By Town Crier Staff Report

Jean Taylor is a true believer in volunteering. The 50-year Los Altos resident still remembers the words of her mother, who died when she was 14: “Don’t look too far ahead, don’t look too far behind. Bring kindness to someone’s life every day.”

Taylor, 76, has volunteered virtually ever since.

Now someone is doing something nice for her. Employees and fellow volunteers at the Community Services Agency in Mountain View, where she has helped for more than 30 years, are honoring Taylor with their annual Hometown Hero award this coming Friday at CSA’s annual community breakfast event.

The event honors businesses, groups, churches and individuals who have made a difference by assisting CSA in its mission to serve those in need in our community.

Taylor began volunteering with the agency through the Santa Claus exchange program. In recent years, Taylor has volunteered at the agency’s Alpha Omega shelters for the homeless, usually stationed among a rotation of local churches. Taylor wakes up at 5 a.m. to cook pancakes once a week for Alpha Omega guests.

“I send them off with a good breakfast and a good feeling in the morning,” she said.

Taylor looks at the Hometown Hero honor as “very special and a special recognition of the shelter.”

“Jean is one of those people who combine commitment with action,” said CSA Executive Director Tom Myers. “We couldn’t have picked a better person. She’s wonderful.”

“I get great pleasure and satisfaction out of it,” Taylor said.

The keynote speaker for the breakfast event will be Dr. Fred Luskin, co-director of the Stanford Forgiveness Project and author of “Forgive for Good: A Proven Prescription for Health and Happiness.”

Dr. Luskin will share his eye-opening research, insights and techniques that demonstrate how forgiveness training can reduce depression, increase hopefulness, decrease anger, improve spiritual connection, increase emotional self-confidence, and help heal relationships.

The Hometown Heroes breakfast is scheduled for 7:30 a.m., at the Hyatt in Palo Alto. Tickets are $40. To make a reservation, call CSA at 968-0836. For detailed information on Hometown Heroes or any of CSA’s programs, logon to www.csacares.org.