6 Honorees Named For 2025 US Rep. Seth Moulton’s Peter J. Gomes Service Award

SALEM, MA — Six individuals from Massachusetts’ 6th District communities will be honored at the 10th annual Peter J. Gomes Service Award events that recognize the public service and community contributions from district constituents.

U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton, who created the award in 2016 to honor his late mentor, said the honorees demonstrate the “integrity, compassion, and commitment to community” that the late Memorial Church of Harvard University minister embodied. Moulton credits Gomes for helping convince him to join the U.S. Marines and later run for Congress.

This year’s honorees are:

Bill Cremmins – Billerica, MA

Cremmins is a community and veteran organizer who brings people together through his cooking. As a member of the Middlesex County Sheriff’s Office cooking crew, he volunteers to prepare meals for community gatherings, including Memorial Day events, all at no cost. He is also a dedicated grilling volunteer at the Billerica Elks bike run. Bill’s work strengthens the bonds among Billerica veterans, neighbors, and surrounding towns through the simple act of sharing a meal.

Bonnie Schultz – Amesbury, MA

Schultz has led the fight against food insecurity in the Merrimac Valley for nearly three decades. For 27 years, she has served as the volunteer Executive Director of the Among Friends Meal Program at St. Paul’s Church in Newburyport, overseeing the preparation and distribution of over 400 meals each week. During the COVID crisis, she expanded the program to include home deliveries to shut-ins— a service that continues today. She manages more than 65 volunteers, has organized multiple successful fundraising events, and spearheaded renovations of St. Paul’s kitchen, ensuring the program’s continued growth and success

Tom Gould – Peabody, MA

Gould has dedicated his public service and volunteer efforts to disability advocacy. A seven-term Peabody City Councilor-at-large, he has also served on the Northeast Arc board of directors since 2018, supporting programs such as the Breaking Grounds Café and ArcWorks Community Art Center. He founded and runs the free, all-volunteer Challenger Sports program, which gives children and young adults with intellectual, developmental, and physical disabilities the opportunity to play modified basketball and baseball.To date, he has helped more than 5,000 athletes participate and thrive through sports.

MacKenzie Whalen-Dunn – Wilmington, MA

Whalen-Dunn is an animal rights advocate and founder of Rescue Allies, an organization dedicated to supporting rescues and shelters through education, resources, and intake prevention programs. Within Rescue Allies, she created the Animal Food Pantry Program, which serves families in Wilmington, Burlington, Woburn, Billerica, Tewksbury, Reading, and North Reading. The program helps keep pets in loving homes by providing food and supplies to households facing hardship. With hundreds of homes supported, Kenzie has built an extensive network of community volunteers who ensure families don’t have to choose between keeping their pets and meeting basic needs.

Louis Meyi – Salem, MA

Meyi has been a racial justice advocate for decades, having lived in Marblehead for over 40 years before moving to Salem. He is a longtime member of the Marblehead Racial Justice Team, where he has championed affordable housing, public transportation, and local history projects. In 2025, he served as emcee of the annual Dr. King Day Breakfast. She is active with the NAACP North Shore Branch and serves as MRJT’s liaison on METCO and equity issues. He is also a Commissioner of Essex Heritage, a member of St. Stephen’s UMC’s Ministry Team, and a contributor to historic projects with the Marblehead Museum.

Jane Merrow – Newbury, MA

Merrow co-founded the all-volunteer First Parish Newbury Food Pantry in 2015 and has since expanded it into a lifeline for over 750 people weekly across seven communities. She coordinates more than 250 volunteers, oversees food drives, organizes deliveries to 170+ households, and partners with local businesses, schools, and farms to recover food and distribute fresh produce. In 2024 alone, the pantry rescued over 16,000 pounds of food. Jane also helped launch nine school-based pantries, reaching over 250 students and ensuring families have consistent access to healthy meals.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)

6 Honorees Named For 2025 US Rep. Seth Moulton’s Peter J. Gomes Service Award originally appeared on the Salem Patch