Elsie Pate is a 76-year-old widow and serves as a deaconess in the Salem congregation. She has six children, 16 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren! After 16 years, she is "retiring" this year from her volunteer service to spend more time with her family.

Elsie has been honored several times for her many years of exceptional community service, including receiving the Vocational Service in Education Award from the local Capital Sunrise Rotary Club.

Beginning at age 60, in the fall of 1990, Elsie Pate answered her local school district's plea for volunteers. Throughout her 16 years of outstanding volunteer service to the school district, Elsie's specialty has been tutoring first grade students in development of reading skills.

In addition, Elsie Pate's service as an all-around volunteer has been both valuable and inspirational. Her additional service has included substituting for other tutors, greeting students at the door in the mornings, helping plan and run special events, helping with the School Saving program, preparing classroom materials and inventing games to inspire struggling readers.