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By Laura Drinan
Hometown Weekly Reporter
For the past eleven years, Needham High School has hosted “Take Back the Night,” an event to spread awareness for domestic violence and sexual assault. With members of the community participating in the annual event and Needham High students consistently seeking to join the “Take Back the Night” club, the town has been more united than ever in promoting healthy relationships and ending violence in Needham.
Responsible for that unity is Deb Jacob, the club’s advisor and driving force behind the event. Serving as an active member of the Needham Domestic Violence Action Committee (DVAC), Deb provides the club and the event with a wealth of information and resources.
For her efforts with “Take Back the Night,” Deb received the Patrick C. Forde Good Person Memorial Award on January 29 in Needham Town Hall’s Powers Hall.
Deb Jacob, recipient of the 2018 Patrick C. Forde Award, humbly thanks the community for supporting her work. Photos by Laura Drinan
“Every year, every January, it is another extraordinary person we recognize. This is the ceremony in Needham that reminds us to be optimistic and hopeful about the future because these are the people of our community,” said Representative Denise Garlick.
Lieutenant Belina Carroll and R.N. Donna Carmichael nominated Deb for the award, emphasizing her importance as a role model to those involved in “Take Back the Night.”
“She’s an amazing person. She just doesn’t stop,” said Lieutenant Carroll. “She’s so engrained within the community and she is certainly what Needham has to offer and what makes Needham the place it is.”
Since retiring, Deb has dedicated her free time to becoming involved in even more charitable events and organizations. She has volunteered with the Needham Coalition for Suicide Prevention and the DVAC for over 10 years, and has been on the Board of the Needham History Center and Museum, the Board of the Needham Community Council, and the Board of the Friends of the Needham Coalition for Suicide Prevention. Since 2003, Deb has also been a volunteer at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute’s Seasonal Giving Program.
Patricia Forde spoke about some of Deb’s work within the community and why she was the perfect candidate to receive the award in her husband’s memory.
“She demonstrated, in all the years I’ve known her, how much she loves her family, how much she loves Needham, and she does that through all of her volunteerism. She’s very gracious, she makes everyone around her feel good about themselves, she’s truly a good person,” said Patricia. “I spent a lovely evening with Deb a few weeks ago and her spirit and energy made me think of Pat, and how thrilled he would be to have her receive this award.”
After Needham Youth and Family Services’ Katy Colthart presented Deb with the glistening glass award, Representative Denise Garlick bestowed a citation from the House of Representatives upon Deb in recognition of her “selfless and devoted service to our community.”
“On behalf of all [the people of the town of Needham], I say thank you, Deb, for all of your work and the way that you have changed the lives of so many of our children, as they are emerging young adults going on to the world and strengthening them and giving them courage,” Representative Garlick said.
Humbled by the kind words of the community’s leaders, Deb stood behind the podium with her award in hand.
“As most people who know me know, I am seldom at a loss for words,” Deb began, eliciting chuckles from her family members and friends in the audience. “When I heard I was getting this award, I actually found myself a little speechless. The truth is, that I am so lucky that I’ve been given the opportunity to stop earning a living and start living my interests … There are so many opportunities to benefit our community in a positive way.
“I hope that each of you has the chance to follow your passions, find causes that inspire you, and jump in.”
