The Volunteer Center of Lewis, Mason and Thurston Counties Events

Winners of 2010 Voluntony Awards Announced

OLYMPIA – Friday, May 21^st, community members dressed up in their best evening wear to walk the red carpet and pose for photos at the first ever Voluntonies Award Show, to honor volunteers and hardworking nonprofits in the area. Presented by The Volunteer Center of Lewis, Mason, and Thurston Counties, the Hollywood-style volunteer award show, hosted at the historic Capitol Theater in downtown Olympia, offered guests a chance to feel like celebrities while accepting awards for the services they offer on a regular basis.

“Volunteers work so hard and give so much of themselves to the community that we wanted to treat them to a special night out in honor of all the good things they do,” said Sara Ballard, Executive Director of the Volunteer Center. “It was great to see everyone dressed up and enjoying the evening.” 

 

Sponsored by Olympia Federal Savings, The Olympia Film Society, OBEE Credit Union, Capital Medical Center and TCTV, the night’s festivities began at 6 p.m. with guests arriving on the red carpet in style to be interviewed by Jolene Jang and TCTV who filmed the event for later broadcast on the station.

 

“Jolene added glamour and personality to our red carpet talking with guests about their volunteer work and commenting on their wardrobe. She was our very own Joan Rivers for the night!” said event planner Heather Smith.

 

Before the show guests were able to mingle, get their photos taken and buy tickets for a chance to spin the prize wheel. The big ticket item, a script signed by the cast of ABC’s Private Practice, was raffled off as a fundraiser for the Volunteer Center.

 

The award show featured a comedic routine and song from local performers Bob Giles and Vaude de Ville who sang about the virtues of volunteering to the tune of “You Are My Sunshine.”  

 

“We were absolutely delighted, both Bob and I, to be invited and it turned out to be just a bucket of fun,” said de Ville.

 

Over 100 Retired Senior Volunteer Program participants were honored for their work with various organizations and presenters then handed out awards for a variety of group and individual efforts that highlighted some of the best ideas and strategies for volunteering in the area.

 

After the award show, guests joined the Volunteer Center board of directors and staff at a fundraising after party at The Mark Restaurant to screen the “Movies About Change” award winning video from the MPowerment Project.

 

“The idea for the Voluntonies came last Fall when several prime time shows featured volunteerism in their story lines. What better way to end our Hollywood inspired award show than by screening videos that spotlight real volunteerism in our own community?” said Ballard. “We’re hoping to continue this tradition next year.” 

 

The mission of the Volunteer Center of Lewis, Mason and Thurston Counties is to support volunteer efforts to address community needs; and inspire, engage, and mobilize volunteers. The Center accomplishes this mission by connecting people with opportunities to serve, offering volunteer management training and the promotion of volunteerism.  The Center also provides more than 3,000 volunteer referrals per year, works with more than 250 nonprofit and public agencies in its service area and offers more than 650 volunteer opportunities through its Web site at www.volunteer.ws

 

Voluntony award recipients included:

 

Community Champion: David Dec, GRuB
Honorable Mention: Scott Bishop, Interfaith Works

 

Inspirational Achievement: Clarice McCartan, Drexel House

Honorable Mention: Shawn Smith, Thurston County Public Health and Social Services Department, Chronic Disease Prevention Section

 

Cool Collaborators: Rochester Community Gardens

Honorable Mention: Kristen West, Choice Regional Health Network

 

Global Thinker: Lena Hammond, GRuB

 

RSVP LEAD with Experience: Eldon Francis, Wolfhaven

Honorable Mention: Mary Belz, Friends of the Olympia Library

 

Emerging Leader: TIE

DJ Hammer, Centralia Hospital and James Lee, Capital Medical Center

 

Team Impact: Capital Medical Center’s Spiritual Care Givers

Honorable Mention: The Timothy Team

 

Movies about Change:

Justin Taylor, the MPowerment Project

 

Lewis County RSVP Members Recognized for Service

CHEHALIS–100 RSVP members were honored for their community service at the 25^th annual Retired and Senior Volunteer Program Recognition Lunch on May 17^th, presented by the Volunteer Center of Lewis, Mason and Thurston Counties.

 

“We are grateful for the time and effort they put into the countless programs they provide service for and this was an opportunity for us to honor that service,” said Sara Ballard, the executive director of the Volunteer Center which manages RSVP.

 

This year’s event, held at Mary McCrank’s Restaurant, helped recognize over a dozen Presidential Volunteer Service Award (Gold Level) winners with a pin provided by the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation. These 55 and over volunteers qualified for the award by each donating over 500 hours of service to various organizations throughout the community in 2009.

“RSVP members have had a strong presence here and we look forward to honoring their service every year at these recognition events and to express our thanks for their efforts in the community,” said program coordinator Susan Lamoreaux who developed the program in Lewis County 25 years ago. Lamoreaux who will retire at the end of June was also thanked for her leadership and dedication to RSVP over the years.

 

Volunteers Robert Kraemer and Hugh Blurton, both received the Lifetime Service Award for donating more than 4,000 hours of service to community causes over the course of their recorded service since they first registered as members of RSVP.

