United Way honors more than 100 nominees at the annual Community Volunteer Awards and presents the Annual Goodman Gemstone Youth Award

More than 100 nominees were recognized for their outstanding efforts to improve their community at this year’s United Way Community Volunteer Awards.

Special recognition went to seven individuals and three volunteer groups for their efforts to improve academic achievement reduce community violence, increase independence for seniors and those with disabilities, reduce family homelessness, and strengthen local nonprofits.

“United Way understands the valuable work volunteers provide in our community. These 110 nominees today represent over 1,000 Agenda for Change volunteers who give upwards of 48,000 hours of their time each year. The monetary value of this time is nearly $1.1 million in our community.” said Leslie Ann Howard, United Way of Dane County President and CEO, “By providing so many hours of support and serving in so many roles within organizations our community has become better educated, safer and healthier.”  Howard joined host Steve Goldberg, from CUNA Mutual Group to present the awards at The Madison Concourse Hotel and Governor’s Club, Thursday, April 26.

The Goodman Gemstone Youth Award was awarded to one teenager who is making a difference in other youth lives. Thirteen-year-old  Palistair Yang, has fought to improve academic achievement and reduce violence, particularly among young members of the Southeast Asian community. The Goodman Gemstone Youth Award is named in honor of Irwin and Bob Goodman whose philanthropic legacy to the Madison area lives on in the Goodman Community Center, the Goodman Pool, and many other civic contributions they made over the years.  Yang will receive a $1,000 scholarship and $1,000 to donate to the charity for which he volunteers.

Also, this year’s Mike McKinney Award (named for the long-time Madison newscaster, volunteer and Community Volunteer Awards emcee who passed away in 2006) went to Annette Miller.  A panel of 16 judges, all volunteers themselves, selected Miller for her dedication to the areas of academic achievement, reducing violence and strengthening nonprofits, as well as protecting the environment.  Miller received $1,000 to be donated to the charity for which she works.

Hundreds of people attended this unique event. Charitable contributions for winners’ agencies ($1000 or $250 per award) and sponsorship for the event itself were generously provided by CUNA Mutual Group, Dean Clinic, Group Health Cooperative of South Central Wisconsin, Physician’s Plus, St. Mary’s Hospital, and the Business Volunteer Network.

United Way Community Volunteer Awards is an opportunity to showcase the benefits to our community from volunteer involvement.  Leading by example, the nominees and winners at the CVA encourage more people to engage in their community.  Volunteerism is up in Dane County, but more volunteers are needed to help solve our community’s most pressing issues identified within our Agenda for Change.

Anyone interested in joining these amazing volunteers in making an impact on our community can contact the United Way Volunteer Center at 608-246-4380 or online at VolunteerYourTime.org

VOLUNTEER FACTS

• Every day, 40 AmeriCorps members serve with the Mobilizing Skilled Volunteers Project and the Schools of Hope Project.  These AmeriCorps members are mobilizing more than 1,800 volunteers and touching the lives of over 12,000 individuals and families in our community.
• The actual number of people volunteering is down slightly, but the average number of hours they contribute is up to 37.5 per year. (a 3% increase)
• In 2011, United Way Volunteer Center referred more than 5,292 volunteers to 262 nonprofit agencies.
• During last year’s United Way Days of Caring, 3,150 people volunteered for a total of 11,000 hours. The estimated dollar value of that time is $229,340.
• VolunteerYourTime.org, the United Way-led website collaboration for local volunteer opportunities received more than 35,266 unique visitors in 2011.

 2011 HONOREES

 Mike McKinney Community Volunteer Award

Annette Miller has been a dedicated volunteer with Urban League of Greater for Madison for more than six years. She has served as a member and Chair of the Board of Directors, and lead the effort to create the resources necessary to build the Center for Economic Development and Workforce Training, which has already served more than 1,000 individuals with job skills training, job placement assistance and job coaching services.  As founder of the Madison Network of Black Professionals, she has begun an effort to identify and nurture emerging leaders to make our community more vibrant, diverse, inclusive and productive. She also serves as an Executive Committee Member and Fundraising Committee Chair for the Foundation for Madison Public Schools, which facilitates partnerships to build brighter futures for our students.  She serves on the Madison College Foundation Board of Directors, on the Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Incorporated Advisory Board, The Madison Community Foundation Community Grants Committee and recently joined the board of the Boys and Girls Club of Dane County. Edward Lee, who nominated Miller, says, “She is a person of great integrity who leads – not be directing others – but by inspiring them with her positive vision.”

Goodman Gemstone Youth Award

Palistair Yang at just 13 years old, has fought to improve academic achievement and reduce violence, particularly among young members of the Southeast Asian community.  Each year, Yang serves as a Youth Counselor and tutor to younger children – serving more than 300 hours in 2011. He co-facilitates the Alternatives to Violence program at East Madison Community Center, and donates eight weeks of his summer vacation to be a Summer Camp Counselor, assisting with youth programming and supervision. Through these efforts and more, Yang is a role model and peer guide for other Southeast Asian young people and all who work at and are served by East Madison Community Center. His teacher John Harmelink, who nominated Yang, says, “Palistair is a person who volunteers simply for the sake of volunteering. He truly exemplifies the spirit of volunteerism.”

