New Hope Man Receives Good Citizenship Award
When you’re with New Hope resident Tom Wiblishauser, be ready to keep up.
The 73-year-old goes wherever help is needed.
At Holy Nativity Lutheran Church in New Hope, Wiblishauser volunteers his time.
Tom Wiblishauser volunteering at Holy Nativity Lutheran Church in New Hope.
The church is a donation drop-off site for PRISM.
Meanwhile, at nursing homes, he’s putting on his dancing shoes, bringing his polka moves and smiles to entertain residents.
But one of Wiblishauser’s biggest passions is helping students.
As a former Hennepin Tech instructor, he used his skills to tutor students at Robbinsdale Middle School and Cooper High School, as well as Minnesota prison inmates through a special program.
“It was so successful at Stillwater,” said Wiblishauser, “For three times we did it, twice at Faribault, and once at Red Wing. We did it to help students find new lives.”
With his science and math expertise, Wiblishauser tutored kids in a college-readiness program.
“Students are very anxious about math and so he makes it easy for them,” said Lisa Roney, Wiblishauser’s former co-worker.
Lisa Roney with former co-worker Tom Wiblishauser.
His devotion to students inspired Roney to nominate Wiblishauser for New Hope’s Good Citizenship Award.
“I just thought of him because he is always doing service to others — that’s just in his personality,” says Roney.
Wiblishauer was surprised by the award.
“Never thought that it could have been me,” he said.
For him, it’s an appreciation from a community he’s been part of for 43 years.
Wiblishauser plans to continue to serve.
Even a rotator-cuff injury can’t stop him. He says the volunteer gardening work is part of his physical therapy.
Wiblishauser does find time to sit down, every once in a while.
He writes a fitness column for his church and has written a poem supporting police officers.
