By Christy Ash, HPU junior
BROWNWOOD – May 21, 2015 – Howard Payne University’s Social Work Advisory Board recently presented its Spirit of Social Work Award to Troy and Bettie Evans. The award recognizes the couple’s engagement in serving others through volunteering in the community.
Mrs. Evans has volunteered at Good Samaritan Ministries for 15 years and Mr. Evans has been a volunteer there for 14 years. For a four-year period, he also served on the Board of Directors. Mrs. Evans has worked with food and clothing for the ministry and also has served with the Christian Women’s Job Corps for the past 11 years.
Mr. Evans is a graduate of West Texas A&M University, with a degree in mathematics. He worked for the federal government for 32 years, spending 28 years at the White Sands Missile Range. Mrs. Evans attended New Mexico State University and pursued a teaching degree. She worked for the United States Postal Service for two years prior to becoming a retail business owner for nine years.
They are active members of Coggin Avenue Baptist Church and have traveled on several mission trips. Approximately 14 years ago, Mr. Evans began cooking for the church and, since then, has cooked 150 to 200 briskets per year to help raise funds for mission trips and youth choir trips. The couple also volunteered with the Operation Christmas Child ministry, twice traveling to the distribution center in Colorado to help pack and ship gift boxes.
The couple celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in August. They have three children, Lisa, Dawn and Brian.
When asked why they were so engaged with ministry and the community, they replied that they were just “doing God’s work.”
Dan Humeniuk, assistant professor of social work and chair of the Department of Criminal Justice, Social Work and Sociology, presented the award to the couple.
“Given their record of volunteer involvement, Troy and Bettie truly have demonstrated the spirit of social work,” he said. “The members of the Social Work Advisory Committee were very pleased to honor them in this way.”
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Photo cutline: Dan Humeniuk (right) recently presented HPU’s Spirit of Social Work Award to Bettie and Troy Evans.