 Volunteer Appreciation Dinner 2008
CELEBRATES 10,106 VOLUNTEER HOURS
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Ava
Howard provides great support to the staff and other
volunteers. Congratulations to Ava for a job well
done! |
Irving Cares celebrated logging in 10,106 volunteer hours
during our last fiscal year at a volunteer appreciation dinner
held on April 15 at First United Methodist Church. Irving Cares
honored its many volunteers for their dedicated work and
continued commitment to the agency. Approximately 88 volunteers
were present at the event, titled “Volunteers Grow Community”.
First United Methodist Church graciously allowed us to host
this event in their Fellowship Hall, and Anna Wilkins and Cindy
Alleman, First United Methodist Church members, provided the
floral table decorations. The evening featured a fantastic
salad, entrée, and an outrageously delicious chocolate dessert
that was catered and served by Cynthia Alexander, Toni
Alexander, DeeDee Carlisle, and Bernice Bustilles of The
Culinary Improv.
Kathy Shook of Allstate Insurance led the group through an
inclusion exercise to help them learn more about one another.
Lots of fun was had with door prize drawings, and Irving Cares
lapel pins were given out as volunteer appreciation gifts. The
staff presented an agency update, as well as acknowledgement of
various responsibilities of volunteers. The evening culminated
with the announcement of “Volunteer of the Year.”
In keeping with our overall theme of “Volunteers Grow
Community,” Ava Howard was presented the award for 2007-2008
Volunteer of the Year. Although the staff determines the
recipient, the award presentation was made by Helen Rice, a
longtime Irving Cares volunteer and lifetime friend of Ava
Howard. Helen highlighted all of Ava’s hard work in the early
1990’s when Irving Cares manned a clothes closet. She also
explained that Ava in recent years had also assumed clerical and
bookkeeping responsibilities. Teddie Story remarked that “Ava is
that most-treasured type of volunteer … one to call upon when
the tasks aren’t so glamorous, such as paying bills and
reconciling a month’s worth of transactions. She’s a most
valuable asset to the management of Irving Cares.” |
