Nearly 150 people gathered at A Learning Place in Piqua last night to celebrate the accomplishments of more than 1,500 volunteers serving through HandsOn West Central Ohio, including nearly 300 adults ages 55 and better serving through HandsOn’s Retired and Senior Volunteer Program, throughout Darke, Logan, Miami and Shelby Counties.
This year’s event was held during National Volunteer Week, of which the theme is “Celebrating People in Action.” Following an opening finger painting session, event emcee and host of The Joe Show on Hits 105.5 Joe Laber entertained the crowd with cheers and one-on-one interviews about how each guest “gets HandsOn” by volunteering in his or her community. Proclamations declaring April 10 through 16 as National Volunteer Week were also issued by the City of Piqua, City of Sidney, City of Troy, Darke County Commissioners, and the Logan County Commissioners. The meal was catered by The Backyard Bistro, a nonprofit social enterprise in Piqua that raises funds for programs that support local youth and children.
WHIO Reporter Steve Baker was honored with the Voice for Volunteering award, an honor bestowed on a member of the media who promotes the importance of volunteering regionally. President’s Volunteer Service Awards were presented to 10 HandsOn West Central Ohio volunteers serving through the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program who shared more than 500 hours of service with their community during 2010. Four Volunteer of the Year recipients were announced as well from a list of 25 nominees in Darke, Logan, Miami and Shelby Counties. A record number of 806,000 votes were cast via www.hits1055.com for the nominees, literally crashing the website’s polls. Additional awards were presented to outstanding Agency Partners of the Year, Corporate Good Citizens and RSVP Volunteers of the Year. (A complete list of award recipients follows the end of this release.)
Sponsors of the event included Emerson Climate Technologies, A Learning Place, Wayne Hospital, Mary Rutan Hospital, Second National Bank and Unity National Bank. Centerpieces and decorations were created by the Landscape Management students from Upper Valley Joint Vocational School, students in the Learning Depot classroom of Kids Learning Place, and Girl Scout Troop 31740 of the Triad Area.
For more information about HandsOn West Central Ohio, including the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program, visit www.handsonwestcentralohio.org or follow the program on Facebook at www.facebook.com/handsonwestcentralohio. Council on Rural Services …programs for innovative learning, provides education, support, and volunteer services through Kids Learning Place™, the Achievement Center for Educational Success, Gateway Youth Programs, and HandsOn West Central Ohio in their nine county service area. For more information on the organization and its programs call 937-778-5220 or visit www.councilonruralservices.org.
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Award Recipients
Voice for Volunteering
- Steve Baker, WHIO-TV – (Troy Area Chamber of Commerce, Riverside of Miami County, Troy-Hayner Cultural Center)
Agency Partner of the Year
- Champaign County – St. Paris Nutrition Site
- Darke County – State of the Heart Hospice
- Logan County – Green Hills Retirement Community
- Miami County – Habitat for Humanity of Miami County
- Shelby County – Shelby County CASA/GAL
Corporate Good Citizen
- Champaign County – The Styling Company
- Darke County – Versailles Elementary School
- Logan County – The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
- Miami County – PBM Covington
- Shelby County – Emerson Climate Technologies
RSVP Volunteer of the Year
- Champaign County – Sonja Goodman (HandsOn West Central Ohio through RSVP, Johnny Appleseed Museum)
- Darke County – Janet Wallischeck (HandsOn West Central Ohio through RSVP, Darke
- County Chamber of Commerce)
- Logan County – Mary Williston (HandsOn West Central Ohio through RSVP, Logan
County CASA/GAL, Logan County Family Court, Pajama Program)
- Miami County – Kay Kaebnick (HandsOn West Central Ohio through RSVP, Miami
- County CASA/GAL)
- Shelby County – Rose Swiger (HandsOn West Central Ohio through RSVP, Wilson
Memorial Hospital, Shelby County United Way)
Volunteer of the Year
- ·Darke County – Pete Trocano (HandsOn West Central Ohio through RSVP, Darke County Solid Waste District)
- Logan County – Mike McClintick (Discovery Riders)
- Miami County – Kay Quinton (Girl Scouts of Western Ohio)
- Shelby County – Mike Rose (God’s Grocery Giveaway)
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