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Lyn Stinson
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"Lyn has a special ability to see the good
in every person
and always brings out their best."
— Sharon Ford, 2007
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Lyn Stinson has made her adoptive home of Burlington a better
place. People in Burlington know that if there is a project
that needs done, a problem that needs solved, a person who
is in need, or an opportunity to be utilized, Stinson will
be there to do it. There are few people in Burlington who
have such a profound impact on the community; low-income people,
African-Americans, job-seekers, women, children, and future
generations all feel the impact of her innovation, tireless
spirit, and leadership. During her tenure at Community Action
of Southeast Iowa, she developed a Community Food Program,
which helped families learn to plant gardens to supplement
their food budget, and set up a summer meal program for low-income
children. She also founded the Women in Waiting program, a
support group for women whose loved one is confined to Fort
Madison prison. Stinson has been a leader and member of several
state and community boards, including Civil Service Commission,
Iowa Workforce Development Commission, NAACP and the African
American Historical Museum and Cultural Center of Iowa. Stinson
was the only volunteer connecting with Job Corps graduates
upon their return to the community. For this, she was named
Volunteer of the Year in 2000 by the JACS Region VII, prompting
Burlington’s mayor to declare June 14, 2000 as “Lyn
Stinson Day.” Stinson was born in Opelika, Alabama.
She was inducted into the Iowa Women's Hall of Fame in 2009.
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