Celebrating our volunteers

Release date: 6/30/2009

In celebration of National Volunteer Appreciation Month, organizations across the country annually honor invaluable volunteers for dedicating time and talent to support their missions. This past spring, Children's Home Society of Florida's (CHS) Gulf Coast Division hosted our first appreciation events: “Helping Hands, Healing Hearts.”

While honoring our volunteers in the Highlands County area with a luncheon at the Inn on the Lakes in Sebring, we presented awards to our Outstanding Volunteer of the Year, Maureen Grodzinski, for her continued commitment to the teen girls at Hansen House and to our Group Hug Award winner, Lowe's Heroes, recognizing the 16 Lowe's employees who volunteered to make Hansen House a real home for our girls. Lowe’s volunteers painted, laid flooring, installed cabinets and built a stone patio for the teens to enjoy. Lowe’s also provided new shelves, storage bins, two washers and dryers, a gas grill, and two outdoor table sets.

We also honored our volunteers in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties with a dinner at the Quorum Hotel on Westshore. Ninety volunteers showed up, and several received plaques for their overwhelming efforts to provide love and comfort to children who find safe harbor and hope at Joshua House and in our other CHS Gulf Coast Division programs.

Honorees included:
Youth Volunteer of the Year - Kappa Delta Sorority
Board Member of the Year - Lindi Niedner
Group Hug - Idlewild Baptist Church
Outstanding Volunteer of the Year - Kerri Whitt
Volunteer with the Most Hours - Wendy Millaway
"Embracing Children. Inspiring Lives.” - Friends of Joshua House
2009 R. David and I. Lorraine Thomas Child Advocate of the Year - Silver Coffee Committee

Each volunteer's contribution is critical to our success in protecting children and enables CHS to continue providing children and families with hope for tomorrow. Please consider joining our dedicated volunteer corps. Opportunities vary throughout the division but include such rewarding activities as mentoring, helping kids with homework, organizing and supporting fundraising events, advisory board leadership, advocacy, and more. To become a CHS volunteer, please contact our Development Department at 813-740-4266.

No clients shall be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. Clients needing accommodations for a disability and/or clients with special communications needs should contact their Children’s Home Society of Florida worker or make their request for accommodation at the time of admission into a Children’s Home Society of Florida program.

CHILDREN'S HOME SOCIETY OF FLORIDA, REGISTRATION #CH180, IS REGISTERED WITH THE STATE UNDER THE SOLICITATION OF CONTRIBUTIONS ACT. A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE (800-435-7352) WITHIN THE STATE. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE.