Friday, April 23, 2010

Volunteering is often a labor of love. You may give back and receive no monetary return or recognition, but you do so because you want to help somebody or something out.

Volunteers can spend hundreds of hours dedicating their talents to everything from mentoring youth to driving meals to shut-ins, and they usually do so out of the goodness of their hearts.

Thursday was their day to shine.

The Volunteer Center of Southwest Michigan hosted the 18th annual National Volunteer Week Luncheon at Lake Michigan College’s Mendel Center in Benton Harbor. Fifteen youth were nominated for awards. Congratulations to winners Alecia Eichberg, Joseph Larson, Travis Tomaszewski and Claire Knebl.

Adults and businesses were also honored their philanthropic work. Cassopolis Dental won the Corporate Neighbor of the Year for its collective volunteerism among employees and their efforts to even add fluoride to the water supply.

Winners of the Margaret B. Upton Volunteer Leadership Award are Don Gast, longtime Hospice at Home volunteer and founder of Five Pines Christian Ministries, and Dennis Bowen, who has had a hand in many organizations such as Whitcomb Retirement Residence, the Area Agency on Aging, SeniorNet Learning Center and the St. Joseph/Benton Harbor Rotary Club.

Debra Barrett of Berrien County MSU Extension won the Kathryn S. Rossow Professionalism in Volunteer Management Award for her commitment to professionalism in volunteer management, mentoring others and for developing and teaching volunteer management curriculum.

The Volunteer Center said it best: “You don’t have to be a superhero to help somebody.”
To learn more about volunteering: 983-0912 or 683-5464; volunteer@volunteerswmi.org; www.volunteerswmi.org.