By Yadira Betances
ybetances@eagletribune.com
—
LAWRENCE — For 30 years, Kay Berthold Frishman has taken a keen interest in the environment and in preserving the city's vistas in oil paintings.
For that and more, Frishman, executive director of Family Service in Lawrence since 1986, will receive the 12th annual Eartha Dengler History Award tomorrow at the Abe Bashara Boathouse, 1 Eaton St.
The award is named after the founder of the Immigrant City Archives — now the Lawrence History Center.
The award highlights the accomplishments of people, past and present, who have worked to bring development, prosperity and quality of life to Lawrence.
"I'm honored and humbled by it," Frishman said of the recognition.
Barbara Brown, executive director of the Lawrence History Center, said Frishman was one of four people considered for the award.
"We look for people who have made contributions to Lawrence, but through the lens of history," Brown said.
She said Frishman was chosen for two reasons.
"She's such an advocate for the river and the canal," Brown said.
The second reason why Frishman was chosen coincides with the history center's upcoming exhibit, "New Deal for Lawrence: Federal Works Project Then and Now." It focuses on President Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal programs, especially projects in the city funded by the Works Progress Administration.
"What Kay does at her institution was profoundly affected by the New Deal. Instead of federal government aid and a welfare mentality, she is a professional social worker. Instead of giving people the fish, she is able to teach people to fish," Brown said.
Family Service was founded in 1854 to help the immigrants who came to work at the mills. Over the years, the agency has adapted its mission to help newcomers build skills and increase their knowledge through 20 different programs, including child welfare, parent education, mentor programs, youth development, employee assistance, mental health treatment and suicide prevention.
"I've always been interested in Lawrence and how it has shaped the course of history. With its struggles, challenges and development, it mirrors the history of our country," Frishman said.
In addition to her work at Family Service, she is a trustee of the Andover Village Improvement Society and Andover Conservation. She is a member of the International Committee of the Rotary Club of Lawrence and has led four trips to install water filters in the Dominican Republic. She also interviews prospective students for Brown University.
She also is literally preserving the city's history through her oil paintings, including the view of the dam from Falls Bridge.
Frishman was born in New York City and her family moved to Andover when she was 10. A graduate of Andover High School, she has a bachelor's degree in Latin and Spanish from Brown University.
She served in Montevideo, Uruguay, with the Peace Corps. After returning she earned a master's degree in social work from Columbia University.
Frishman began her professional career at Head Start centers in East Harlem and Queens, N.Y. She moved back to Andover in the early 1980s.
If you go
What: Eartha Dengler History Award presented to Kay Berthold Frishman.
When: Tomorrow, June 10
Where: Abe Bashara Boathouse, 1 Eaton St.
Tickets are $50. For information, contact the Lawrence History Center at 978-686-9230
