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Mullenhour's passion for aiding mental health community recognized

Lima News - 4/15/2022

Apr. 15—DELPHOS — Mary Jane Mullenhour said she "almost choked on her food" when she heard on the evening news that she had been selected as a winner of a 2022 Jefferson Award for Public Service.

"I was totally shocked ... speechless," Mullenhour, 74, said earlier this week of her unexpected award. "I appreciate the nomination, but I'm a doer, not someone who likes to talk about herself."

The Delphos woman retired 10 years ago from Mercy Health-St. Rita's Medical Center after 46 years as nurse in the hospital's psychiatric unit continues to this day to volunteer her time to a handful of mental health-related agencies and organizations.

Much of her time is spent at Westwood Behavioral Health in Van Wert, where she has worked part-time since 2013. She works at the center not for the money but to care for the underserved and marginalized people in the local communities.

She is also a long-time volunteer with the Allen County Mental Health and Recovery Services Board, the agency which nominated her for the Jefferson Award, and is a volunteer facilitator for the National Alliance for Mental Illness family support group in Lima, leading meetings twice monthly for families of persons who are battling mental health issues.

"We educate people that mental illness is not a character flaw; it's a disease — just like any other disease," Mullenhour said.

Former board director Mike Schoenhofer said Mullenhour was a sounding board in the development of new programs.

"Mary Jane was a really important part of our whole mental health system," he said. "She provided critical support for family members of loved ones with mental illness and helped them find the support and treatment they needed."

The Delphos resident has helped plan the annual Suicide Prevention Walk in Lima for years, is an active board member of the Marimor Legacy Foundation and also volunteers regularly at St. John's Catholic Church in Delphos.

"Mary Jane truly has a servant's heart. She is very deserving of the Jefferson Award," said Esther Baldridge on behalf of the Marimor Legacy Foundation, a panel created to enhance the quality of life for persons with disabilities in Allen County by raising funds for special projects and initiatives not covered by tax dollars.

So intense is her desire to be a force of positive change within her community that Mullenhour and her daughter, Theresa Schnipke, recently took on a new endeavor.

"We started a Military Banner Project that has so far led to 203 banners of military service personnel being hung along the streets of Delphos," Mullenhour said. "The project was unveiled late last year and the response has been overwhelming."

Families pay $150 for a banner that bears the face of their loved ones, "and we coordinate with the city to get them hung. This is something I've wanted to do for the past two years," said Mullenhour.

Schnipke, who serves as the superintendent of the Allen CountyBoard of Developmental Disabilities, said her mother "stands out for her service and compassion to those with mental health needs."

"I've always had a passion for nursing, and I have a very supportive family," Mullenhour said of her active volunteer schedule.

Reach J Swygart at 567-242-0464.

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