Dolly McGeshick Honored for Many Years of Service

The 2021 Governor’s Service Awards were held on August 4th at the Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center in Madison, and were also broadcast live on YouTube.

Governor Evers provided congratulatory remarks, noting that nine Wisconsinites and five organizations were honored at the event who are, “spearheading positive, impactful change through their service to the people of Wisconsin.”

Governor Evers continued, “I’m also proud to share that we’re establishing a new tradition for this ceremony. …We’ll be honoring AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers who have reached 20 years of service to their communities. …On behalf of our entire state, thank you for your hard work and dedication. Your service is an inspiration to all of us. Your service, and the service of all honorees we’re recognizing today, exemplifies our shared Wisconsin values of empathy, compassion, service, and taking care of our neighbors. And this service has been even more critical this past year as our state and nation responded to the Covid-19 pandemic.”

Tribal Elder Dolly McGeshick was one of the nine people honored at the Awards Ceremony.

Christine Beatty, Board Chair of Serve Wisconsin, presented Dolly an award, and shared the following:

“Mildred ‘Dolly’ McGeshick has continued to dedicate her life to helping others and continues to make a difference to the people of Wisconsin through her AmeriCorps Senior Service with the Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council Senior Companion Program and the care that she consistently shows for those within the local Tribal community.

Dolly began showing this commitment to others at a young age. Despite loving school and being a strong student, Dolly stayed home from school after her mother left in order to take care of her younger brothers and sisters.

When later caring for three of her uncles, she drove them to Elder association meetings at different Tribal locations each month. And although she was too young to attend the meetings, she was allowed to stay to assist her uncles.

Her involvement grew, and she was ultimately voted to the Board in 1966 of what is today the Great Lakes Native American Elders Association. Feeling it is her duty to care for other people, she expanded the scope of this commitment traveling to Washington, DC, to advocate for Native American causes, becoming the first Indian Child Welfare worker in the country, and assisting with the development of the Indian Child Welfare Act.

She has had a significant impact on numerous people, from the 69 children she has helped raise from both her Mole Lake Sokaogon Ojibwe Tribe and others, to all of those impacted by her advocacy and efforts.

Dolly’s impact through the AmeriCorps Seniors began before she was eligible to start serving with the program itself. Dolly wrote the first grant in the 1970s for a Foster Grandparent program to serve children from Wisconsin Tribes in Northern Wisconsin. Today, this program is also administered by the Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council.

Dolly became an official volunteer with the Senior Companion program in 2015, and has since served over 6,000 hours – and counting.

Through her service, she has helped Tribal Elders in her community by offering friendship, companionship, running errands, doing chores and giving rides. An outstanding example of this service includes her eagerly agreeing to accompany a Tribal Elder to dialysis treatment last year despite needing to drive an hour and a half, and it being during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

She has not just enhanced the lives of these individuals, but she has also been a major asset to the program as a go-to person when questions need answering or phone calls or other connections need to be made.

Reflecting on her desire to help those in her community, she explains that, ‘When I get food, I feed others.’

Throughout her life and through her AmeriCorps Senior service, Dolly has made a true impact for Tribal communities that has sustained and bettered the lives of countless individuals. Thank you, Dolly.”

Congratulations Dolly on your award, and Chi Miigwech for the many things you have done for our community!

View Dolly’s award presentation here. View full awards ceremony here.