The world lost a lovely person and I am so sad for that . I will remember Helene fondly . She was kind and generous . She did a presentation for the young adults at my Roma NGO on how to make jewelry out of plastic . What an amazing and creative individual . Blessings to Helene ’ s family .
– Terri Jones , MAK 16 ( Photo left )
Helene was an amazing lady with so much creativity and passion . I feel so blessed to have known her . She was a very special person and we were so lucky to have her as part of our Peace Corps family- we will miss her very much !
-Jamie Metz , MAK 16 lene in Bitola , while a few of us isiting Karli for a New Year ’ s cele welcomed us warmly to Bitoets and delicious food she had e arrival of us volunteers , even n ’ t even met us before .
looking out for others and helphe could . She was a creative and it whose memory will not fade .
Weaver , MAK 16s
Dear Helene , We knew you so well , and we hardly had time to get to know you . That ’ s what the Peace Corps is about . Our short time together in service rewarded us with you , a kind and gentle soul , full of creative energy . We will miss getting to reminisce with you about memories of our adventures . You will always be a lovely part of the MAK15 stories .
-Kathy and Dave VanDerWege , MAK 15s
Dear Helene ,
I know that in heaven you won ’ t get to make curtains from burlap or classy jewelry from discarded plastic bottles , but I know you will be happy and will likely find other amazing ways to be creative . It ’ s who you are ! Do you know how inferior I felt sometimes as I looked at your handiwork ? I feel so blessed to have known you and called you my friend and especially my Peace Corps roommate . From PST to IST to mid-service , we managed to share rooms and laughter . I loved our trip with Jamie and Julie to Kotor - so fun to share that experience with you . I ’ ve missed you since COS and now ... I feel that I will miss you always . Thanks for being my friend and confidant .
-Marlys Shelby , MAK 15 ( Photo above )
I had the great pleasure of meeting Helene for exactly one hour . She came for her COS interview shortly after I arrived . I loved her sense of humor , her humility and her outlook on life . I told her I was sorry she was leaving because I would have loved to have gotten to know her better . In that one hour , I had a glimpse of Helene ’ s deep love of life and her ability to engage others in her joy for living . Such souls are a blessing to encounter and I consider myself fortunate to have been among the many who have encountered and experienced the joy of Helene .
-Janeen Dorsch , Director of Programming & Training
The human is only one particle in the universe . The winds will carry you through the air as dust . Somewhere sunlight will caress you , sometimes you will dance with the raindrops , cherishing every dawn or starry night . Maybe somewhere you fill empty spaces ; sometimes even our world is not enough to fulfill your …
Our dear Helene , we are very sorry . Rest in peace …
Your colleagues at Lifestart , Bitola