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Baez honored
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Maria Baez was awarded this month's Civic Pride Award by mayor Michael Sullivan last week. Reminder Publications photo by G. Michael Dobbs
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By G. Michael Dobbs
Managing Editor
HOLYOKE Mayor Michael Sullivan interrupted Maria Baez's game of kickball in the gym at the Morgan School last week and she thought his visit was about a press conference.
It was, but what Baez didn't realize was the press conference was about her.
Baez received this month's Civic Pride Award for her work as a part-time employee for the Parks and Recreation Department and her full-time job as the site director at Broderick House.
Karen Blanchard, the executive director of Providence Ministries, described Baez as "a very hard worker who is great with the clients."
"She loves children and she's very creative," Blanchard added.
Baez has been running an afterschool program at the Morgan School for the past year and a half, which she called "awesome."
"They [the children] keep you young," she said.
When asked if she was surprised, she smiled and said, "Very!"
When she saw Sullivan enter the gym and step up to the kickball home plate to take a try, she said, "I didn't know what we're doing here."
Sullivan nominated Baez himself. He learned about her work at Broderick House when he attended a student art show there last year.
Baez explained that she came to her job with Providence Ministries because she "wanted to make a difference."
After admitting she was shy with the press attention, Baez said, "I just do my job."
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