Meet Your Neighbor: Maureen Saponari bids farewell to Salvation Army post
PORT CLINTON — Although the Salvation Army spreads its reach across the world, the Ottawa County office has had an especially strong impact in its community because its service center director, Maureen “Moe” Saponari, has invested more than just time and effort into the organization’s projects.
She has also invested her heart into the people who walk through her door looking for help.
Now, she is leaving.
Saponari is stepping away from the organization which, due to her unending compassion, became synonymous with her name. “Moe” and “Salvation Army” have been intertwined in the county’s conscious since Saponari took over in 2008.
On Oct. 24, Kami Sayre started her new position as director, and Saponari is confident Sayre will bring as much heart to the job as she ever did.
Exiting director saw Sayre as having the right 'vibe' for the job
“I reached out to her because I just had this vibe. Kamie and I have had this connection thing for a long time,” Saponari said. “She’s going to do an amazing job and even elevate it.”
Sayre walks into the position with a tremendous amount of social service experience and a heart already focused on bettering her community. She is a former children’s services caseworker and was employed most recently at Ottawa County Job and Family Services, where she was an income maintenance eligibility specialist. She wasn’t looking for another job when Saponari reached out to her about taking over the position, but Sayre saw it as another way to help.
“It just felt right,” Sayre said.
Before she left, Saponari’s office was filled with photos of many of the people she learned to love during her time with the Salvation Army, including photos of a young boy named Nick and his pet snake, Hershey. Nick knew Saponari was afraid of snakes, and he made it his mission to help her.
Saponari learned about snakes during her time on the job
“Nick brought Hershey into my office and, while I’m saying, ‘No, no, no,’ Nick showed me every part of Hershey,” Saponari said. “Before I knew it, Hershey was wrapped around my arm, and I wasn’t afraid of snakes. That was huge for me. There are so many stories like that, that I’ll never forget. Now Kami is going to create new memories.”
Saponari said she is entering a unique time of life with more freedom than she’s ever known. She plans to travel and is looking for a part-time job to keep busy.
“People say I’m retiring, but I’m not retiring. I’m transitioning out of this position,” she said.
Retiring director to bid farewell at breakfast on Nov. 2
Volunteer bellringers will say goodbye to Saponari and meet Sayre at the Red Kettle Campaign Kickoff Breakfast at the Catawba Island Club on Nov. 2.
The Kickoff Breakfast will be Saponari’s last event before she walks away and hands the reins completely to Sayre.
“There’s a lot of energy in this room today — a lot of laughter, a lot of crying,” Sayre said as she met with Saponari for preliminary training on Oct. 12. “There’s no manual on how to be a Moe.”
Contact correspondent Sheri Trusty at sheritrusty4@gmail.com.
This article originally appeared on Fremont News-Messenger: Meet Your Neighbor: Maureen Saponari bids farewell to Salvation Army post
