Carol Woodman - 2022
Raised in New York City, Carol has always been passionate about children, theatre and all the performing arts. A graduate of Ithaca College with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in acting and directing, she has performed in and directed shows ranging from Shakespeare to Purimshpiel to children’s theatre.
Upon moving to Lancaster in 1996 with her family, Carol earned her Pennsylvania certification as a Special Education teacher and worked for Lancaster Lebanon IU13 while raising two children, Paul and Laura. As a teacher of children living with Autism, she created strategies to meet the needs of each of her students. Carol provided a safe atmosphere where verbal and non-verbal students could learn and gain independence. Her expertise with children living with Autism and with their families led her to volunteer to be part of Jewish Family Service’s Education Committee.
Carol has also volunteered with “Dramability,” a theatre group in Lancaster for high school students and young adults living with disabilities. This group provides young people with a unique opportunity to develop their performance and ensemble skills. In addition, Carol is a volunteer usher at the Fulton Theater. Helping the performing arts thrive in Lancaster is something about which she is quite passionate.
Two decades ago, she volunteered to take an in-depth course in order to qualify to be a member of Manheim Township’s Youth Aid Panel. Formed to address first-time juvenile offenders who commit summary and misdemeanor crimes, this panel is an alternative to the juvenile court system. Important goals of this panel are to prevent our youth from becoming more deeply involved in delinquent acts and in poor decision making, as well as to hold them responsible for their actions.
As an Independent Monitoring for Quality (IM4Q) team member, Carol conducts interviews with people living with disabilities, gathering information and producing reports that evaluate the effectiveness of the services they’re receiving. This is a national and statewide program for which the ARC of Lancaster and Lebanon Counties has trained and commissioned her.
The Covid pandemic presented new challenges to those who, like Carol, enjoy the person-to-person volunteer experience. The Literacy Council of Lancaster-Lebanon offered her a position tutoring adult learners looking to improve their academic skills in order to enhance their work and community life. All sessions are conducted via video conferencing.
Volunteering is an important fundamental value taught and supported by Jack Paskoff, the rabbi at Congregation Shaarai Shomayim, of which she is a member. Whether it’s a one-day event such as Mitzvah Day, families in need of meals of consolation, or fund-raising efforts, Carol often pitches in and contributes her time. She serves on the temple’s executive board as financial treasurer, and she also is on the Women of Shaarai Shomayim’s leadership team.
When asked about how she felt about this award, Carol said, “I am exceedingly grateful and honored to be awarded this year’s Jean Feldstein Volunteer of the Year Award by Jewish Family Service. There are some volunteer positions for which I will always be available; however, I also look forward to finding new roles in the community.”