by Rick Menard

The executive director of a Lyndonville pregnancy care center has been recognized as the Vermont Mother of the Year.

Carmen Menard will be recognized for this award at a celebration held at the Futures Pregnancy Care Center, 70 Church Street, Lyndonville, Vermont (where she is Executive Director) on Saturday, April 6 from 1-3 p.m.

Menard, of Lyndonville, was sponsored for the award by her husband, Rev. Rick Menard, a longtime St. Johnsbury pastor. She is the mother of one adult son, Sean, and is a grandmother. A former assistant vice-president of the Passumpsic Savings Bank, she and Rick co-founded New Beginnings Church and led it for 25 years. She was an active supporter of Sean in his athletic and TaeKwonDo activities, as well as a ready volunteer for civic organizations. She always insisted that the family sit down for meals together – a tradition that has been lost.

Now, as executive director at Futures Pregnancy Care Center, she mentors young women, many of whom have never had a positive role model. She may miss the American Mothers convention next month because she needs to stay home to care for her 95-year-old mother-in-law, she told the Caledonian-Record.

“Family first,” Menard said.

Vermont Mothers is an affiliate of American Mothers, Inc. which recognizes, values, and empowers mothers to positively influence their family and community.

Past Vermont Mothers of the Year include (not in chronological order):
Carolyn Branagan
Beverly Croteau
Amy DiBona
Nancy Fowler
Lise Gates
Gisele Gervais
Elizabeth Haggerty
Tracey Hemond
Virginia Howrigan
Heather Kucharski
Rita McCaffrey
Agnes Pietryka
Edith Prandini
Marybeth Redmond
Patricia Reynolds
Rose Rixon
Mary Schreindorfer
Carol Willey, and Audrey DeForge.