Sandy Bjork — Martha Holland 2023 Volunteer of the Year Award Winner
Sandy Bjork was awarded the Martha Holland Volunteer Award at the October 25 Kent County Central Committee’s Kennedy-King Dinner.
The annual award was created in memory of Martha Holland and her remarkable lifetime of volunteerism. There is no greater honor for a Kent County Democrat than to be a recipient of this award. Martha was known for her energy, good humor, willingness to help or provide a gentle nudge to anyone who needed it, and, of course, the perfect pithy remark for any situation. Martha introduced the idea of “to the point” political buttons still popular and available at the Democratic headquarters. Martha lived the ideals of the Democratic Party — both with the political party and other volunteer organizations.
Like Martha, Sandy truly exemplifies Democratic ideals through volunteerism. From an early age, Sandy knew the importance, duty, and honor of the right to vote. The excitement she had when she voted for the first time has never left her.
Fresh out of college, Sandy and her first husband moved to southern Alabama in the 60’s to support his work for a literacy opportunity program for Black people. After his office burned to the ground, the people he taught met in a church, with men hiding with rifles under the church to prevent troublemakers from disrupting the meetings. The people wanted to continue the literacy program and Sandy and her husband agreed to continue. It was a scary moment but witnessing the deep desire to learn to read never left her. Later, as a single mother of two, then living in Bethesda, she found time to do get-out-the-vote door knocking.
Sandy moved to Kent County when she and her husband Bob retired. It was then that her active volunteerism blossomed. Sandy was appointed and then elected to the Democratic Central Committee, where she served from 2010 to 2018. She currently serves on the Democratic Club Executive Committee and leads many events and projects for both organizations including the Kennedy-King dinner, First Friday events, and sending postcards to newly registered Kent County Democrats, to name a few.
Beyond Sandy’s work for the Democratic Party, both in the county and the state, Sandy is an active League of Women Voters member and served as president for two years. As a retired nurse and lawyer, Sandy worked with the League to provide and promote Death with Dignity legislation for the state of Maryland. She is a member of Emmanuel Church, holding the senior warden position along with numerous committee chairmanships. She is currently on the Chester River Health Foundation Board and has served as vice president. Sandy also served a term on the board of For All Seasons and as an active member of Home Ports.
Besides her extensive volunteerism, Sandy finds great joy in her weekly golf games, book club, watching the winter birds at her feeders, travel, and most of all, her family and time with her husband Bob.
Martha would be so proud!
