Chenango recognizes senior volunteers
NORWICH – The Chenango County Retired and Senior Volunteer Program honored its 430 participants Friday during a luncheon at the Canasawacta Country Club in Norwich.
“In the past year, 430 senior volunteers have cumulatively served over 64,000 hours in 50 non-profit agencies throughout the county. This is the equivalent of putting more than $1.2 million back into the community,” said program director Linda Campbell.
State Senator James L. Seward and Assemblyman Clifford W. Crouch both spoke at the lunch and praised the contributions of volunteers.
In his opening remarks, Seward recalled a 99th birthday party he attended for an elderly gentleman recently.
“I’m always up for a great party,” said Seward. “I attended this gentleman’s 99th party and when we talked, I said this was great and I hope I can be here for your 100th birthday party next year.”
“He stopped for a moment, he looked me up and down and says: ‘Well you look like a healthy young man to me, I’m sure you’ll still be around by then,’” joked the senator.
“But all joking aside, there is just no way my words can express enough gratitude for your service. In these tough economic times, non-profit organizations, like the ones who benefit so generously from your efforts, need help more now than ever. And we can not thank you enough,” he told the crowd. Seward presented a declaration from the state senate that acknowledged the value of volunteer service to the community.
“Without you, there are a lot of things that could not happen. You’ve made a difference here and across the county,” said Crouch. “This country was built by community volunteers like you.”
The event recognized Dave Dunham as the “2010 Volunteer of the Year.”
Dunham started volunteering for the Catholic Charities’ Roots and Wings food panty by visiting the site daily for about five hours a day. When he was forced to leave the program for a short while for medical reason, Campbell said many people at the site expressed concern at Dunham’s absence. “Over and over, our customers asked where he was; he was missed,” she said.
Two volunteers, Nettie Jeffrey and Sally Swertfager, were recognized with 10 Year Awards, and two seniors, William Aitken and Myrtle Tomal, were honored as the original members of the RSVP Program, since its inception in Chenango County. Four other individuals, Joyce Ardron, Barbara Elliot, Joan Spicer and MaryLou Loughheed, received the distinguished President’s Volunteer Service Award, having each volunteered more than 4,100 hours throughout their lifetime.
Campbell said 60 new volunteers signed up in the last year and said the event could only honor those who contributed 500 hours of volunteer time or more individually. “We had to stop there because otherwise we’d be calling people up here all day,” she told the crowd.
RSVP, a program of Opportunities for Chenango Inc. has been in existence in Chenango County since 1995, and is funded through the Corporation for National Service, the State Office for Aging and Chenango United Way.
“Life is the dash on our headstones between a birth date and end date is the dash. It’s the years in between those two dates that we have in this life to make a difference. It’s what you do during the dash that gives life significance. Once you give an hour of your time it’s gone forever, it’s priceless. You offer the gift of your time, you chose to donate the most precious quality in the universe. Thank you,” said Campbell.
RSVP volunteers serve the following community partners: Algonquin Senior Center, Alzheimer’s Association, American Cancer Society, American Red Cross, Area Agency on Aging, Bargain Basket Thrift Shop, Big Brother/Big Sister; Brightman Senior Center; Catholic Charities Roots and Wings; Chase Memorial Nursing Home, Chenango County Historical Society; Chenango County Fire Department; Chenango United Way; Common Cents Thrift Store; Cornell Cooperative Extension; Chenango County Council of the Arts; Dispute Resolution Center; Earlville Opera House; Genegantslet Activity Center; Gilmour Health Care Facility; Girl Scouts; Greene Area Churches Food Pantry; Greene Clothing Bank; Greene Open Door Soup Kitchen; Guernsey Memorial Library; Habitat For Humanity; Home Bureau, Norwich Chapter; Hospice & Palliative Care; Opportunities for Chenango’s Literacy Program; New Berlin Housing & Preservation; New York State Veterans Home; Northeast Classic Car Museum; Ombudsman/LTCOP; Our Daily Break Food Pantry; Oxford Memorial Library; Plum Valley Forever Young Center; Preston Manor; Rogers Environmental Education Center; South New Berlin Food Pantry/Soup Kitchen; South New Berlin Free Library; Taste and See Soup Kitchen; the Welcome Center; Unadilla Valley Senior Center; Valley View Manor; Westside Park Senior Center; and Windy Hill Senior Center.
