Jeff Bracken, a chemistry teacher at Westerville North High School, and Mary Taylor, a retired teacher from Emerson Elementary and the founder of The Friends of Faith Pruden Foundation, were named Kindness Heroes for their service to the Westerville community and beyond at Neighbor2Neighbor Westerville’s Kindness Rally.
Bracken was recognized for his inclusion of gardening and composting in students’ chemistry lessons, as well as his partnership with Westerville Area Resource Ministry, where his garden at WNHS has provided WARM with 2,686 peppers; 1,035 tomatoes; and 122 pounds of green beans so far this year.
Meanwhile, Taylor was honored for her work in raising awareness of childhood cancer while also helping families of children with cancer. She was pivotal in getting approval for the Gold Ribbon license plate in Ohio.
Neighbor 2 Neighbor, a grassroots initiative to foster communication, build trust and build relationships within the community of Westerville, celebrated the two educators at the Oct. 4 Kindness Rally. The rally is part of the group’s Kindness 2020 Campaign that focuses on remaining kind and supportive as a community.