2022 Community Volunteer Award Recipients
Congratulations to our 2022 Community Volunteer Award recipients!
The Community Volunteer Awards have highlighted the enormous benefits volunteers bring to Dane County for more than 20 years. Leading by example, the nominees and award recipients encourage everyone to engage in our community through volunteerism – proving just how impactful we can be when we come together as The Power of Many. Working for All.
Mike McKinney Award
Living out his passion for nutrition and food security every day – both through his clinical practice and volunteer work with Madison Area Food Pantry Gardens (MAFPG) – Brian Arndt, MD works tirelessly to ensure neighbors have access to food that supports good health. A fierce advocate for MAFPG, he’s helped to build awareness and make connections with in-kind donors, allowing them to serve even more community members. Brian is known as a big-picture thinker who always follows through on his commitments, takes on projects others won’t and is inclusive in creating programming that allows people of all abilities to participate.
This award is named for Mike McKinney, a longtime Madison newscaster, volunteer, mentor and Community Volunteer Award emcee, who passed away in 2006). The recipient receives $1,000 for the organization for which they volunteer.
Goodman Gemstone Youth Award
Volunteering weekly at the Agrace HospiceCare Hospitality Desk, Zoe Toltzien can be found greeting and guiding visitors during evening and weekend hours. Her compassion, maturity and dedication go above and beyond what is typically expected of such a young person. Zoe’s warmth and calm are evident in everything she does and will serve her well as she grows in being a champion for change in Dane County.
This award is sponsored by the Goodman Fund in the United Way of Dane County Foundation. The recipient receives $1,000 for the organization for which they volunteer, a $1,000 scholarship and a gemstone pin generously provided by Goodman’s Jewelers.
Kathy Martinson Nonprofit Award
Believing that everyone deserves comfort and dignity at the end of their life, Agrace HospiceCare is well deserving of this year’s Kathy Martinson Nonprofit Award. Their compassionate, personalized approach is redefining the standards of care in our community. And we’re so grateful that aging, seriously ill and grieving neighbors have them as a reliable resource.
This award is named in honor of Kathy Martinson who brought the Community Volunteer Awards to Dane County in 1990 and her 35 years of dedicated service to community volunteerism. The recipient receives $500 for the organization for which they volunteer and a $500 scholarship.
Business Champion Award
This year, we’re recognizing Ascendium Education Group with the Business Champion Award! Stepping up in a time of great need, Ascendium didn’t let COVID get in the way of them getting involved. They worked with the East Madison Community Center to help transform community green spaces and the Children’s Garden Center. Needing little direction, their teams moved quickly to make transformational change!
This award is sponsored by United Way’s Business Volunteer Network. The recipient receives $1,000 for the organization for which they volunteer.
Nonprofit Champion Award
This year’s Nonprofit Champion Award goes to Second Harvest Foodbank! When food security was amplified during the pandemic, they led in helping other groups and organizations provide food and nutrition support in a sustainable way. A leader in the fight to end hunger in Dane County, their ability to bring people together and amplify collective impact is nothing short of inspiring.
This award is sponsored by Dane County Administrators of Volunteer Services. The recipient receives $1,000 for their organization.
Lifetime Service Award
Kris Rasmussen is being recognized with this year’s esteemed Lifetime Service Award! Kris has spent most of her adult life volunteering at a wide variety of Madison nonprofits, including Madison Youth Choirs, United Way of Dane County, Jewish Social Services, Legal Action of Wisconsin and others. But it is for her steadfast 36-year commitment to the East Madison Community Center that she is being honored with this award. She has served on their Board of Directors for over 35 years, many of those as Board President. She’s also played many different roles within the organization, and has been humbly and impactfully improving lives for decades. We’re so grateful for her commitment to Dane County!
The recipient receives $1,000 for the organization for which they volunteer.
