Pamela Pilon can be described as a mother, teacher, friend, wife, and citizen of the global family.
Very quickly when talking with Pamela you will come to realize that she is passionate about thinking globally and acting locally. She firmly believes we each play a role in global health, wealth and welfare, and she is aligned to act and make a difference.
Volunteer Pamela Pilon handcrafting a cheese board.
Pamela connects with the natural world in her woodworking shop fashioning her own design of cheese boards. She can observe a piece of wood and see its natural personality and identity, and she finds the experience of creation very powerful. This might be why she taught 14 of her students how to make their own boards. The kids fashioned their boards, then sold the product to fund a field trip. Pamela understands how empowering it is for the kids to go from raw product to experiential outcome from the product they created.
This gifted artist also has a talent of making jewelry, and it was through her talents with crafting jewelry that Pamela was introduced to our organization, Mothers With a Heart for Ethiopia. One of her students, Sarah Leuverink, had a parent involved with the organization from its birth, mother Kim, a long-time friend of founder, Shelley Green. When a shipment of handmade necklaces arrived from Ethiopia with a design flaw rendering them unusable, Pamela was called upon to come up with a solution. Problem solving is another one of her passions.
So, a fix was developed, and Pamela was hooked.
Pamela volunteers on the Logistics Team, helping coordinate the setup and tear down activities of Gems & Java. She absolutely loves how, in a busy life, her valuable volunteer time is utilized efficiently and effectively toward achieving the organization’s goals. She decided to give MWAHFE her volunteer hours, because she sees everyone as global citizens, and she believes we are blessed to live where we live. She strongly believes we are duty-bound by our good fortune to share our riches and treasures, minds, materials and hearts with those less fortunate. Pamela is inspired by the grass roots nature of this organization, and she values Shelley Green as a leader and visionary. For Pamela, Shelley has a brilliant mind, is aware of the skills in others, and understands that there is power in numbers. Group work makes magic happen. This leader gets right in the muck, working along side the people she directs. That’s inspiring to Pamela.
Pamela’s greatest joy comes on the days of our big fundraiser, Gems & Java. When a first-time guest walks through the doors, and a look of amazement spreads across their face, Pamela’s soul sings. She intimately knows that behind the glitz and glamour are countless hours of effort, coordination, sweat and grit to present a flawless event.
Pamela does it all for that look of awe. It hooks her time and again.