 

Lewis County Presidential Volunteer Service Award (Gold Level) Winners:

 

Georgie Halphide, Eldene Collins, Donna Lyon, Gary Griffin, Arland Michel, Mary Goforth, Meg Paxton, Denice Donell, Austin Canady, Lucy Lewis, Elaine Truit, Joanne Clark, and Mickie West.

Marzloff Wins Community Impact Volunteer of the Year Award

OLYMPIA – Blake Marzloff, AmeriCorps VISTA and Volunteer LEAD Manager for the Volunteer Center of Lewis, Mason, and Thurston Counties, was awarded the Community Impact Volunteer of the Year Award at the United Way’s annual “Celebration of Community and Caring” luncheon on May 11^th.

“It was a great honor to be nominated by my peers,” said Marzloff who attend the event along with other individuals and local groups who were awarded for their support of volunteer and philanthropic efforts within the county.

“Blake has been a driving force behind many of our biggest programs here at the Volunteer Center,” said Sara Ballard, executive director of the Volunteer Center. “Not only does he work countless hours on programs that we support like the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sites, but he also contributes a lot of his own time to service projects in the area. He’s definitely an example of someone who walks the walk when it comes to volunteer work.”

Marzloff has been an active volunteer for the past ten years and says that the main reason people should volunteer is, “To bring action to and help those you see every day as you go to work or shop or go to school. We all notice people in our community who are in need. Volunteering is your opportunity to bring change to your community and help those people.”

Other projects that Marzloff has worked on over the past year at the Volunteer Center include: The Olympia Project, Sand in the City, Bread and Roses, Family Support Center Family Shelter, National Letter Carriers Food Drive, The Special Olympics, Rotary fundraiser for international water projects and musical instruments, Junior League of Olympia - Santa Calls, Goodwill Financial Literacy classes, and Children of the Nations Food Packaging Event.

Socially Conscious Singles Mingle - June 18th!

Are you single and looking to meet others with similar interests? Do you like to volunteer? Do you like to raise money for a good cause? Then come to the Heritage Room at 604 Water St. in Downtown Olympia on Friday, June 18th for a night of fun and philanthropy. From 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. you’ll have the opportunity to participate in a hands-on service project, learn more about local volunteer opportunities and mingle with other singles. This event is a project of the Volunteer Center of Lewis, Mason, and Thurston Counties and Table for Two. Get your tickets for $15 at www.brownpapertickets.com and type in "singles mingle" in the event search box. Funds help support the Volunteer Center. For more information contact Emma@volunteer.ws.

 

Come to the Voluntonies Award Show - May 21st!

On the evening of Friday, May 21st, community members are invited to dress up for a night out at The Voluntonies, a Hollywood-style volunteer award show at the historic Capitol Theater in downtown Olympia. The Volunteer Center of Lewis, Mason and Thurston Counties is hosting the event to honor area volunteers, nonprofits and other groups that are working hard to make a difference in the area.

“We want to roll out the red carpet and really give volunteers in the area the star treatment for all the hard work they do to make a positive impact on their community,” said Sara Ballard, Executive Director of the Volunteer Center.

Starting at 7 p.m., presenters will begin handing out Voluntonies for a variety of group and individual efforts that highlight some of the best ideas and strategies for volunteering in the area. A few of the awards to be given out include the Emerging Leader, Team Impact, and Inspirational Achievement Awards as well as the Thurston County RSVP President’s Awards and Movies About Change video contest.

Co-sponsored by Olympia Federal Savings, The Olympia Film Society, OBEE Credit Union, Capitol Medical Center and TCTV, the evening includes a variety of pre-show entertainment beginning at 6 p.m. and a fundraising After Party hosted by the Mark Restaurant immediately following the award show

“We’re looking forward to making this a fun and an exciting evening for everyone,” said event planner Heather Smith.

On the heels of National Volunteer Week in April, the Volunteer Center hopes the Voluntonies will become an annual event residents look forward to that will inspire people to get involved in their community in new and creative ways. For more information on how to be a part of the festivities, call 360-741-2622 or visit the Volunteer Center’s Web site at www.volunteer.ws.

Learn how to Improve Funding at Your Nonprofit

Volunteers may work for free, but nonprofits still have day to day business expenses. Join us for the second class in a four-part series of seminars on how to sustain a skills-based volunteer program and learn more about how to fund your organization’s needs.

Next Chapter, a program of the Volunteer Center of Lewis, Mason, and Thurston Counties in collaboration with NonProfit Solutions NW and Centerpoint Institute, offers this series of workshops designed to create collaborations between nonprofit organizations and skills-based volunteers to enhance community services.

The second workshop in the series, “Funding,” will help participants find and manage funding for their nonprofit’s sustainable skills-based volunteer program.

The class will discuss:
• Budget Requirements
• Fund Development within your organization

Learn more Thursday, May 20th from 9 a.m. to noon at the Olympia Center at 222 Columbia St. NW. Each individual session is $35. Payment may be processed online by clicking on “Donate Now” www.volunteer.ws. Also register online at www.volunteer.ws by clicking on “Training Registration”. For more information contact Linda at the Volunteer Center at 360-455-0220 or linda@volunteer.ws. Scholarships are available please contact Linda directly.

Track 2, NonProfit Solution NW’s workshop series, is geared towards nonprofit professionals interested in building organizational volunteer capacity. Each is an interactive, hands-on experience with homework in between to deepen your experience.