Rotary Club of Alamo names 2018 Citizen of the Year

A long time Alamo resident has been selected as the 2018 Alamo Citizen of the Year by the Rotary Club of Alamo, for his largely unsung commitment to improving the lives of residents and exemplary service provided to some of the most vulnerable members of the community.

James “Jim” Noe, has been named the the 33rd Alamo citizen recognized since the program’s inception in 1985. A longtime community service advocate, Noe has distinguished himself as a champion for the needs of Contra Costa’s impoverished residents.

“(Noe) epitomizes the Rotary slogan of Service Above Self. He has helped alleviate human suffering and provided for the neediest individuals in our greater community,” said Steve Polcyn, past president of the Rotary Club of Alamo and the 2017 Alamo Citizen of the Year.

Not only is Noe the co-founder of the San Ramon Ecumenical Homeless Ministry, but for 25 years has been an active member of St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church’s St. Vincent de Paul Conference in San Ramon, and an active volunteer at Loaves and Fishes of Contra Costa County. He works with each of these organizations to help provide food, clothing, and financial assistance to people in need.

Noe has been hailed as an unsung hero by peers in the Rotary Club, always showing up for volunteer opportunities and contributing tirelessly to charitable causes, with little desire for recognition.

“(Noe’s) name is not one you see in the headlines, but his contributions in so many ways have resulted in positive impacts and benefits for literally thousands of people,” Polcyn wrote in a statement.

After serving as a board member at Society of St. Vincent de Paul of Contra Costa County (SVdP), in 2010 he was elected as board president, a position he held for six years. As president, he oversaw a period of growth for the SVdP that included the construction of the organization’s Free Dining Room in Pittsburg.

Today the dining room is open five days a week and serves over over 31,000 meals annually, according to Polcyn.

In 2011 Noe oversaw the opening of the RotaCare Pittsburg Free Medical Clinic, a four-room exam clinic with an all-volunteer staff providing health care and referrals to uninsured adults with acute or chronic medical conditions. Noe partnered with the Rotary Club of Alamo and 10 other local Rotary Clubs and RotaCare Bay Area, to help provide the clinic license and malpractice insurance for volunteers. Since its founding, the free medical clinic has provided over 10,000 patient visits to uninsured Contra Costa residents.

Four years later, he coordinated a capital expansion campaign to raise funds and provide additional space for clinic operations. He led the charge on the $265,000 expansion project, even making a personal donation of over $15,000.

When he isn’t raising funds or organizing an event, Noe can be found connecting mentors from the Contra Costa business community with participants in the SVdP Workforce Development Program, a transitional jobs program that helps individuals find work and develop a variety of skills for survival in a changing economy.

Recently Noe made efforts to help establish Cristo Rey East Bay High School, a new work-study high school in Oakland. Cristo Rey was created with the intent of providing an affordable college preparatory education to under-represented youths in Oakland.

“It is incredible how the efforts of just one person sometimes can make such a visible difference in addressing these problems,” Polcyn wrote. “(Noe) has quietly but with extraordinary effectiveness identified needs, coordinated responses, and collaborated with other organizations to meet those needs.”

Noe also received certificates of recognition from Assemblywoman Catharine Baker and Contra Costa County Supervisor Candace Andersen for his dedication, compassion and loyalty to the residents of Contra Costa County.

The Club meets at Round Hill Country Club, 3169 Round Hill Road, Alamo, at 12:15 p.m. on Wednesdays.