TriCity Family Services rewards Geneva couple's volunteer spirit

If there is any doubt that Dudley Burgess enjoys volunteering to make his community a better place, one only needs to see the various costumes he has worn while serving food at the First Tuesday suppers at the United Methodist Church of Geneva.

Whatever season or reason, Dudley had a costume that fit in with the theme, much to the delight of the supper attendees.

And he credits his wife, Judy, for this desire to help others - and having fun doing it.

When a married couple illustrates that two heads are better than one when it comes to caring, it is difficult to separate one from the other.

As such, Judy and Dudley Burgess were honored Wednesday night with the 33rd annual William D. Barth Award from TriCity Family Services at a ceremony at Riverside Receptions in Geneva.

The family support agency honors individuals each year for significant and positive impacts made through community service in the central Kane County area.

"This was an absolute total shock for us," Dudley said about earning the award. "We just don't expect anything in return for what we're doing."

And the Geneva couple does quite a bit, much of it sparked by Judy's involvement in volunteer causes ever since the two were married 53 years ago, and most certainly since they moved to this area in 1991, according to Dudley.

"Judy has always been a volunteer, and I had a corporate career, so she always followed me around," said Dudley, a retired vice president of government affairs at AT&T.

"After I retired, she got me involved at TriCity Family Services," Dudley said.

But Judy claims it was Dudley who brought his expertise to the agency when he helped launch a quality control committee and program dedicated to continuous improvement, one that would help it through the national accreditation process.

"The agency needed someone who understood quality control, and Dudley worked in that area at AT&T," Judy said. "It was a natural."

Dudley served on the agency's leadership committee for two decades, and became a key leader of the annual Wilderness Challenge Program, a role he has had for nearly 10 years. The program, designed to help youths being served by the agency to learn leadership skills in the wild, fit right in with one of his other passions of serving as a Grand Canyon volunteer guide every summer.

Judy has helped with many projects and tasks at the agency, as well as at Lazarus House, Safe Haven and other church projects.

It has become common for those who know her well to describe her help and ability to recruit other volunteers as adding "The Judy Factor" to a project or event.

"It's important to know that TriCity Family Services recognizes you with this award for things you do all over the Fox Valley," Judy said. "It's important to help the community in many ways."

She is credited with almost single-handedly creating The Friends of TriCity Family Services group, which supports the work of the agency and recently changed its name to "Helpers with Heart."

"When I look around this room, I see a lot of compassion and big hearts," Judy said after accepting the award.

Both Dudley and Judy continue to serve on the TriCity Family Services' Advisory Council, helping the agency with various initiatives and establishing future strategies.

TriCity Family Services established the Barth Award in 1985 to honor William D. Barth, a founder of the agency and a dedicated community leader.

TCFS is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, honoring the community members who first stepped forward to create gathering places for troubled youths in paving the way for what would become a family counseling agency.