Thank You, Dr. Honora Norton
Published in AZ Central
Golden Rule moments were so apparent as I learned from Honora and her efforts at building community here in Arizona. While a native of Wisconsin, she has given tremendous efforts in her adopted state
She said, ‘We are created for community and fashioned for fellowship. We cannot fulfill God’s purpose alone. We are connected to each other and experience life together to build reciprocal relationships and help others.’
For the past two years, civic participation has been up in the form of volunteering, especially in large metropolitan areas. During the pandemic disruption in 2021, volunteer work suffered a decline. Now, the national average is up 5%. In Arizona, it has increased by 30%. This data from AmeriCorps’ Volunteering and Civic Life in America shows a comprehensive look at how people can make a difference in their communities and promote the common good. The latest research examines trends in formal volunteering (including virtual volunteering for the first time), informal helping, and other civic behaviors at the national level, within each state, and in the largest twelve metro areas. The research supports evidence-based decision-making and efforts to understand how people make a difference in communities nationwide.
One good example of who has volunteered beyond expectations is Dr. Honora Norton. The Gilbert resident has given her life’s work, which she described as ‘stewardship … a way of life,’ influenced by her response to God’s love.
‘It has been a passionate journey of living in the experience of receiving and returning God’s love through stewardship. As a Catholic steward, I have learned to give of myself through my time, talent, and resources, not out of obligation or duty, but out of a sincere desire and an inherent need to give’.
Dr. Norton has a long list of volunteer service organizations: Starlight Children’s Foundation; Arizona Interfaith Movement; The Caring Place/XYZ Club (home-town community senior center); One Gilbert Team Citizen volunteer; General Federation of Women’s Clubs Club; Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Oceans Future Society — Phoenix Support Team; Smiles and Beyond Board member; City of Scottsdale America’s Promise Alliance Committee member; Scottsdale’s BoomerZ; Rotary Club of Sun Lakes and many more.
Nominated by Arizona Catholic Charities, Dr. Norton was honored with the Spirit of Philanthropy Award in November 2024 in a joyous gathering in Scottsdale of Arizona nonprofit leaders and supporters.
‘The possibility of experiencing a power greater than myself has always been there, knocking at my inner door. Over the years, through volunteering, I have responded to the dream within my bones to creatively learn how to correlate faith with one’s chosen career – whether it is paid, volunteer, or as a family caretaker. It is not just for the recognition, but for the feeling of awe and belonging’.
Quite poetically, she said, ‘the possibility of experiencing a power greater than myself has always been there, knocking at my inner door. Over the years, through volunteering, I have responded to the dream within my bones to creatively learn how to correlate faith with one’s chosen career – whether it is paid, volunteer, or as a family caretaker.’ Thanks, Dr. Honora Norton.
Author: Albert Celoza Ph.D., Executive Director: Arizona Interfaith Movement
