Political Quotes

“on September 13, 2017, the Vermont Community Foundation will pay tribute to Sister Janice Ryan for the many contributions she has made to our State of Vermont and its residents. The foundation will present Sister Janice with its Lifetime Achievement Award for Community Service--just 1 day before she celebrates her 81st birthday, having been born September 14, 1936, on the family dairy farm in Fairfield, VT. In the case of Sister Janice, ``community service'' extends well beyond the borders of our small State. Through her lens, the community is global. Perhaps it was the work ethic and the duties of stewardship that she learned growing up on the farm or the responsibility that comes with being raised the eldest of six children, but since joining the Sisters of Mercy as a teenager, Sister Janice rose to whatever challenge she was presented and brought her trademark energy, compassion, and influence to every task. Before most of us even heard the phrase ``mainstreaming,'' Sister Janice worked tirelessly to ensure that children with special needs received the education they deserved, first at the State level, and later in her work as a staff member in the U.S. Senate. Later, serving as project director of the Catholic Campaign to Ban Landmines, she was a great ally with me in the work we did in the 1990s and since then to rid the world of landmines. Her passion and commitment to that issue inspired me and many others.…”