Orange County Executive Steven M. Neuhaus has recognized Carole McDermott of the Town of Newburgh as the Citizen of the Month Award winner for the month of December.

McDermott was recognized for her dedication to Meals on Wheels of Greater Newburgh and other community organizations. She has served as the volunteer president of Meals on Wheels since 2010.

“Carole McDermott is a remarkable woman and her contributions to Meals on Wheels and a variety of other local groups is inspiring,” Neuhaus said. “She is kind and civic-minded and takes great pride in helping her neighbors and fellow Newburgh residents who are in need. Through her volunteerism, Carole has had a positive impact on hundreds of people over several decades. She is respected and beloved by the entire community.”

McDermott said she was inspired to volunteer and give back to the community by her parents. She first began volunteering in her 20s with the Junior League of Newburgh and has been active in a variety of organizations throughout Orange County. McDermott, 78, takes great pride in the work that she has accomplished with Meals on Wheels.
McDermott was re-elected to a new three-year term on the New York State Meals on Wheels Board of Directors in August. She also served on the planning committee for the annual Meals on Wheels of New York State Conference in October in Syracuse. Founded in 1972, Meals on Wheels, a registered 501(c)(3) charity, prepares and delivers hot, nourishing, noontime meals for individuals who are confined to their homes and unable to cook adequately for themselves due to age, illness, injury or disability.

“Meals on Wheels of Greater Newburgh is truly a grassroots, hometown, charity,” McDermott said. “We are a team, a family, with over 100 volunteers. It’s extremely rewarding to help others and it’s what we do best. I’m truly humbled and honored that County Executive Neuhaus has recognized me, and especially the wonderful work that Meals on Wheels does in the community.”

McDermott, a retired commercial banker, is also a Director Emeritus of the Orange County Chamber of Commerce. She previously served as the president of the Calvary Presbyterian Church Board of Trustees, president of the Hudson Valley International Trade Association, and the Boards of Directors of the United Way and the Junior League of Newburgh.
McDermott and her husband of 55 years, David, have two adult children, Russ and Stacie, and five grandchildren.

Neuhaus introduced his Citizen of the Month Award, which acknowledges outstanding Orange County residents, in January of 2017. To nominate someone for the Citizen of the Month Award, please email ceoffice@orangecountygov.com or mail a letter to “Citizen of the Month” at 255-275 Main Street Goshen, N.Y. 10924. Be sure to include the nominee’s name, hometown, a list of their accomplishments, why you are nominating them and any other pertinent information. Nominees must be from Orange County.