LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (Sept. 13, 2014) – Heifer Foundation recently named Stephen Mondora as the 2013 Dan West Fellow Award recipient. The award, named in honor of Heifer’s founder and visionary, honors an individual who shows a personal and professional commitment to helping the poor and hungry throughout the world.
Mondora served as an at-large Director for Heifer International from 1999-2011 as well as a Vice Chair and Chair of the Board and a former Trustee of Heifer Foundation.
“Steve is so well-deserving of this award and his life truly embodies “Passing on the Gift.” He (and Carolyn) have given so unselfishly and we are the better for his leadership, generosity, and unwavering dedication to a better world,” said Jo Luck, Heifer’s former president and chief executive officer.
Mondora’s service to Heifer International began long before his formal leadership roles. He and his wife of 56 years, Carolyn, first learned of Heifer during a casual conversation with an acquaintance in 1978.
After Mondora retired, he and Carolyn began looking for meaningful volunteer opportunities. In the fall of 1993 they became full-time Presbyterian Mission Volunteers at the Heifer Ranch, serving as co-directors of, at that time, Heifer’s National Distribution Center. They were responsible for procurement, warehousing and distribution of all program materials, literature and promotional products sold or donated to individuals, churches and other organizations. He also saw the organization through its digital beginnings.
“That was the beginning of something so huge,” he said. “And to see how the organization has materialized into what it is now is truly amazing.”
Mondora regularly references something he calls “A Heifer Heart.” When asked what “A Heifer Heart” means to him, he describes it this way.
“It means that you deeply understand the mission of ending hunger and poverty and that everything you do focuses on how to support that mission. If it won’t help feed hungry people, or have some strong connection to that, then you shouldn’t do it.”
About Heifer Foundation:
Heifer Foundation envisions a sustainable world where hunger and poverty no longer exist. Our mission is to grow and oversee an endowment to support the work of Heifer International. To that end, Heifer Foundation offers a variety of planned charitable giving instruments that provide individuals from all walks of life the ability to help themselves, their loved ones, and a world in great need.
For more information, visit http://www.heiferfoundation.org
About Heifer International:
Heifer’s mission is to end hunger and poverty while caring for the Earth. For 70 years, training to improve the lives of those who struggle daily for reliable sources of food and income. Heifer is currently working in more than 30 countries, including the United States, to help families and communities become more self-reliant. For more information, visit www.heifer.org, read our blog, follow us on Facebook or Twitter, 1-888-5HUNGER (888-548-6437).
