Tammie Johnson
All our lives have changed since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Current events have made us feel on edge and anxious; we are concerned about our health, have changed our social habits, and have endured impacted finances. While the AGA Mid-Ohio Valley WV chapter was not able to meet in person for charity events this year, the chapter showed its community that they are “in this together”, they care about the community, and they are there to help. The chapter’s members believe in giving back to the community and making an impact in others’ lives both through AGA and other individual efforts – and it was not going to let a pandemic stop them.
Over the last year, Tammie and her committee helped in a variety of ways including:
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Provided blankets for the warming station at Old Man River Mission in Marietta, Ohio.
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Provided personal care items, sleeping bags, and clothing to area high schools for those in need.
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Provided and/or signed holiday cards for Valentine’s for Veterans. This was even more important since the veterans were not allowed to have visitors due to the pandemic. (The chapter had a hand in approximately 1,900 of the nearly 4,000 cards that were sent.)
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Donated funds and helped sort/pack Toys for Tots.
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Participated in the Runner/Walk series.
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Donated shoes to Shoes for Souls (which locally just achieved donating 10,000 shoes in the Mid-Ohio Valley WV local area). The shoes are distributed to those impacted by disasters as well as low-income areas and overseas.
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Donated to Wreaths Across America.
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Donated clothing to various organizations.
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Supported the Walk to End Alzheimer’s.
Tammie encouraged the chapter to support a wide variety of charities (e.g., children, people in need, health-related activities) by donating time, physical items, or donating financially. Each month, she discussed current projects or needs to increase awareness and participation. The chapter had an increase in membership; new members became interested and began supporting the chapter’s community service projects.
To better understand the impact of the pandemic on Toys for Tots and identify additional ways the chapter could help, Tammie organized a presentation that outlined the challenges, what Toys for Tots is doing to overcome them, and how the chapter could help. She encouraged chapter members to think about their talents, how they can help this cause, and support other charities.
Tammie is also the chair for the Walk to End Alzheimer’s, utilizing chapter volunteer efforts to support the annual walk. Normally, participants gather in one location and walk together; however, due to COVID-19 participants could not gather safely. Instead, there was a “Walk is Everywhere” event where participants walked where/when they wanted to. This raised awareness and funds for the resources the Alzheimer’s Association provides. The chapter set up promise gardens and posters to raise awareness for this event, supporting an overall $40,772 raised to help fund Alzheimer's services for the local area.
Tammie is an outstanding example that accounting and auditing professionals can be creative, and can lead and support efforts to make a difference. Tammie will be recognized at the Professional Development Training, receiving the 2021 Community Service Award. Even in unprecedented times, Tammie has continued to bring recognition and pride to the Mid-Ohio Valley WV chapter.