AUGUSTA — First lady Ann LePage presided over the annual presentation of the Governor’s Awards for Service and Volunteerism. The eight winners and eight honorees have had an impact in communities across the state.
The Governor’s Awards for Service and Volunteer are presented each year during National Volunteer Week, the annual celebration of citizen volunteer action. This award program focuses attention on businesses, organizations and individuals whose service is considered a model for others to emulate. The winners are selected because their efforts and leadership have made a significant difference in the quality of life for Maine residents.
John Eckert of Hallowell received the award for Volunteer of the Year for his leadership capabilities and dedication as the “lead packer” for Spectrum Generations’ Meals on Wheels program.
Meghan Charest of Falmouth was selected at the Youth Volunteer of the Year. Currently a freshman at Falmouth High School, she worked tirelessly to provide fresh produce for the Falmouth Food Pantry.
Lisa Park Laflin of New Vineyard received the Excellence in Volunteer Administration Award. Laflin is executive director of the United Way of the Tri-Valley Area. She understands the impact volunteers have on community and that each person has an innate drive to make a difference, no matter what shoes they wear. She serves as convener of the Franklin Volunteer Network.
Katherine Stitham of Cape Elizabeth was selected as the Outstanding National Service Volunteer for accomplishments during her term of AmeriCorps service with the Goodwill Industries of Northern New England’s Multilingual Leadership Corps Program at Portland Housing Authority.
Deborah Palman of Aurora received the Outstanding Public Sector Volunteer. Palman is co-founder and current president of the only volunteer K9 Search and Rescue unit in Maine that averages 25 searches a year.
The awards presented to organizations recognize three categories of community volunteer engagement.
The Outstanding Non-Profit Volunteer Program Award recognizes an agency that operates a high quality volunteer program that achieves significant and meaningful results. The 2013 award was presented to Friends of the Maine Wildlife Park in Gray. The Friends has 150 volunteers who contributed 8,600 hours of service to support park operations and education programs. The Friends also conduct fundraising activities to ensure the park continues to grow and increase its ability to meet the need for education about Maine’s native wildlife and habitats.
The Corporate Volunteerism Award recognizes a corporation of more than 100 employees that demonstrates volunteer leadership and/or whose employees’ volunteer service significantly improves the quality of life in the community. The 2013 award was presented to Kennebunk Savings.
The Small Business Volunteerism Award recognizes a small business, fewer than 100 employees, that demonstrates volunteer leadership and/or whose employees’ volunteer service significantly improves the quality of life in the community. The 2013 award was presented to Carefree Properties Services of Milbridge.
Exemplary Service Awards were presented to Diane Davison of Portland, Dorothy Blanchette of Falmouth, June Messier of Wells, Kaley Littlefield of Old Orchard Beach, Shelby Greene of Columbia Falls, Benjamin Roberts of Litchfield, Molly Haley of Portland and SeniorsPlus of Lewiston.
Also at the ceremony, the names of 564 individuals who were inducted to the Volunteer Roll of Honor were on display. During the past year, each of these individuals contributed 500 hours or more to programs scattered from Caribou to Farmington to York. The 2013 Volunteer Roll of Honor list may be viewed at www.VolunteerMaine.org.
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