Nebraska and Iowa boast high rates of volunteerism, including thousands of adults and children who donate their time to homeless shelters and hospitals, school and sports programs, mentoring services, and food pantries. 2011’s National Volunteer Week is a great time to thank them all.

THE 2010-11 VOLUNTEER RECOGNITION AWARDS:
Richard "Sam" Drennen received the Volunteer of the Year award, the day’s top honor. Since 1986, Mr. Drennen has delivered meals on a weekly basis to participants in the Meals on Wheels program of the American Red Cross-Loess Hills Chapter in Council Bluffs. That would be approximately 1250 weeks of volunteer service to help senior citizens and other homebound individuals in the community. Staff members of the Loess Hills chapter say Mr. Drennen delivers nutritious lunches two, three and sometimes four times a week, including Saturdays when he helps to supervise the program’s other caring volunteers. He reports early for each assigned shift and is the point-of-contact for all meal delivery volunteers. Drennen is also known to sub for other drivers when they can’t come in because of work or illness. The Loess Hills says his dedication and accountability has made a huge impact on the meal program, and on those who receive the nutritious food he delivers with a kind word and a smile.

The 2010-2011 Volunteen of the Year is Taylor Grace, a student at Platteview High School in Springfield, Nebraska. She has spent two of her 16 years making life healthier and more beautiful on The Salvation Army’s Lied Renaissance Center campus in north central Omaha. She has led projects to spruce up the grounds on Cuming Street, including the child care center’s playground. Grace also spearheaded the creation of an on-site garden that has now provided fresh vegetables for more than 100 families, via the organization’s food pantry and senior center. The Platteview junior even set up weeding and watering schedules for 100 other volunteers, and solicited donations from the community that keep the project’s annual budget under fifty dollars. Grace is working on plans for this year’s planting, and is already the recipient of a Nebraska Governor’s Points of Light Award.

The Medical Reserve Corps’ Linda Horning Volunteer of the Year Award was given to Judy Bencker. She joined the Eastern Nebraska-Western Iowa Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) in 2004, when she was a nurse in Nebraska Medical Center’s emergency room. Like other MRC health volunteers, she has attended numerous training sessions to prepare for disaster response. Since her retirement last year, Bencker has volunteered more than 100 hours of medical service, at 21 different community events, including Project Homeless Connect, H1N1 vaccinations clinics, a KVC Behavioral Health field trip for foster children, and a number of local walks, runs and bike rides. The MRC award is named for one of the local unit’s original members.

Dr. Damon Laaker was recognized with the Leota G. Norton Community Service Award; Dr. Lakker is Pastor at Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church in Omaha, but his recognition comes by serving as Senior Chaplain for the Omaha Police Department. He has ministered to officers and members of the public through the department for 27 years, including the delicate task of delivering death notifications to family members. Dr. Laaker trains new chaplains and manages the 24-hour scheduling for the service. He is also director of Lutheran Metropolitan Ministries, focused on multicultural ministries and interfaith health services. His projects include service to the Hispanic, Sudanese and African-American communities. The Norton award is named for a longtime United Way volunteer.

Eric Musgjerd received the Harry C. Voss Award. As chief volunteer officer for the YMCA of Greater Omaha, Musgjerd rarely turns down an opportunity to lead, organize and energize the family-based organization. The "Y" staff says he leads fundraising efforts, the Board and Executive Committee meetings, annual meeting and takes a team to the annual YMCA national convention. Musgjerd, who is a Vice President of Commercial Real estate for First National Bank of Omaha, also led the YMCA’s CEO search committee this past year, as well as hosting the retirement party for outgoing leader, Louie Warren. The Voss award is named for a long-time and dedicated volunteer in Council Bluffs.

Brookside Church received the Spirit of Volunteerism award for its dedicated service to Omaha’s Open Door Mission. No matter the weather or their personal schedules, church members have been visiting the mission’s east Omaha campus every Saturday since 2009. The "Brooksiders", as they’re known, have stocked the food pantry there, made thousands of sack lunches, donated toys and then loaded them into Christmas bags for children in needy families, and hosted art projects for them as well. Church members have also helped organize items donated by other members of the community at the mission’s "store".

The 2010-2011 Making It Happen award was bestowed upon the American Red Cross Heartland Chapter’s Disaster Action Team (DAT). In nominating the DAT, the City of LaVista Volunteer Fire Department cited team members for their longtime service to our community and our region. But of special note was the dedication they displayed in December 2010 when LaVista witnessed one of the largest fires in its 50-year history. The blaze at an apartment building kept first responders on the scene for many hours. The fire department called upon DAT to assist hundreds of apartment dwellers who were displaced that cold night. Team members provided them with blankets, food and the assistance needed to find lodging for the night and the days immediately afterward. LaVista Fire says the Red Cross DAT team offers food and coffee to firefighters and police officers at disaster scenes as well.

Awards were also given to outstanding volunteers in 18 other categories. They are:

Business – Adult             Barbara Coleman-Grabowski, Community Volunteer
Business–Youth             Jordan Raszler, Heartland Family Service
Cultural – Adult               Ryan Horner, Sarpy Area Arts Council
Cultural – Youth             Marco Gullickson, Durham Museum
Disaster Preparedness – Adult           Frank (FJ) Richter, Amer. Red Cross Heartland Ch.
Education – Adult           Terri Burke, Mercy Housing
Elderly – Adult                 Edward (Ed) Carlin, St. Charles Borromeo Church
Elderly – Youth                Janna Driskel, Millard West High School
Ethnic – Adult                  Louis Finocchiaro, Catholic Charities
Health – Adult                 Jan Novack, Visiting Nurse Association
Health – Youth               Rachel Connelly, Duchesne Academy
Religion – Adult             Marjorie Callier, Offutt Air Force Base
Youth – Adult Kay          Kronholm, Ted E. Bear Hollow
Youth – Youth                Clara Hageman, Duchesne Academy
Special Needs – Adult                       Paul Murphy, Community Volunteer
Special Needs – Youth                     Jessica Gorup, Duchesne Academy
Adult Group                    Eastern Nebraska/Western Iowa Medical Reserve Corps
Adult Group – Judge’s Award           Flockfeeders, All Saints Episcopal Church
Couple                            Richard and Judy Gray, All Saints Episcopal Church

Carol Wang of KMTV was the mistress of ceremonies; Tom Johnson, media manager of the Nebraska Lottery, was the awards presenter. Dr. Damon Laaker of Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church delivered the invocation, and 375 people attended the luncheon and awards program.

Nominations for next year’s awards will be accepted beginning in February 2012. Interested organizations can call 402-522-7931 for more information.

LOCAL MAYORS THANK LOCAL VOLUNTEERS

The mayors of Omaha, Council Bluffs, Bellevue, Ralston, Papillion, and LaVista are sending out personalized letters to 4,800 other volunteers in their six communities, part of United Way of the Midlands’ "National Volunteer Week Thank-a-Thon." (Local organizations will have the opportunity to request a 2012 Mayor’s Thank You early next year when the thank-a-thon and volunteer award nomination forms will be posted at www.uwmidlands.org.)

United Way of the Midlands, its donors and volunteers advance the common good of the Omaha metropolitan area by providing our neighbors life-changing opportunities in education, financial stability and health. UWM celebrates 88 years of service in 2011. People in the metropolitan area received services through United Way Community Care Fund programs 592,203 times in 2010.