Business Volunteer Network Award

State Bank of Cross Plains started an effort to deliver meals to isolated seniors in rural Northwest Dane County in 2003. For the past nine years, employee teams have delivered this service, and have expanded their work to raise resources to benefit Northwest Dane Senior Services, which serves nine rural municipalities in Dane County. They have now delivered nearly 5,000 meals and driven almost 33,000 miles to reach seniors in need in these areas. Angela Velasquez, who nominated State Bank of Cross Plains, says “They embody the spirit of volunteerism in the business community through their dedication and willingness to make a profound difference in the lives of seniors in the rural community each and every week.”

Community Volunteer Youth Award

Eighteen year old Nadia Mora is dedicated to improving academic achievement, reducing violence, and strengthening local nonprofits, as well as promoting arts and culture. As a peer leader herself, she inspires others to become active leaders through Proyecto Lider, an effort at Centro Hispano that addresses issues affecting Latino youth, including education, immigration, gang prevention and identity development. Her work includes visiting local schools to facilitate discussions on community safety and the damaging effects of gang involvement. Her leadership was apparent at a recent Youth Congress, where she gave a workshop focusing on identity development. Eugenia Highland, who nominated Nadia, says, “Nadia is a unique and powerful woman whose personal growth and hard work with the community should be recognized and continue to be encouraged. She teaches us the importance of self-determination and a pure heart.”

Community Volunteer Award

Dan Johnson has been working for 13 years to stabilize families and increase access to free food by expanding agricultural practices at Middleton Outreach Ministry. In his volunteer role, he supervises and coordinates the operation of a 21-plot garden, where agency clients and community gardeners grow food for their own use and to support the food pantry. In addition to this work, he inspired a group of other volunteers to gather and distribute surplus produce around Dane County, resulting in an additional 34,000 pounds of food to families. Johnson’s background in farming and education position him well as a teacher to bring self-sufficiency to the lives of families in need. Esther Kim, who nominated him, says, “A lot of people talk about change but making it happen is for those in a different league. Dan is one of those people.”

Community Volunteer Award

The St. John the Baptist Respite Care Team of Waunakee is having tremendous impact in the area of promoting independence for seniors and people with disabilities in our community. After two and a half years, this group has grown from 12 to 22 volunteer members, all of whom donate their time without denying a single request for service, which involves providing respite for family and informal caregivers who need respite from care giving activities, and support for caregivers who need additional help. Lynda Koivunen, who nominated this group, says, “The Respite Care team has been a blessing to our community and especially to the families in need. This outreach is has been most gracious and kind.”

Distinguished Service Award-Lifetime Achievement

Howard Kanetzke’s volunteer service spans three decades. His passions for agriculture, the environment, economic justice, music and history have all influenced his work throughout the years, benefitting a number of organizations, including the Wisconsin Historical Society, UW-Madison’s Mills Music Library, Community of Hope United Church of Christ, Porchlight, Community Action Coalition and Domestic Abuse Intervention Services. On top of all of that, his most notable volunteer achievements come through Harvest of Hope, which preserves Wisconsin’s agricultural heritage by assisting farm families in crisis. In his 22 years as a Harvest of Hope committee member, he has helped distribute nearly $900,000 in aid to farm families to help them cope with the difficulties that threaten their survival, as well as transition families out of farming with dignity and preventing farm suicides. Roger Williams, who nominated Kanetzke, says, “Howard is a humble man and would probably say ‘It was nothing’ but his volunteer work has had a profound impact on Wisconsin farm families, his faith community and the broader community and state.”

Distinguished Service Award

Jewelryanna Rose has given over 3,400 hours of her time to local, national and international causes since 2005. She continues to add to that to total as a volunteer for Schools of Hope through Urban League of Greater Madison, the Men’s Shelter Meal Program at Grace Episcopal Church, and as a wildlife rehabilitator at Four Lakes Wildlife Center. These are all roles she holds while enrolled as a full-time student at UW Madison. Rose believes in the power that education has on the future of young people. She empowers her students to believe that their success lies in their own two hands; they only need to take advantage of the tools available to them. Her husband Quinn Halverson, who nominated Rose, says, “In my entire life, I have never met a person more motivated to change the world for the better.”

Distinguished Service Award

The Badger Volunteers of Urban League of Greater Madison understand the value of reading at a young age. This group of UW-Madison students, for the past three years, have recruited and deployed hundreds of their peers to thirteen local Middle and High Schools to tutor students through United Way’s Schools of Hope initiative. Coordinated through Urban League of Greater Madison – a United Way Schools of Hope Partner – tutors are increasing student engagement and performance every year. The tutors being mobilized by these 120 volunteers provide their students with the confidence and inspiration necessary for them to realize that college is definitely within their reach. Andrew Schilcher, who nominated this group, says, “Badger Volunteers are an essential part of the Schools of Hope Program. Without the support of these dedicated volunteers, many students would be forced to go without enthusiastic, supportive, and highly skilled tutors and role models.”

Distinguished Service Award

Jan Fulwiler is dedicating her time to making sure all children have a solid chance at graduating from high school. Fulwiler has served for three years as the sole fundraiser for Horizon High School. Established in 2005, Horizon High School provides a safe and therapeutic learning environment for students who are recovering from alcohol and drug addiction. She leads the charge to raise funds through movie days, social events and other fundraisers – and even established Creating for a Cause – a group of local artisans whose art fairs are being held all over the Madison area for the sole benefit of Horizon. Lori LaFond, who nominated Fulwiler, says, “Jan has made a difference in the world of recovery in the Dane County community. Her generosity and willingness to keep giving in so many ways have allowed staff at Horizon to focus on students and providing quality education and therapeutic services.”