Hmong couple demonstrates spirit of volunteerism They will be honored for their service working to integrate Hmongs into American life By Monique Balas News-Chronicle They became United States citizens only last year, but Xay Vue and May Lee Lor have demonstrated their dedication to the American spirit for years. That's why the couple will receive Patriotic Service Recognition Awards at a special Patriot Day service Thursday morning at the Brown County Courthouse. Patriot Day Program Director David Lee Gauthier said he decided to incorporate service awards into the second annual Sept. 11 tribute to keep the spirit of giving alive. "It's one thing to be patriotic and wave that flag, it's another thing to be doing something in the community," Gauthier said. "We wanted to recognize some of the things that people were doing in the community." He said May Lee Lor was selected because of her work with the Fort Howard Family Resource Center. Her husband, Xay Vue Lor, was honored for his translation work on an English-Hmong version of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. May Lee Lor was surprised to find out she won the award. "I think it means a lot," she said. "I think getting an award for doing the things I like to do is very, very humbling." A family advocate at the Fort Howard Family Resource Center since 1995, she does everything from teaching citizenship and English as a second language classes to helping parents prepare children for school. Her husband, Xay Vue Lor, balances his time between helping to raise the Lors' six children, serving as a translator for the Green Bay Area Public School District, attending classes at Lakeland College and putting at least one hour each day into his translation project. "The booklets are distributed to everyone who has an interest in how our government works and how our country became what it is," said Gauthier, who helped complete a similar English-Spanish version. Xay Vue Lor said his heart goes out to those who lost family members in the Sept. 11 tragedy. "Since I became a U.S. citizen, I feel different, I feel part of this country," he said. "No matter what, we have to work together to support each other to earn the freedom that we have in this country." FYI: A patriot day program will begin at 8 a.m. Thursday at the Brown County Courthouse, 100 S. Jefferson St. The event will feature a ringing of the Liberty Bell in honor of those who lost their lives on Sept. 11, 2001. Area leaders will speak, and a local couple and company will be recognized for patriotic service in the community.