Outstanding Leadership Award
A passionate and dedicated leader in our community, Jamie Pekarek Krohn is the recipient of this year’s Outstanding Leadership Award! In founding and leading the Be Well Community Collective, she’s worked tirelessly to improve individual and community health by increasing equitable access to preventative wellness services for all. Leaving her successful private practice to head her nonprofit organization, she is dedicated to Dane County and the people who live, work and play here. Where many have thought it was time to throw in the towel, she persisted. She’s truly an inspiration!
The recipient receives $500 for the organization for which they volunteer.
Distinguished Service Award
Beth Maglio, Vice President of Friends of the State Street Family, is one of this year’s recipients of the Distinguished Service Award. Said to be the heart and soul of her organization, Beth oversees all outreach events, supports volunteers and builds meaningful relationships with community partners and the homeless population in Dane County. She’s truly making a difference each and every day!
The recipient receives $500 for the organization for which they volunteer.
Distinguished Service Award
As a retired RN, Peggy Weber uses her experience and compassion to offer free grief support classes to any in our community who may need this support. She easily helps more than 100 people each year – and we’re beyond grateful for the compassion she extends to neighbors across Dane County! She’s well deserving of this year’s Distinguished Service Award.
The recipient receives $500 for the organization for which they volunteer.
Thank You to Our Generous Sponsors
The Community Volunteer Awards would not be possible without the generous support from our sponsors: Alliant Energy, Exact Sciences, Group Health Cooperative of South Central Wisconsin, Herzing University, Springs Window Fashions and Madison Gas and Electric. We are also very thankful for our media sponsor, WKOW TV, and our award sponsors: United Way’s Business Volunteer Network, Dane County Administrators of Volunteer Services, the Irwin A. and Robert D. Goodman Fund in the United Way of Dane County Foundation and Goodman’s Jewelers.
Congratulations to this year’s Community Volunteer Award nominees!
Business Nominees
Certco, Inc., Second Harvest, Gilda’s Club, Habitat for Humanity
Exact Sciences, Gilda’s Club Madison
Food Concepts, Inc., (FCI), Middleton Outreach Ministry (MOM)
Hausmann-Johnson Insurance, American Family Children’s Hospital
Nordic Consulting Inc, RISE Wisconsin
Nonprofit Nominees
A Moment of Magic Foundation
Foundation Jireh
Kids Forward
Madison Area Care for the Homeless (MACH)-OneHealth
Madison Area Chapter of National Charity League (NCL), Inc.
NAMI Dane County
Stoughton Area Resource Team Inc. START & Executive and Community Board
Sunshine Place
Youth Nominees
Anna Hildebrand, By Youth For Youth
Ava Jackson, East YMCA Dane County
Copper Daniel, African American Health Network, Safe Communities of Madison/Dane County
Jaleah Hunt, FOSTER
Jennifer Kintopf, Urban League of Greater Madison – Schools of Hope
Jewel Adams, FOSTER
Kimberly Leon Teran, Foundation Jireh, Beacon, Rape Crisis Center
Marco Antonio Quechol Ramirez, Latino Student Union at Middleton High School
Orlando Albert, Sunshine Supper
Pamela Grant, Agrace West Thrift Store
Phoebe McIntosh, UW Health University Hospital, United Way of Dane County By Youth For Youth, Millennium Soccer, Smiles in the Community Club
Renee Mendonca, Yvote
Shruti Parthasarathy, Calm with Kalaa, Heart to Soul in Action
St. Paul AME Church YPD Group, The Road Home Dane County
Individual & Group Nominees
Alan Crossley, Wheels for Winners, Inc.
Alan Otto, Community Action Coalition for South Central WI, Inc.
Alejandro Vergara, St. Vincent de Paul – Madison
Alexis Dean, Dreams Start Young
Amber Kaczmarak, Community Action Coalition for South Central WI, Inc.
