This month we want to feature one of our Hall House volunteers. For those of you who do not know Pat Portale, you are missing a delightful person. The first thing that you notice about her is her radiant smile. It is truly always present. She brings a ray of sunshine into everything that she does. Another charming and perhaps surprising aspect of Pat is to see her come buzzing into the Hall House parking lot on her Three-wheeled motorcycle. Barb Cessna our Hall House manager will tell you that Pat is very friendly, and enjoys all the comings and goings, the staff and the other volunteers at the library.
Pat participates in two great projects. The first is as a Friend of the Joseph P Dwyer Vets and the Vets Finding Vets programs, she goes to Nursing homes to visit with Veterans. She always has a supply of Honor Flight applications and if there are residents who are interested, she asks the Activities Director or other staff person to help them start the process. Then the families, Nursing Home Doctor and the Honor Flight Doctor all must agree to move the project forward.
At the Research Center, she is working on Chautauqua County Veteran database cards, as there are many that were turned in during the late 1990’s with incomplete information. They cannot be added to the database without additional info beyond the Veteran’s name and branch. She will soon be ready to begin entering the info into that database.
And now for Pat’s words about her life.
I was born and raised in Lakewood, New York and still live on the street where I grew up, I am proud to be a Southwestern Trojan graduation class of 1972, I then went to JBC to obtain my accounting degree and found a job with Chase Interiors, Falconer Glass and HBSA industries.in Falconer, New York. When HBSA closed their plant, I obtained my A.A. in Human Service management and started working at Meals on Wheels. It was during this time I also obtained my BS in Human Service management.
While volunteering with the Joseph Dwyer Peer to Peer group, I learned about the great work that Barb Cessna has done with the Vets Finding Vet program. I am not a veteran but am proud to honor our veterans who gave so much for our country. The main focus of my volunteer work with the Vets Finding Vets program is to assist our veterans.to receive free access to our Fenton Research Center.
During my spare time I like to ride my motorcycle and I have traveled across our beautiful county for 3 months, visiting twenty states and finding some relatives that I knew about but had not previously connected with.
Thanks to all our veterans who have served and those who continue to serve.
Pat is an incredible addition an asset to the Fenton History Center.
