Kent Beittel has received the 2020 Upper Arlington Alumni Association Distinguished Alumnus Award for his years of service as The Open Shelter’s Director.
In announcing the award, the UAAA stated that: “For nearly 36 years the shelter has provided shelter, meals, medical services, clothing and other services to hundreds of thousands of persons in need. His dedication to service, advocacy and fundraising has not been an easy path, and Kent has overcome many obstacles over the years including social service bureaucracies and funding challenges. But he has always been adamant about accepting everyone, no questions asked. The UAAA is proud to present the 2020 Award to Kent.”
Kent attended Upper Arlington High School through his junior year while his father served as a minister at The Riverside Methodist Church.
The award, made only 22 times in the last 27 years, is presented to a graduate (or group of alumni) who has demonstrated excellence in one or more of the following areas: Leadership • Innovation • Service • Professional or Personal Accomplishments.
The link below is to a copy of the nomination on which the award was made. The nomination includes a history of Kent and Mary’s work at the shelter, photos of him, and four Columbus Dispatch and Columbus Monthly articles reprinted with the permission of the Dispatch, the Columbus Monthly, and Gannett Co., Inc.
