One of Nelson’s ‘great toilers’ honoured with civic award
A “great toiler” who keeps the community running has been honoured with a Nelsonian Civic Award.
Penny Molnar received the award, which honours outstanding community service, at a Nelson City Council meeting on Thursday, after being nominated by deputy mayor Pete Rainey.
Rainey read out his citation, outlining her extensive community work through the years.
“Look beneath the surface of numerous Nelson community support groups and you will find the tireless and endlessly kind efforts of Penny Molnar keeping things running smoothly,” he said.
“Whether it is serving Kai Rescue scones at the Nelson Women’s Centre or taking new migrants to the doctor, Penny has given her time to this community for more than four decades – and still does so.
“Her voluntary service is exceptional, as is her long-standing commitment to community well-being, women’s empowerment and multicultural inclusion.”
Molnar’s extensive resume includes being a founding member of the Nelson Women’s Centre in 1994, launching Nelson’s first after-school and holiday programme in 1995, and being a founding member of the Nelson Multicultural Council in 1994.
“She has supported multicultural festivals and events, advocated for migrants and refugees, and contributed to settlement support and anti-racism initiatives,” Rainey said.
“It’s no exaggeration to say that Penny’s input back then contributed to strong relationships between communities and paved the way for the enriched cultural diversity that Nelson now prides itself on.”
But, it was the Victory Community Centre Molnar really put her stamp on, helping establish it in 2007, he said.
“It was hugely innovative as a community and health hub sited on school grounds. She was the centre’s first Be Well Community Nurse and spent 10 years using her nursing expertise to get alongside and support hundreds of families.”
She has also been a trustee on the Whenua Iti Outdoors Trust and the Nelson Tasman Pasifika Trust, the Community Workers Training and Support Trust, the Nelson Community and Whanau Network, House 44 drop-in centre, and Rape Crisis.
Molnar received a Queen’s Service Medal for services to the community in 2018.
“There’s a saying – If you want something done, ask a busy person. Penny is living proof of the truth of this – always finding to time to take someone to an appointment or chair yet another meeting,” Rainey said.
Mayor Nick Smith said the award was “a wonderful opportunity to for us to be able to champion one of the great toilers in our community”.
In accepting the award, Molnar described herself as a “groupie”.
“Nothing works without a group of us, and I will be the first one to work with others. I’m a team player and I’ve loved being a team player.”
She paid tribute to many of the people she worked with through the years, as well as her family.
“You’ve been the most amazing family to have alongside me, and I know you’ve put up with me … always being out and about doing other things and not always with you, but you know we’re a strong family and we’re all together which is wonderful.”
The award was beautiful, she said.
“I will hold it close to me.”
By Katie Townshend, Nelson Mail
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