HUDSON: Lisa Greene considers herself an ordinary person who chooses to care about other human beings.In the eyes of those who know and love her, she is a modern day Good Samaritan.“Lisa is a beautiful spirit, inside and out. She’s full of joy and compassion,” said Cathy Mullins, who has known Greene for more than 20 years. “She’s an optimist who believes the actions of each person can make a difference.”Mullins, of Hudson, will present Greene with the 2011 Bishop Cosgrove Justice Award during the annual dinner of the Catholic Commission of Summit County. Greene, 50, of Hudson, is being honored for her ongoing commitment to social justice, particularly her role in bringing a 13-year-old Ugandan girl to the United States for facial reconstructive surgery.Greene and her husband, Matthew, opened their home in August to Mackline Tumusiime and her 24-year-old companion and translator, Maria Nakafeero, who is the equivalent of a physician’s assistant in her community in East Africa.Lisa Greene met Mackline two years ago during a medical mission trip to Kabingo, a small village in Uganda. The mission, called “Hope for Kabingo,” is a Comboni Missionary project. The Comboni ministry was established in the 1860s to spread the love of God, to improve social conditions and to provide basic medical care and education to people in Africa.“As part of the missionary group, we were providing medical care to people who have never had medical treatment,” said Greene, a registered nurse who works in the Solon school district. “I was helping staff a rudimentary clinic in Kabingo, and one day Mackline showed up, asking for help.”The young girl, who had walked for miles to reach the clinic, was mauled by a wild pig when she was 11 months old. The injuries she sustained prevented her from closing her right eye and her mouth and caused her to lose her right ear.Convinced that she needed to do something to help Mackline, Greene followed the suggestion of her cousin, a Cincinnati-area doctor who led the mission to Kabingo, to look into the possibility of bringing Mackline to the Cleveland area for reconstructive surgery. Greene went to work and set up surgery for Mackline with a doctor in Youngstown.After that plan fell apart, the Greenes teamed with their cousins – Dr. Dallas and Melissa Auvil – and secured donated plastic and reconstructive surgery for Mackline at the Shriners Hospital for Children in Cincinnati. Greene also set up dental surgery for Mackline with University Hospitals.Mackline had her first surgery at the Shriners Hospital in October. Two subsequent surgeries are scheduled in January and March. Mackline and Maria are scheduled to return to Uganda in July with Matthew Greene, when he goes on another medical mission trip to Kabingo.Matthew Greene, a professional photographer, describes his wife as a selfless person of compassion. The Greenes have three grown children and are parishioners at St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church in Hudson.He said that in addition to serving as a surrogate mother to Mackline and Maria, his wife also has a gentle way to nudging and rallying people to help meet the needs of the less fortunate. Lisa Greene has co-facilitated the JustFaith program, helping to encourage other parishioners to serve at local agencies that serve the poor.“Lisa truly has a heart for social justice. She is one of the few people that I know who is always putting others’ needs in front of her own,” Matthew Greene said. “Whether it is a challenged 13-year-old girl from Uganda or a guest at Peter Maurin Center in Akron who has a hard life or someone looking to die with dignity at Malachi House in Cleveland, Lisa is in solidarity with them and their needs.”Malachi House is a home for the terminally ill in Ohio City. The Peter Maurin Center is a place of refuge for the homeless and needy in Akron. Greene has volunteered at both agencies.Karen Leith, director of the Catholic Commission, said Lisa Greene’s voluntary work to help the needy shows her commitment to living out her gospel values. She said Greene leads by example, inspiring others to do what they can to help others.“Bringing two girls to your home and providing for all their needs for a year not only takes commitment, but also the support of a community,” Leith said. “Lisa has brought a new understanding of global solidarity to the parishioners at St. Mary’s and the people in the Hudson community by introducing them to the plight of the people of Kabingo, Uganda.”Maria said she and Mackline are thankful for the opportunity to learn about life in America. She said in Africa, they work all day, caring for the gardens and animals. She said she was able to escape working the land while in school.“Back home, electricity and water is only for the high class,” Maria said. “I have appreciated your public restrooms and I ran speechless when I went to school here with Mackline. They have 22 children in a class. Back home, we can have 100 children taught by one person.”Maria said she was blessed to have sponsors who have paid for her schooling. She said it is rare for girls to go to college in her Ugandan community, but she hopes to continue her education in public health or medical school. Maria is also hopeful that Mackline will have an opportunity to get an education when she returns home.The Greenes are hopeful that both Mackline and Maria will be able to secure the tuition money they will need for their (and their siblings) education so they can provide for themselves and their families. The cost for 10 years of education at a good Ugandan boarding school is $7,000.Mackline is currently enrolled in fourth grade at East Woods Elementary in Hudson. Her parents, peasant farmers whose home burned down during the summer of 2010, cannot afford to pay for her schooling. The Hope for Kabingo ministry has built a new home for the family.The Greenes are encouraging others to help Mackline and Maria by praying for them and making a donation to support their education. They are also encouraging people to donate to the Shriners Hospital and the Hope for Kabingo project of Comboni Ministries (www.hopeforkabingo.org).“Mackline deserves every fair chance in life, just like anyone else,” Lisa Greene said. “Since she and Maria have been here, we’ve been watching miracles every day. When I think about it, the whole experience shows how God can take a situation and make it work for good.“Mackline was ostracized in her community, but she comes to the United States and becomes the face of Kabingo, bringing awareness to her people.”Green will be honored at the Catholic Commission’s annual dinner Dec. 2 at the Father Silva Center at St. Matthew Parish, 2603 Benton St., Akron. Tickets are $40 per person. Reservations can be made by calling 330-535-2787 or emailing axcoplan@clevelandcatholiccharities.org.Colette Jenkins can be reached at 330-996-3731 or cjenkins@thebeaconjournal.com.