February 27, 2020; Liverpool, NS: The effect that volunteers have in a community is far reaching, impacting many areas of community life, much like how ripples spread outward when a stone is thrown into a body of water. Volunteers were selected to be Volunteers of the Year by Region of Queens Council at the February 25, 2020 Council meeting. Brenda Lawrence, of Brooklyn, and the duo of Natasha Slauenwhite and Cory Rodenhiser of Buckfield, were drawn from a pool of 10 nominations recognizing the hard work and dedication of 11 individuals nominated over the past year through the Ripple Effect Volunteer Initiative; Natasha and Cory were nominated together in one nomination as they do much of their volunteer work together.
“Through the Ripple Effect Volunteer Initiative program community members have a mechanism to recognize and show their appreciation for the volunteers who have made Queens a great place to live, work and play. Our community is enhanced through their provision of recreational opportunities, needed services, social connections and more,” said David Dagley, Mayor of the Region of Queens Municipality. “We are pleased that Brenda, Cory and Natasha will be honoured for their volunteer work and represent Region of Queens Volunteers at the Provincial Volunteer Awards Ceremony on April 27, 2020.”
The Ripple Effect Volunteer Initiative is a program launched in the fall of 2015 to showcase the efforts of volunteers in Queens County. Nominations may be submitted throughout the year by members of the community; the nominees’ biographies and photographs are posted on the Region of Queens website, Facebook and Twitter pages, enabling the community to learn about the volunteer work of their friends and neighbors.
From those nominees, Council chooses two Volunteers of the Year for the Region of Queens who will receive an award at the Provincial Volunteer Awards Ceremony held near Volunteer Week in April. The Province of Nova Scotia’s Provincial Volunteer Awards Ceremony honours approximately 70 volunteers from across Nova Scotia each year for their commitment and dedication to community life. The Provincial Volunteer Award is a once in a lifetime award. The ceremony is being held on April 27, 2020, in Halifax. National Volunteer Week takes places April 19 – 25, 2020.
From February 2018 through to January 31, 2019, 10 nominations were received for the Ripple Effect, representing 11 individuals. Those nominated were Terry Connolly of Brooklyn, Kieran Clattenburg of Liverpool, Catherine Croft of Mill Village, Sylvia Hurley of Liverpool, Brenda Lawrence of Brooklyn, Vina Moses of Mersey Point, Sharon Saulnier of Liverpool, Natasha Slauenwhite and Cory Rodenhiser of Buckfield, Debbie J. Wamboldt of Milton, and David Wightman, Liverpool
“Every volunteer who was nominated makes a big impact in their community, and those impacts ripple across our county. We value all of the time and work that volunteers do. it is challenging to select just two as Volunteers of the Year; and part of the challenge is to try to determine which act of volunteerism would have more value over another? All are important, so In the interest of being fair, we draw two names randomly,” said Dagley. “We are very fortunate in Queens to have many dedicated volunteers – the nominees this year are a great example of the passionate, energetic and skilled volunteers in Queens, however we know there are even more who deserve recognition. Residents are encouraged to thank those who make Queens a great place to live – make a Ripple Effect nomination!”
Photos and biographies of Ripple Effect nominees, along with a downloadable nomination form are posted on the Region of Queens Municipality’s website http://www.regionofqueens.com/municipal-services/recreation/volunteering/overview .