April Wahl, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Dane County
Bao Xiong, Newbridge Madison
Barbara Moreno, Madison College Volunteer Center, Heartland Hospice
Bill and Betty Rockwell, Nehemiah Center for Urban Leadership Development/Justified Anger
Bill Schloemer, Dane County Humane Society
Bob Entwistle, Catholic Multicultural Center
Bunny Lannoye, Agrace Hospice and Palliative Care
Carlotta Calmese, FOSTER
Carola Gaines, FOSTER
Claire Box, Madison-area Urban Ministry’s Healing House
Colleen Howes, Dane County Humane Society
Diane Kean, Madison Senior Center; Shabazz High School, Monona Meadows, Monona Senior Center, Newbridge Madison, Voter Education Ambassador
Donna Lotzer, SAIL – Sharing Active Independent Lives
Ercan Dzelil, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Dane County
Eric Boyd, NewBridge
Frances Cardenas, Dane County Humane Society
Gail Piper, Children’s Dyslexia Center-Madison
Gary Hoffman, Middleton Outreach Ministry (MOM), Madison Area Food Pantry Gardens (MAFPG)
George Marcus, West Madison Little League, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society
Grace Jones, Agrace Hospice and Palliative Care
Haben Goitom, Dane County Community Restorative Court
Harold Carson, Cross Plains, Middleton, Taft Street Boys and Girls Club
Iris Christenson, Catholic Multicultural Center
James (Jim) Mogden, Habitat for Humanity of Dane County ReStore
James Dast, Friends of UW-Madison Libraries
Jean Kaminski and Becky Weisensel, The Beacon
Jennifer Zisser, The River Food Pantry
Josh Gretebeck, Mosaicos Cultural Enrichment Corp and Wisconsin People First
Josh Nayes, Madison-area Urban Ministry
Joy Bakken, Westside Elementary School
Julie Hitt, The Beacon
Kalsang Kunor, Wisconsin Tibetan Association
Karen Heim, Lussier Community Education Center
Katie Brietzman, NewBridge
Katrina Collins, The Salvation Army of Dane County
Kayla Fargo, The Road Home Dane County
Kristine Guderyon Goetz, Literacy Network
Larry “Jake” Jacobson, SSM Health Adult Day Health Center
LINK-ages Committee, DeForest Area School District and DeForest Area Community & Senior Center
Madeline Elledge, Rape Crisis Center of Dane County
Marcia Wirt, Westside Elementary School
Marilyn Budzisz, Dane County Humane Society
Mark and Natalie Richardson, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Dane County
Martha Galston, East Madison Community Center
Mary Hill, NewBridge Madison (formerly NESCO)
Megan Simmons, Building Opportunities for Student Success/Girls on the Run
Nicole Smith, Pregnancy Helpline
Operation Fresh Start Volunteer Tutors, Operation Fresh Start
Patricia Eaton, Madison-area Urban Ministry
Pedro Dominguez, Centro Hispano of Dane County
Peggy Kollath, UW Health – American Family Children’s Hospital
Pro Labore Dei, The Beacon
Road To Recovery Volunteers, Road To Recovery – American Cancer Society
Rose Coleman, Agrace Hospice and Palliative Care
Roxanne Quinlan, Dane County Humane Society
Ruben Mota, Dane County Humane Society
Sally Falk & Jean Koehl, The Beacon
Sheray Wallace, Meadowood Health Partnership
Stacey Hardy, Village of Brooklyn Recreation Committee
Stacy Austin-Li, Dementia Friendly Middleton, part of Dane County Dementia Friendly Communities
Sue Kopp, Dane County Humane Society
Sue Sells, Dane County Humane Society
Sylvia Rausch, Porchlight, Middleton Senior Center, Henry Vilas Zoo and Madison School & Community Recreation
Tammy Earl, Dane County Humane Society
Teresa Sanders, FOSTER
Terry Ortman, RSVP Volunteer stations; CAC Gleaners, Habitat ReStore, Middleton Senior Center
The Henry Vilas Zoo Enrichment Team (Lori Ainsworth & Wendy Fae Weiss), Henry Vilas Zoo
Thomas Franke, Madison-area Urban Ministry
Tom Thomsen, The Road Home Dane County
University of Wisconsin-Madison Humorology, Humorology
Vicky Daubert, Gilda’s Club Madison
Yesenia Villalpando-Torres, Community Immigration Law Center (CILC)