JEANNE KILDUFF: Presidential attention

Summerlin volunteer earns special award from commander in chief

Catholic Charities of Southern Nevada employee Karen Lewis, left, and Jeanne Kilduff stand near a pile of backpacks at Catholic Charities, 1501 Las Vegas Blvd. North. The backpacks were distributed in August to youth throughout the valley. To help carry out its mission, Catholic Charities receives assistance from St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church, 1811 Pueblo Vista Drive, where Kilduff volunteers. special to View Advertisement

Fourteen years -- that's how long Jeanne Kilduff, 58, has been volunteering at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church, 1811 Pueblo Vista Drive.

Such devotion earned her a large office on the church campus. It also earned her the President's Volunteer Service Award. Yes, that president.

"It was such an honor," Kilduff said of learning about the award.

The award was established in March 2002 to thank Americans for making a difference in the lives of others. President Bush honors a local volunteer when he travels throughout the United States. He has met with more than 600 volunteers, such as Kilduff, since the award was established.

The honor got the Summerlin resident on the tarmac at McCarran International Airport to greet Bush during his Jan. 30 visit to Las Vegas. Kilduff and a number of dignitaries, such as Gov. Jim Gibbons and Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman, assembled at the bottom of the mobile stairs of Air Force One.

"It was the coolest thing," Kilduff said. "I was nervous but so excited."

Every step was orchestrated with precise timing, from gathering at the airport to being bussed out to meet Bush's plane.

"There was security all around," Kilduff said. "You'd see them talking into their sleeves, but you didn't know what they were talking about."

Even before Bush finished descending the stairs, he noticed her and sent her a greeting. Once on the ground, he went right up to Kilduff.

"I went to shake his hand and he just scooped me up and gave me a hug," she recalled.

He also kissed her on the cheek, kept his arm around her as he met the other local notables, and then walked hand in hand with her to his limousine, where he bade her goodbye, Kilduff said.

A friend saw the welcome on TV and mistakenly thought Kilduff was already acquainted with the president.

Kilduff said Bush came across in a comfortable way, and meeting him was like reuniting with a longtime friend. In all, she got to spend about eight minutes with him.

As for the award, it was not for her, she explained, but for everyone who had given of their time and resources to help others. Mostly, she said, she saw it as an opportunity to garner attention for her church.

In total, Kilduff estimated she's donated 25,000 hours of her time.

Kristi Quinlan, youth director at the church, said Kilduff was an inspiration to the youngsters. She said that she was not surprised at the estimate of 25,000 hours.

"I would think it's at least that," she said. "She works longer hours than most full-time employees. Sometimes she'll come in at 6 a.m."

Kilduff established the church's outreach program soon after she began volunteering. It supports food drives, a daily sandwich program, backpacks for schoolchildren, socks and underwear drives for the homeless and an Angel Tree program that benefits nearly 4,000 men, women and children annually.

In addition, Kilduff is on the board of directors of the Children's Heart Foundation, and for the last five years, she has helped organize the annual Walk with the Heart of a Child. Proceeds from the event fund a camp for children suffering from heart problems.

The Summerlin-area church is involved in assisting many organizations, the largest being Catholic Charities of Southern Nevada.

"She sees a need in the community and she has the foresight to pull it all together," said Sharon Mann, community relations director for Catholic Charities. "She sees the community as a whole and coordinates things to provide (help)."

For the President's Volunteer Service Award, Kilduff received a lapel pin, a certificate and a photo of herself with the president.

"It's an award for the we's of the organization," she said. "We couldn't do all we do without them."