The Newberg Graphic
| Service at food bank wins Tribbett volunteer of the year award | ||||
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| Longtime Newberg resident recognized for work at Newberg F.I.S.H. | ||||
Howard Tribbett likes to stay busy. "If I sit around for a day or two, I get antsy," the retired farmer and A-dec Inc. employee said. His efforts on behalf of Newberg F.I.S.H. (Friends In Service to Humanity) recently won him the Community Volunteer of the Year award, presented by the Chehalem Valley Chamber of Commerce April 10 at its annual banquet. The nomination took Tribbett by surprise - quite literally. "I hadn't heard anything about it," he said. "The letter of congratulations had been sent to the wrong address, so the first I knew of it was when I got a phone call to have my picture taken for the ceremony." Tribbett joined F.I.S.H., Newberg's emergency food bank, a decade ago at the request of fellow members of the First United Methodist Church. He presently serves as the president of the organization. "It's not a big deal," he said of his leadership role. "Someone has to be the guy for people to call." Nevertheless, Tribbett estimates that he spends eight to 10 hours each week collecting food contributions, including regular trips to McMinnville, and collecting cardboard and paper for recycling. "That was how I started out with F.I.S.H., by taking over a recycling route from a fellow volunteer," he said. "We have about 45 people who travel various routes to pick up recycling and take it to the transfer station. It raises about $1,300 a month for our office expenses and utility bills." But working with the food bank is by no means Tribbett's only contribution to the Newberg community. After moving from St. Paul in 1975, he ran for the school board and was elected in 1978, serving until 1984, with a two-year term as board president. He also served as a Boy Scout troop leader through his church, aiding half-a-dozen scouts in achieving the rank of Eagle Scout. "I'd been a scout myself, so when our minister asked me it wasn't hard to say yes," he said. When not at the food bank, Tribbett is helping to pass on his farming legacy, helping his son manage a hazelnut orchard in Dayton. While pleased with the recognition, he added that the credit for his community service award should also be shared with his fellow F.I.S.H. volunteers. "I've always felt that it's the job of a community and a church to feed the hungry, but we've had a lot of help to smooth the way," he said. "It's real gratifying to work with people who are on the same page as you are." | ||||
