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Older Volunteers Honored by MetLife Foundation and the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging
Friday, May 09, 2008
- Older Volunteers Enrich America Awards Program Honors Volunteers Over Age 50 and Encourages Others to Get Involved in Their Communities -
WASHINGTON, May 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the National Association of Area
Agencies on Aging (n4a) announced the recipients of the 2008 MetLife
Foundation Older Volunteers Enrich America Awards. The program, now in its
sixth year, honors the exemplary contributions of older volunteers and
promotes volunteering among older adults nationwide. The award-winning
volunteers, all over the age of 50, were in Washington today to attend a
ceremony in their honor.
"Engagement of individuals of all ages is vital to the health of
communities," said Sibyl Jacobson, president of MetLife Foundation. "We are
pleased to join n4a in honoring 25 older volunteers who are building healthy
communities and demonstrating the difference one person can make in the lives
of others."
The honorees were nominated in one of three categories by the volunteer
programs they serve: Community Champion awards recognize those who use their
time and talent to make their community a better place to live; Mentor awards
honor older volunteers whose energies are devoted to working with young people
and their families; and Team Spirit awards pay tribute to older volunteers who
assist other older adults. Selections were made by members of the Older
Volunteers Enrich America Awards Blue Ribbon Panel and Advisory Board.
The top award recipient in each category is recognized as a Gold Honoree.
This year's Gold Honorees are:
Nolene Breen, 82, of Boise, Idaho earned top recognition in the Community
Champion category for spearheading the Guardian Monitoring Program in
conjunction with the Court Judge in Ada County. For 13 years, Nolene has been
volunteering her time to protect people living under legal appointment through
diligent compliance checks. Nolene acts as the eyes and ears of the court,
monitoring people living with an appointed guardian. The Ada County Guardian
Monitoring Program nominated Nolene for the award.
Frank Bittick, 75, of Coeur d' Alene, Idaho earned top recognition in the
Mentor category for his involvement with the Teen Aid Project, a program that
provides at-risk youth with the support they need to improve their grades and
graduate from high school. Frank's 40 years as an educator provides him with
the necessary experience to work with tutors, motivate students, and also, get
parents involved. Frank has been involved with the program since 2000, and was
nominated by the Retired Senior Volunteer Program of North Idaho.
Andrea King, 95, of Seattle, Washington earned top recognition in the Team
Spirit category for her 39 years of volunteer service in the Foss Home and
Village Community. Andrea has accumulated over 22,000 hours of volunteer
service by helping elderly residents connect with their community in many
ways. Andrea does everything from decorating walls during the holidays and
doing alterations for residents to filing paperwork and organizing fund
raisers. The Foss Home & Village nominated Andrea for this award.
Sandy Markwood, CEO of n4a, added, "Older adults have a wealth of life and
work experience and we are fortunate that they are choosing to share their
knowledge with others in the community. These individuals are doing remarkable
things, and we are grateful that MetLife Foundation has made it possible to
recognize their inspirational work at a national level."
All of the honorees will receive engraved gifts, and the organizations
that host the volunteers will receive monetary awards.
National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a) is the leading voice
on aging issues for Area Agencies on Aging across the country and a champion
for Title VI -- Native American aging programs in our nation's capital. For
more information about n4a, visit http://www.n4a.org.
MetLife Foundation was established by MetLife in 1976 to carry on its
longstanding tradition of corporate contributions and community involvement.
Grants support health, education, civic and cultural programs throughout the
United States. For more information about the Foundation, visit
http://www.metlife.org.
In addition to the Gold Honorees, 22 individuals were chosen as the Silver
Honorees for their outstanding volunteer contributions.
2008 MetLife Foundation Older Volunteers Enrich America Award -- Silver
Honor Recipients
Community Champion Category
James Weblemoe, HELP of Ojai -- Ojai, CA; Walter Turner, Retired Seniors
Volunteer Program -- Tampa, FL; Beatrice States, Peak Center Senior
Environment Corps -- Hatfield, PA; Edith Law, Alzheimer's Association --
Lynchburg, VA; Margaret Joan Nash, KNOX County RSVP -- Vincennes, IN; George
Charette, Medical Engineering Volunteers of Florida -- Venice, FL; Fran Doll,
Grandparents Against Sex Predators -- Akron., OH; Fred Knueppel, Independence
First -- Milwaukee, WI
Mentor Category
Claudia Cannon, Sarasota County Master Gardener Program -- Sarasota, FL
Team Spirit Category
Elden Johnson, State Health Insurance Program -- Hallock, MN; Dennis
Cairns, Senior Resource Association -- Vero Beach, FL; Harold Pabst, Care
Connection Minor Repairs Program -- Saint Augustine, FL; Elizabeth E. Toland,
Meals on Wheels Central Maryland -- Baltimore, MD; John VanWestenburg, Little
Brothers Volunteer Program -- Chassell, MI; Sam Inouye, Asian Community Center
Rides Transportation Services -- Sacramento, CA; Julie Bennett, We Are Family
Senior Outreach Network -- Washington, D.C.; Yvonne McCullough, Winter Growth
Volunteer Program -- Rockville, MD; Linda West, Michigan's Coordinated Access
to Food For the Elderly -- Lansing, MI; Stan Cohen, Southern Maine Agency on
Aging Senior Medical Patrol -- Bridgton, ME; Barbara Schmidt, Deaf Hospice
Education & Volunteer Project -- Coon Rapids, MN; Ralph E. Livingstone, Senior
Legal Hotline -- Carmichael, CA; Dorothy Mawhorr, The Good Shepherd Home --
Mansfield, OH
Contact: Lisa Cohen, 310.395.2544
lisa@lisacohen.org
SOURCE National Association of Area Agencies on Aging
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