JOHNSTOWN — A group of women in Windber is helping the community with the support of the community itself.

The Community Recreation Circle of Friends raises money for its projects by holding bingo games on Sundays at Windber Community Building.

Recently, the Circle of Friends provided swimming pool passes for the summer at Windber Recreation Park to seven students at the Windber Area middle and high schools.

The 18-member group also is sending eight Windber Area Elementary School students to a weeklong day camp at the same park.

“I love children, and I think it is just wonderful to give something to a child who otherwise could not afford something,” said Dolores Block, Circle of Friends president.

The group has made a donation to Tableland, a Somerset County agency that helps with human needs. It soon will be making a donation to Windber Museum and is helping a teenage girl to attend lupus camp.

Circle of Friends got started by chance five years ago when the women started holding dances merely for entertainment for seniors at the Center for Life at Windber Medical Center.

Block said they charged a fee to pay for expenses.

“People enjoyed the dances so much that they started donating so much money that we had a surplus,” Block said.

With the excess funds, the group bought items that the senior center needed.

A large screen television and a computer are two of the items cherished by the seniors, Block said. The computer is such a hit that two volunteers – Carole Hughes and Steve Stockett – started giving computer classes to seniors, Block said.

After helping the senior center, the Circle of Friends set out to assist others.

They chose to help the American Legion Post 137 in Windber start bingo games to raise money for Legion programs.

The Circle of Friends provided the funds to get bingo started and helped to run the games.

The Legion soon was able to repay the seed money.

Circle of Friends then started its own bingo games by leasing the community building, but continues to help with Legion bingo.

Block said they appreciate the support of the 60 regular bingo players.

Lee Miller, a Circle of Friends member, said it’s important to help the community.

“I love it,” she said.

Miller said she prefers being involved with local charities such as the Circle of Friends because they do a fine job of helping local folks.

She said her granddaughter, Gabby Fiffick, 14, is on the receiving end of the good deeds of her group. Gabby has an autoimmune ailment and lupus, and the group is raising money to send Gabby to lupus camp.

Agnes Mihalko said it’s fun to be a member of the Circle of Friends.

“It’s a privilege and an honor,” she said about helping others. “It takes teamwork to do this, and we have a good team. There are lots of people who give us a hand.”

Margaret Williams, another member of Circle of Friends and Block’s sister, said people appreciate the group’s work.

“It’s important to help people,” she said about her involvement. “It keeps you active.”

Janice Beckley, another Circle of Friends member, said she enjoys being with her colleagues and the bingo players.

It’s important to help the community, she said.

“I believe people should help out wherever they can,” she said.

For their efforts at leading the efforts of Circle of Friends, the five, all Windber residents except for Miller, a Richland Township resident, are the Persons of the Week.

Hughes, computer instructor at the senior center, said Circle of Friends is a good group of people who want to see the community prosper.

Rick Huffman, superintendent of Windber schools, said the district appreciates the efforts of the group to support students who otherwise would not have been able to enjoy what the park has to offer.

“It was a sign of a selfless act and giving back to the community,” he said. “It seems that they are very supportive in a number of different areas of the community.”

Nick Pascovich, Legion commander, said Circle of Friends is a big help to the community.

“They’re good-hearted souls,” he said. “They help out wherever they can.”



Tribune-Democrat editors select a Person of the Week from nominations made by readers. To nominate someone, call 532-5058, 24 hours a day.