Bonnie Loffredo (second from left) retired from her job as Executive Director of the Habersham County United Way on Nov. 6. She held that position for 14 years. Loffredo’s life and work were celebrated by family, friends and colleagues during a dinner Thursday night in Clarkesville. Here she is pictured with her daughter and granddaughter, Jenny and Kate Holbrook, husband Bob, and grandson and son-in-law, Chris and Tom Holbrook.
She’s known as the little lady with a big heart. For the past 14 years Bonnie Loffredo has been at the helm of the Habersham County United Way. Today, she is no more.
Loffredo officially retired from her job as the executive director last night during a dinner held in her honor at Habersham Electric Membership Corporation in Clarkesville. The evening was bittersweet. Full of laughs and light-hearted ribbing, it brought to a close the end of an era that has seen the United Way steadily grow in fundraising and giving.
United Way board president Jim Weidner told those gathered that since Loffredo joined United Way annual fundraising goals have increased by more than 26% – from $430,000 in 1998 to $575,000 this year. During that same time the United Way has always met or exceeded its goal. Per capita giving to the Habersham County United Way now stands at $13 and, since 1998, United Way has distributed $5,551,097 to its agencies.
“Bonnie is an extraordinary person. Bonnie’s heart is huge, and in some cases it’s bigger than her brain,” Weidner quipped. He recounted the time a man came into the United Way office in Cornelia seeking help. He was a complete stranger but Loffredo drove him from Cornelia to Toccoa anyway so that he could sign up for Social Security benefits. “Her trust in God is extraordinary,” Weidner said, “and that story enough explains that.” He choked up when he spoke of Loffredo’s Christian example. “Bonnie has done so many things for so many people with no expectation, but she did this…she did this, because Jesus taught her and taught all of us to do this.”
Loffredo says her work has been, and will continue to be, driven by her faith. “I dedicate our United Way to the Lord and if we have good times then, Glory to God. I take no praise. I do what God requires of me and the results are left up to Him.”
Loffredo says she was deeply moved by the outpouring of love and good wishes she received during last night’s tribute. “I’m very humbled by the whole thing. It makes me a little uncomfortable because it’s something you don’t want praise for, you just do your thing and hopefully change people’s lives for the better.”
Though no longer at the helm, Loffredo is still ‘doing her thing’ to help United Way and the community. She actively volunteers twice a week as a math tutor for the LiFT (Learning for Tomorrow) program at Habersham Central High School. LiFT is partially funded by United Way. “They say that you have to exercise the mind, so this has really been exercising my mind, to a point of exhaustion at times,” Loffredo says smiling. “God’s given me the opportunity to sit in a high school math class and learn and work and get to know kids and help them out. I really feel good that this is what I’m supposed to be doing. It’s fun!”
Fun is a word that is often associated with the Habersham County United Way under Loffredo’s leadership. That was evident in the comments made by several past and current board members who ‘roasted’ and ‘toasted’ her at last night’s gathering. Barbara Copeland of Clarkesville latched onto Loffredo’s penchant for tardiness. “Being on time is not one of Bonnie’s spiritual gifts,” Copeland laughed. She told of a conversation she once had with Loffredo’s husband, Bob, in which he told her, “Bonnie’s the perfect example of why during the American Revolution there were no Minute Women.”
Loffredo’s United Way predecessor, Caroline Cramer, brought a bag of props to the dinner. As she reached into the bag she pulled out binders and notebooks and stacks of paper and good-naturedly placed them on the table in front of Loffredo. Cramer deadpanned, “I just wanted Bonnie to feel comfortable tonight,” referring to the piles of paperwork stacked inside Loffredo’s United Way office.
There were other gags and good-humored stories about Loffredo shared throughout the evening. Many focused on her love of animals and her knack for picking up strays and keeping them in her office until she could find them a good home. But her love of animals wasn’t the focus; it was her love for people. As the laughter died down each speaker spoke of Loffredo’s kind, caring and generous heart. Former board member and pastor Phil Demore said of Loffredo, “She has a deep love for the person she serves…all people. She’s made a positive difference in the lives of countless people. She truly has a servants’ heart.” He went on to say, “Our community and the Habersham United Way are stronger mainly because of the diligent and tireless service of Bonnie Loffredo.”
Loffredo stepped into the role as executive director in 2001. Before that she worked as United Way’s full-time information referral coordinator and, before that, as a part-timer for one year. Her role as executive director was supposed to be temporary but that ‘temporary’ job turned in to a 14-year career. When asked what her fondest memory is Loffredo quickly replies, “The joy of some of our board meetings.” Loffredo describes the Habersham County United Way Board of Directors – past and present – as a group of people “who want to make the community better. They are there for totally altruistic reasons. They’re not getting paid for it and they have a sweet spirit. We didn’t always agree on everything,” she says, “but we always had laughter and we always had respect for each other.” Loffredo happily recalls the time one board member told her attending the meetings was the “funnest part of her day.”
Loffredo says seeing the work that is being done by the 25 local charitable agencies the Habersham County United Way funds makes her feel good, especially knowing that she had, in her words, “some small part of it.”
Ask anyone who knows and they’ll tell you Loffredo was more than a ‘small part’ of it. She may be short in stature but she has left a big imprint on the local community.
Former United Way Board President Ken Smith said filling the size of the petite Loffredo’s shoes won’t be the problem; filling the size of her heart, will be.
It is now up to Billy Boyd to do both. Boyd is the former Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity of Northeast Georgia. He was hired to succeed Loffredo this summer and has been training with her ever since. He says Loffredo has been a tremendous help in making it a smooth transition. He adds, “It’s certainly a challenge and it was certainly heartwarming tonight to see how the community feels about Bonnie and the good work that she’s done. My task is to continue with the same enthusiasm, love and concern for our community.”
Good luck, Billy. Good bye, Bonnie. And a new era begins.
10 chairmen
