Shelter honors volunteers, April 6, with brunch at Naples Grande

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2016 Volunteer Brunch Video

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2016 Volunteer Salute Video

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Under the theme, “Giving Time, Touching Hearts,” The Shelter for Abused Women & Children honored its 440 dedicated volunteers, April 6, with a Volunteer Appreciation Brunch at The Naples Grande. In 2015-16, Shelter volunteers logged an amazing 18,800 hours of service. If monetized, the total would exceed $434,500, based on 2015 figures from the Nonprofit Times.

The lion’s share of the volunteer hours were given at The Shelter’s Options Thrift Shoppe, but countless hours were also spent answering The Shelter’s crisis hotline, making copies, attending events, cleaning, organizing the food pantry or serving on various Shelter boards and committees.

This year’s Shelter Volunteer of the Year was June Ballew, who also received two other outstanding volunteer awards that morning. Ballew has worked in just about every aspect of The Shelter since she began volunteering in 2014.  She currently serves as a certified emergency shelter volunteer, a Shelter Guild member, “Head Christmas Elf” and is a loyal attendee of Shelter fundraising events. More recently, Ballew also began training new emergency shelter volunteers.

“There are some special people you meet, and you just know they ‘get it,’” said Shelter Volunteer Manager Naomi Goren. “June is that kind of volunteer. She is dedicated, committed and relied upon like any staff member. She shines because she has a heart of gold. She works tirelessly, knowing she will receive nothing in return – sharing her time and talent simply because she wants to give.”

Other Outstanding Shelter volunteers for 2015-16 included:

• Holiday Volunteers – June Ballew, Lois Castronova, and Maxine Robbins.
• Administrative Volunteers – Lois Castronova, Declan McGarvey, and Kathy Ridenour
• New Volunteer – Chuck Gottschalk
• Shelter Guild Volunteers – Myrna Hamilton and Linda Meak
• Mending Broken Hearts With Hope Luncheon Volunteers – Mary Ann Jenkins and Lynn Wigton
• Options Volunteers – Sandra Estridge, Mary Greer, Barbara Johnson and Sharon Sheline
• Outreach Volunteers – Catherine Blair, Alexandria Christ, and Dianne Lukasz
• Emergency Shelter Volunteer – June Ballew

Volunteers with 10 or more years of service included Phyllis Bond- 13, Pat Boysen- 10, Janice Carter- 21, Carol Chapman-13, Rita Collins- 10, Sandra Estridge- 20, Caroline Gliwa-10, Mary Greer- 15, Nancy Herbert-10, Shirley Hoerle- 11, Patty Innamorati- 13, Eileen Johnson- 13, Barbara Johnson-17, Chris Kardon- 12, Betty Keller- 13, Patti Kipp- 13, Norma Laird-10, Barbara Lauber-11, Ruth Mast- 13, Jimany Sue McLaughlin- 19, Diane Messana- 13, Shirley Neu-10, Lorraine Newcomb-14, Katy Olson- 12, RaeAnn Patton- 12, Annabella Richardi- 16, Janice Rogers-11, Sue Silber-11, Betty Tinsler- 11, Jean Travlos- 10, and Irmgard Wannamaker- 10, Char Werdell- 10.

Shelter Executive Director Linda Oberhaus also shared a few words with those in attendance, stating, “Whether volunteering at Options, in our emergency shelter, in administration, or on one of our boards, we appreciate the difference that you are making in the lives of some of the most vulnerable families in our community.”