The Exchange Club is an all volunteer group who each year sets goals to help support worthwhile local events such as Winter Coats for Needy Children, the Spencer Police Association, Toys for Tots, Toys for Joy, the DPHS/Spencer Exchange Club Scholarship, East Brookfield Fireworks, Spencer Little League plus many more.

Exchange is a national service organization for men and women who want to serve their community, develop leadership skills and enjoy new friendships. Exchange is made up of more than 800 clubs and nearly 28,000 members throughout the United States and Puerto Rico.

This is the 8^th year that the Spencer Exchange Club has given out the Citizen of the Year Award to a worthy group or individual who volunteers their time and efforts to our community. Past recipients of this award include: Dick Fiske, area Toys for Tots volunteers, volunteers from Mary, Queen of the Rosary Food Pantry, Harriet Gobi, Donna Flannery, Stein Berthiaume, and Carol and Bob McPherson.

We had many nominees this year and one stood out above the rest.

The Exchange Club presented Mrs. Andrews with a plaque and Sen. Steve Brewer and Rep. Anne Gobi, both members of the Spencer Exchange Club, were on hand to present citations from the Statehouse and House of Representatives.

Nancy Andrews has greatly improved the lives of children for most of her life. She has been actively involved in the Worcester County 4-H both on the local and state levels for 59 years. Nancy was a Club leader where she helped with cooking, craft and sewing clubs and the Happy Hay Shakers Dairy Club. She sat on the 4-H Advisory Council, including 20 years as its president and treasurer.

Nancy was the former chairman of the Worcester County 4-H Fair since the 1970’s and also served as co-chairman for the 4-H auction which was one of the largest fundraisers for the Worcester County 4-H program.

Nancy also volunteered her time as Spencer’s recreation director arranging programs and designing trips for school age children to senior citizens. Nancy’s dedication to this program resulted in many programs for Spencer youths. Nancy and her family have been a part of the Spencer Fair for decades. She was the first woman president of the Spencer Agricultural Association and continues on the Fair Committee today. The Spencer Fair has a very special place in her heart because that is where she met her husband, Sonny, when they were both showing cows. Her family’s involvement spans five generations.

They opened up Andrews Farm to many kindergarten outings so that area children could experience how life is lived on a farm.

Nancy and Sonny were married for over 50 years until his passing in 2006 and they raised six daughters. Their children and grandchildren are active in their communities, the 4-H Program and or the Spencer Fair keeping the tradition of giving back to the community alive.

This is the 4-H pledge for those of you who are not familiar with it…

“I pledge my head to clearer thinking… my heart to greater loyalty… my hands to larger service… and my health to better living… for my club, my community, my country and my world.”

Mrs. Andrews leads by example and we are grateful to have her in our community.

The Elm Hill Center is a non-profit human services agency located on nationally registered, historic Elm Hill Farm. They provide inclusive programs for all people including those with special needs through hands on activities using horticulture, horsemanship and the arts. Elm Hill Farm, built in the 1700s, was one of the largest working farms in the region. One of its cows, “Elsie the Cow,” was the face of Borden Company, one of the most recognizable product symbols in America in the mid-20th century. The farm was property of the Blanchard Means Family. Following the death of Blanchard Means, Mrs. Means became concerned about the future of the family farm and envisioned it as a preservation place where the public and developmentally disabled individuals, like her daughter Louise, would enjoy its natural beauty. Louise still lives at Elm Hill, as do several other adults living with developmental disabilities.

The Exchange Club is an all volunteer group who each year sets goals to help support worthwhile local events such as Winter Coats for Needy Children, the Spencer Police Association, Toys for Tots, Toys for Joy, the DPHS/Spencer Exchange Club Scholarship, East Brookfield Fireworks, Spencer Little League plus many more.

Exchange is a national service organization for men and women who want to serve their community, develop leadership skills and enjoy new friendships. Exchange is made up of more than 800 clubs and nearly 28,000 members throughout the United States and Puerto Rico.

The Exchange Club is an all volunteer group who each year sets goals to help support worthwhile local events such as Winter Coats for Needy Children, the Spencer Police Association, Toys for Tots, Toys for Joy, the DPHS/Spencer Exchange Club Scholarship, East Brookfield Fireworks, Spencer Little League plus many more.

Exchange is a national service organization for men and women who want to serve their community, develop leadership skills and enjoy new friendships. Exchange is made up of more than 800 clubs and nearly 28,000 members throughout the United States and Puerto Rico.