SNOW HILL — The County Commissioners and Volunteer Services Manager Kelly Brinkley recognized 12 individuals Tuesday during the annual Volunteer Spirit of Worcester County Awards dinner ceremony at the Atlantic Hotel in Berlin.
Volunteers were nominated by their peers in one of five categories: youth, individual, lifetime achievement, faith-based and nonprofit volunteer program.
“These individuals represent the hundreds of volunteers whose daily contributions help sustain vital community services and programs that might otherwise go unmet,” Brinkley said. “It has been our distinct privilege to have had the opportunity to learn about their service and to honor them for it. We look forward to the opportunity to meet and pay recognition to many others serving in our community as well in the future.”
Those recognized in the Youth category include Hannah Black of the Jesse Klump Foundation for being a role model who reaches out to youth with the message, “Life is too precious to end in suicide.” Zainab Mirza of Stephen Decatur High School was nominated for her leadership on many school organizations and selfless efforts to reach out to help others in need.
Those in the Individual category include Cindi Strawley of Coastal Hospice for giving in a myriad of ways from driving family members to visit loved ones to running errands with patients to bring them happiness. Nancy Engelke and Sharon Sorrentino of Star Charities were also recognized. Engelke is known for her fundraising efforts and as someone who can be counted upon to come to the aide of others. Sorrentino is known as someone who never says, “No,” to a call for help and always makes time to assist wherever and whenever needed. Diane Hurney, of the Snow Hill Elementary School Parent Teacher Association, was recognized for jumping in to meet needs wherever they exist.
Clayton “Claytie” P. Collins, Jr. of the Berlin Volunteer Fire Company was honored in the Lifetime Achievement category for exemplifying the BVFC motto, ‘Service for Others.’
In the Faith-Based category, Emily Scheiber of Temple Bat Yam is recognized for sharing her Jewish faith by teaching the Hebrew alphabet to children in the Religious School.
In the Nonprofit Volunteer Program category, Ron Michaels of the Worcester County Arts Council is credited with always going above and beyond what is asked and inspiring others to do likewise. Cathy Gallagher of the Worcester County Developmental Center is credited with lending a helping hand to hundreds of people with disabilities and their families on the Eastern Shore. Tommy Mason of the Rotary Club of Snow Hill manages and has upgraded the food pantry at Ebenizer United Methodist Church to better serve the hungry. Patty Brasure of Diakonia is well-known for giving her all in all she does at the shelter to improve the lives of those around her.
Volunteers make Worcester County a better place to live, work and visit. To honor those whose contributions assure the continuation of vital services, Worcester County residents were recently invited to nominate individuals and community organizations for the 2014 for Volunteer Spirit of Worcester County, formerly known as Maryland’s Most Beautiful People Volunteer Awards.