For information about participating, call 336-6414 ext. 103.
“In the past year, 430 senior volunteers have cumulatively served over 64,000 hours in 50 non-profit agencies throughout the county. This is the equivalent of putting more than $1.2 million back into the community,” said program director Linda Campbell.
State Senator James L. Seward and Assemblyman Clifford W. Crouch both spoke at the lunch and praised the contributions of volunteers.
In his opening remarks, Seward recalled a 99th birthday party he attended for an elderly gentleman recently.
“I’m always up for a great party,” said Seward. “I attended this gentleman’s 99th party and when we talked, I said this was great and I hope I can be here for your 100th birthday party next year.”
“He stopped for a moment, he looked me up and down and says: ‘Well you look like a healthy young man to me, I’m sure you’ll still be around by then,’” joked the senator.
“But all joking aside, there is just no way my words can express enough gratitude for your service. In these tough economic times, non-profit organizations, like the ones who benefit so generously from your efforts, need help more now than ever. And we can not thank you enough,” he told the crowd. Seward presented a declaration from the state senate that acknowledged the value of volunteer service to the community.
“Without you, there are a lot of things that could not happen. You’ve made a difference here and across the county,” said Crouch. “This country was built by community volunteers like you.”
The event recognized Dave Dunham as the “2010 Volunteer of the Year.”
Dunham started volunteering for the Catholic Charities’ Roots and Wings food panty by visiting the site daily for about five hours a day. When he was forced to leave the program for a short while for medical reason, Campbell said many people at the site expressed concern at Dunham’s absence. “Over and over, our customers asked where he was; he was missed,” she said.
Two volunteers, Nettie Jeffrey and Sally Swertfager, were recognized with 10 Year Awards, and two seniors, William Aitken and Myrtle Tomal, were honored as the original members of the RSVP Program, since its inception in Chenango County. Four other individuals, Joyce Ardron, Barbara Elliot, Joan Spicer and MaryLou Loughheed, received the distinguished President’s Volunteer Service Award, having each volunteered more than 4,100 hours throughout their lifetime.
Campbell said 60 new volunteers signed up in the last year and said the event could only honor those who contributed 500 hours of volunteer time or more individually. “We had to stop there because otherwise we’d be calling people up here all day,” she told the crowd.
RSVP, a program of Opportunities for Chenango Inc. has been in existence in Chenango County since 1995, and is funded through the Corporation for National Service, the State Office for Aging and Chenango United Way.
“Life is the dash on our headstones between a birth date and end date is the dash. It’s the years in between those two dates that we have in this life to make a difference. It’s what you do during the dash that gives life significance. Once you give an hour of your time it’s gone forever, it’s priceless. You offer the gift of your time, you chose to donate the most precious quality in the universe. Thank you,” said Campbell.
RSVP volunteers serve the following community partners: Algonquin Senior Center, Alzheimer’s Association, American Cancer Society, American Red Cross, Area Agency on Aging, Bargain Basket Thrift Shop, Big Brother/Big Sister; Brightman Senior Center; Catholic Charities Roots and Wings; Chase Memorial Nursing Home, Chenango County Historical Society; Chenango County Fire Department; Chenango United Way; Common Cents Thrift Store; Cornell Cooperative Extension; Chenango County Council of the Arts; Dispute Resolution Center; Earlville Opera House; Genegantslet Activity Center; Gilmour Health Care Facility; Girl Scouts; Greene Area Churches Food Pantry; Greene Clothing Bank; Greene Open Door Soup Kitchen; Guernsey Memorial Library; Habitat For Humanity; Home Bureau, Norwich Chapter; Hospice & Palliative Care; Opportunities for Chenango’s Literacy Program; New Berlin Housing & Preservation; New York State Veterans Home; Northeast Classic Car Museum; Ombudsman/LTCOP; Our Daily Break Food Pantry; Oxford Memorial Library; Plum Valley Forever Young Center; Preston Manor; Rogers Environmental Education Center; South New Berlin Food Pantry/Soup Kitchen; South New Berlin Free Library; Taste and See Soup Kitchen; the Welcome Center; Unadilla Valley Senior Center; Valley View Manor; Westside Park Senior Center; and Windy Hill Senior Center.
For information about participating, call 336-6414 ext. 103.
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