Janis Loo was named yesterday to represent Hawai'i at the Jefferson Awards for Public Service national ceremony this June in Washington, D.C.

Loo was one of four women and one man chosen as 2010 state recipients of the Jefferson Awards. She was selected as Hawai'i's representative at a luncheon yesterday at the Pacific Club.

Loo was recognized for her lifetime of giving and volunteer work, which includes serving dinner at the Institute for Human Services women's shelter. Through her church, she and her family have gone on missions to the Philippines, Mexico and Swaziland.

"I was totally surprised. I am honored and humbled," Loo said of the award. "With this award, I want to promote my three passions, which are organ donation, adoption and mission work."

In 2002, Loo decided to donate a kidney to the next matching person on the donor list. Despite already having three children, Loo and her husband adopted two 12-year-old girls from China because she had heard that was the cut-off age at Chinese orphanages.

"I'm just sharing what I have. Everybody has their own gifts and talents and I'm just doing my own thing," Loo said. "I have a very supportive family."

The other Hawai'i recipients were Irene Takeshita, Colleen Minami, Benedicto Galindo and Bonnie Holcombe.

The Jefferson Awards in Hawai'i are sponsored by The Honolulu Advertiser and Hawaii News Now.