CASPER, Wyo. (Wyoming News Now) – The Jefferson Awards honor those making a difference in communities across the state. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be introduced to Wyoming’s nominees.

Mary Longart-Parkinson moved to Casper about ten years ago from Venezuela, and now works as a life insurance agent at New York Life.

Mary is a busy lady, but one thing she always makes time for is helping others. She’s a driver for Meals On Wheels, coaches immigrants to help them better understand the citizenship process, and works with a number of other non-profits.

Whoever it is, she wants to make the folks she works with feel valued.

She explains, “I do it because I really enjoy bringing hope to people. Whether [it’s] someone bringing you food, or ‘I matter because she’s taking the time to explain things to me like no one else did before’, that’s what I like.”

Mary says it’s these interactions that keep her going, “It just lights up my day, I don’t want to stop doing it.”

Though she’s honored to have been nominated for a Jefferson Award, she never expected to be recognized for her work. She simply hopes to inspire others to follow in her footsteps and become more involved within their communities.

She says, “Being kind to other people, it’s definitely a winner all the time.”

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