, responding to a car accident, or helping out a lost tourist.
JUDITH MILLAR: COMMUNITY HERO
A nurse practitioner with Cape Ann Medical Center, Judith serves as a liaison between patients and the medical staff at Seacoast Nursing and Rehabilitation Center and the Golden Living Center, both in Gloucester, and Den-Mar Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Rockport. Officially, she is the eyes and ears of the physicians. But with her calm response to crises and the extra care she extends to elderly people nearing the end of life, she is also a constant source of support and an advocate for her patients.
In an age when house calls are rare, she still visits patients at home, often after her regular hours, and is always willing to meet with her patients' families and spend hours providing them with additional information. Ever ready to share her medical knowledge with others, she offers helpful advice on a personal as well as professional level.
THE REV. BILL FERGUSON: COMMUNITY HERO
As chaplain of the Landmark School in Beverly, the Rev. Bill Ferguson has helped students with language-based disabilities build self-esteem and expand their potential through volunteer work. Although he still attends to students' religious needs — conducting classes and services as well as leading youth groups — most of his work now focuses on running the community service program. It has grown into a major component of student life, with up to 90 percent of the school participating, providing more than 250 hours of volunteer service every week.
He reaches out to a wide variety of institutions, from local providers like the Beverly Hospital and Council on Aging, to national organizations such as the Red Cross and Habitat for Humanity. He also started organizing and leading students on an annual service trip to Jamaica where they teach lessons on sports, crafts and academic subjects to local children. By working with Landmark students both in and out of school, they not only gain new skills and insight into potential careers, but develop a sense of achievement that builds self-confidence.
BRUCE MENIN: COMMUNITY HERO
A former teacher, Bruce Menin has spent 25 years working in human services and currently heads the Family Self-Sufficiency Center in Salem. But it is in his hometown of Newburyport that he has made his greatest contributions in public service and to local youth.
He is in his third term on the School Committee, serving as vice chair, and played a key role in the superintendent search. He's also a member of the revenue task force and charter review committee, and has promoted the community through regular columns in the local press and his own blogs.
A father of two children, he's the founding chair of Newburyport's youth commission, where he co-wrote grants to launch the Learning Enrichment Center and participated in the skateboard park sitting task force. He's been especially commended for his efforts to improve local facilities for young people.
KATE BENASHSKI: COMMUNITY HERO
Kate Benashski is the woman behind the mostly men's homeless shelter in Beverly. As director of River House, she not only provides meals and a safe place to stay, but helps people rebuild their lives by finding jobs, permanent housing and medical care, not to mention getting them access to special benefits like disability or senior care. Benashski is the face of the shelter, especially on holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas.
She has been called a saint. On top of the direct care she provides, Benashski comes up with creative ways to keep the shelter on strong financial footing. The "coolest" of these is her participation in the annual Polar Plunge at Lynch Park, where swimmers brave the freezing water to bring in donations that support many of the programs she is running. More than 225 people passed through River House last year alone.
And many have Benashski to thank for where they are today.
If you go
What: 8th Annual American Red Cross Community Heroes Breakfast
Where: Danversport Yacht Club
Where: Thursday, March 25, 7:30 to 9:30 a.m.
Cost: $35 per person; advance tickets preferred; call 978-922-2224. Proceeds support the Red Cross.
Sister Says She Reported Brother in Patz Killing
Patz Suspect's Sister: I Went to Police in 1980s
Diplomatic Expulsions Follow Fresh Syria Report
15 Dead in Northern Italy's 5.8-magnitude Quake
Angry Birds Spreading Their Wings
Witness Describes Fla. Face-chewing Attack
Man Falls Off Crane, Dies After Police Standoff
Russia Condemns Ally Syria Over Massacre of 108
Dairy Farm Uses Chiropractor to Help Cows
Unexpected Smog in Pristine National Parks
Air Canada Plane Makes Emergency Landing
New Ticks Spread Across Southeast, Diseases Rise
Bring Your Own Tech Programs Charge Up Students
Pope's Butler Vows to Help Vatican Investigation
Mother of Allegedly Abused Girl Denies Claims
Raw Video: 19 Dead in Qatar Shopping Mall Fire
Service Dogs Help Wash. Soldiers Battling PTSD
Raw Video: Heckler Bursts in on Blair Testimony
Japan Farmers Plant, Seek Radiation-free Rice
