McLean earns President's Lifetime Achievement Award for service
<p>Barbara McLean shows off pieces of cloth she uses to make quilts for children who are hospitalized. "I just feel like this is the right thing to do," McLean says. Last week, McLean received a Lifetime Achievement Award from President Obama for her decades of volunteerism.</p>
<p>McLean holds up the Lifetime Achievement Award she received from President Obama for her decades of volunteer work.</p>
<p>Barbara McLean sits beside folded quilts she recently made that will go to children who are hospitalized in various hospitals around the region. Last week, McLean received a Lifetime Achievement Award from President Obama for her decades of volunteerism.</p>
RATHDRUM — While serving as an Air Force nurse during the Vietnam War, Barb McLean made a promise to God, to herself and to Mother Teresa.
During her first embassy assignment in Calcutta, India, she and her colleagues found a severely dehydrated infant lying in the street. Its young mother had just died.
"We took the baby over to the orphanage to Mother Teresa and the mom to the home for dying. Because I am Catholic, it really meant a lot to me because that day Mother Teresa was there. We talked a lot and she held this little baby like this," McLean said, holding her arms in a cradling gesture. "When you think of somebody beautiful, you think of a movie star, but you know what? As God as my witness, when she looked down at this baby, that was the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen in my life. And I made a promise to her and I made a promise to God at that time — I’ve got to do something that makes a difference to make this a better world."
McLean, 80, kept that promise, and was recognized by President Barack Obama for doing so.
Other than her military service, from which she retired as a lieutenant colonel, McLean has spent 20 years as a coordinator for Project Linus. Project Linus is a nonprofit that provides clean, new, hand-sewn blankets and quilts to ailing children and youths in hospitals and health care centers. McLean coordinates for 16 different clinics and hospitals in several states.
In the mail last week was a package from the White House that included the President's Volunteer Service Award, a Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors medal, a President's Lifetime Achievement Award medal, a letter from Obama and a hand-signed card from the TAPS staff thanking McLean for her service and dedication.
This prestigious award recognizes citizens who have completed more than 4,000 hours of service in their lifetime.
"Thank you for helping to address the most pressing needs in your community and our country," a portion of the president's letter states. "Thank you for your devotion to
service and for doing all you can to shape a better tomorrow for our great Nation."
McLean, of Rathdrum, said she was humbled to receive the award.
"I did all this work because it was the right thing to do," McLean said. "It’s a privilege. I have lived all over the world and it's such a privilege to be an American, but with privilege there’s responsibility, and everybody must do something and build their own legacy."
Her husband, Len, 96, is a World War II veteran and proud of his wife for receiving this award.
"I've known that she deserved it a long time ago," he said.
Barb said she sees no end in sight and will continue her Project Linus work as long as possible.
"I’m not done yet," she said with a beaming smile. "I’m still inhaling and exhaling."