Recognizing Volunteers

One of the distinct advantages of retirement is the opportunity to volunteer at more places doing more things. Of course retirement is also the age when you have more opportunities for health problems which interfere with volunteer assignments so it probably all evens out. I've also discovered that many volunteer assignments fall under several "authorities" or volunteer organizations. For example, in my assignment as a Meals on Wheels driver, I was directly responsible to Senior Nutrition Services of Sacramento County. This is a government entity but probably has more volunteers than paid positions. My position was also overseen by Retired Seniors Volunteer Program of Sacramento County which is under the Human Resources Department of the county. It is almost entirely volunteer staffing.

Lastly, this position falls under the general oversight of the Volunteer Center of Sacramento, which appears to be a completely independent, private, not-for-profit organization whose mission is "to strengthen and support the Sacramento Community by connecting volunteers with opportunities to serve."

This past week I had the opportunity of attending a luncheon honoring a couple dozen volunteers in our community. I was there as a guest of an honoree rather than being honored myself. I will have another blog describing why my host had been nominated for Volunteer of the Year in the category Service to Senior.

Almost like the Academy Awards, the Volunteer of the Year award was given for

• Service to Seniors
• Service to Children and Youth
• Supporting Arts and Recreation
• Supporting Healthcare
• Supporting Animals
• Helping Those Less Fortunate
• Group Commitment to Volunteering
• Youth Volunteer of the Year
• Volunteer Coordinator of the Year
• Volunteer Board Member of the Year
• Civic Organization of the Yeare
• Corporate Volunteerism
• Heart of Gold
• Problem Solver
• Salt of the Earth
• Ray of Light
• Lifetime Achievement
• Overall Volunteer of the Year

You might think that a program that needed to honor so many categories with 3 to 5 nominees in each category would be unbearably long but it wasn't. The speaker started her part while dinner was still going on and she kept her speech short. The MC's kept the program moving at the same time giving enough extra detail about the winners you didn't feel like they were just reading the program for you.

Even the pictures on the patio of those who won went fast. On the way out non-winning honorees received their plaque.

Thanks, Richard, for inviting me to such an event.