Celebrate Volunteerism

Make it a matter of your heart and celebrate volunteerism at this years Volunteer Recognition Celebration Dinner - A Matter of the Heart, May 1, 2008.

Each year thousands of volunteers serve countless hours in service to many in need throughout communities across America.  That spirit of volunteerism is part of what defines America.  From those who volunteer to protect our land, to the volunteers who feed the poor, to those who visit the sick and nurture the young, their selfless acts of caring truly make a difference.  A commitment to service isn’t about who we know, our age, the color of our skin, the political party we belong to or the church we attend.  It’s about working together to meet needs, forging partnerships with others who seek to find a solution to a problem, and working together to make our community a better place for all citizens.

While most volunteers never think about receiving special accolades for their service to others, we should never forget to recognize and honor them for the difference they make. Their stories will inspire us to strive to make a difference right where we live.

Last year Volunteer McKinney Center was honored to recognize the wonderful volunteers who have impacted the schools, museums, social service agencies at the sixth annual Volunteer Recognition Celebration-A Matter of the Heart sponsored by Bank of Texas.  With over 250 people (mostly volunteers) in attendance, we said thanks to the many attendees for their work well done.

The awards ceremony began with the annual McKinney Make A Difference Day award presentation to Amy Burchett.  She took the lead in the enormous undertaking of organizing over 200 volunteers decorating 700 mini Christmas trees to be given to the Collin County Meals on Wheels Clients.

Darling Homes, Inc. was presented the Business Service Award for their commitment and service to McKinney.  Bob, Steve and Bill Darling and their company were instrumental in the building of the first two Habitat homes in McKinney, ongoing involvement in the Boys and Girls Club and the continued support of many local organizations.

The Youth Volunteer Award was presented to Taylor Payne a Serenity High graduate who volunteered with Meals on Wheels while the Education Volunteer Award was presented to Eddy McGehee a long time volunteer and supporter of McKinney Christian Academy.  Ed Mehal, John Peters and Bill Gerton received the Community Education Volunteer Award for their work with the KITE after school program at the McKinney Memorial Public Library.

This year’s Group Volunteer Award was presented to the Living History Group from Chestnut Square.  As a special treat each member of the group was dressed in their historic costumes worn during Living History Days.

The Heart Award is given to a volunteer whose service and commitment is focused on one particular agency or cause.  This year’s recipient was Susan Kamath, RN who has served on the board of the Children and Community Health Clinic since its beginning, and continues to volunteer on a weekly basis.

Barbara Johnson, Executive Director at the Heard-Craig Center for the Arts was the first recipient of the Nonprofit Leadership Award presented to a paid staff that has shown great commitment and vision to their organization.

The evening ended with the presentation of the prestigious Kim Hoffman Volunteer of the Year Award to Nancy Huff for her commitment to the City of McKinney and its citizens.  She has given countless volunteer hours to many organizations including CASA, Children and Community Health Clinic, Volunteer McKinney Center, MISD, etc. 

In addition to the event sponsor Bank of Texas, special thanks to this year’s award sponsors:  Bob Tomes Ford, Independent Bank, Wal-Mart, Raytheon, Capital One Bank, Square One Mortgage, Sharon Hagen’s Keller Williams group, and McKinney Christian Academy.  Without their generosity this evening would not be possible.

Here are some of the Award Recipients:

For more information about this event, award nomination forms and possible sponsorships contact us at 972-542-0679 or e - mail: volunteermck@sbcglobal.net .