Mayor Doug Athas and Garland’s City Council recognized Barbara Rust Powers for her extensive community service at the April 17 regular meeting.
Performing various roles, Powers has been a tireless supporter of the Boy Scouts for more than 25 years and is a member of Kiwanis Club, where she has served as president and lieutenant governor. Additionally, Powers chairs the Citizens Environment and Neighborhood Advisory Committee and is a board member of Keep Garland Beautiful. She serves as treasurer of Garland Federation of Clubs, is a member of Altrusa International of Garland and serves as president of the Rust Powers Foundation.
Because Powers’ mother consistently stressed the importance of community service, this impressive list is only part of Powers’ volunteer resume.
“Community service is something that has been ingrained in me from early on. My foundation [Rust Powers Foundation] is named in honor partly for my mother who ingrained community service in me,” Powers said. “I have tried to transfer that love of service to others to my own children as well as to Boy Scouts…because that’s something that scouting is very much about, serving others, serving the community.
Athas described Powers as tireless.
“What she has done for our community just goes on and on and I’m so proud of her, just as I am so proud of all those other individuals throughout Garland who do stuff like this all the time and volunteer in so many different ways,” Athas said.
Powers urged everyone to get involved and work to improve the community and help others.
“I’m just overwhelmed and I would like to challenge everyone here to do something for others,” she said. “Do something for your community and see what a difference you can make…Do what you can to help others and to make our community better.”
Not long after Powers was recognized by Mayor Athas, she also received the prestigious Roxie Scott Club Person of the Year award from the Garland Federation of Clubs because of her long-term, steadfast dedication to serving others.