Thank You, Volunteers

By guest blogger, Becky Calvert, Volunteer Support Specialist

We here in Volunteer Services like to say that Volunteers are the heart of JABA.  With 1,194 registered volunteers who gave 33,194 hours of service to our community last year, it’s easy to prove our point.

Yesterday at President Monroe’s home, Ash Lawn Highland, we honored all our volunteers with a picnic.  The home and grounds were t

The weather smiled on our Volunteer Recognition picnic at Ash Lawn Highland.

heirs for touring for the day and we served them a tasty lunch of fried chicken, biscuits, cole slaw, apples and brownies.  Despite the threat of bad weather, the day dawned sunny and beautiful just in time.

Volunteer of the Year: Sally Mank
At noon, we had a small ceremony to honor our Volunteer of the Year, Sally Mank.

Congratulations, Sally

In the fall, during open enrollment for Medicare, when our VICAP counseling is in full swing, I forget Sally is a volunteer.  She turns in volunteer hours that are amazing – 175 hours for the month of December alone.  That’s 175 hours in ONE month!  And yes, she takes holidays off.  She doesn’t put in as many hours during the quieter parts of the year, but Sally definitely makes a huge difference in the number of clients we are able to help.  “Thank you, Sally” just doesn’t begin to put into words of how much you are appreciated and admired, not just by JABA, but by all the families you help.

Dick Gibson, Chair of JABA’s Board of Directors presented a check with the value of JABA’s Volunteer hours to local leaders as well during our lunchtime ceremony.

Always a highlight, the "big check" representing the value of volunteers' hard work.

Playing Around
But, it wasn’t all speeches and presentations.  Don Payne & Friends performed blue grass in the Pavilion, Madison Probst, a Charlottesville High School Senior with a lovely voice performed, as well.  And, Jim Morrison was a strolling fiddler who wandered the grounds throughout the morning,  filling the air with his lovely music.

What's a party without a fiddler!

All in all, it was a lovely day.  Martha Williams, Manager of Volunteer Services, along with my coworkers, Lorraine Bujold and Denise Barisonzi, did a wonderful job planning the event. (Sure, I’ll take some credit, but really, this was Martha’s day and she, as always, did a splendid job.) There were some glowing compliments from our guests.  JABA staff from other departments, including our talented kitchen staff, also assisted us the day of the event and to them we are grateful.

Like any party, it’s always good to have your favorite people gathered together, where you can visit with them in one place.  My main job yesterday was to float around and just make sure everything was flowing smoothly on the grounds.  I got to take lots of pictures and have some great chats with some of our volunteers.  I love hearing their stories and plan on sharing more of them here with you.  Like the 78-year-old grandmother who “did something” to her shoulder playing one-on-one basketball with her granddaughter.  She wanted me to know, she wasn’t just shooting, she was playing. 

That one left me chucking the rest of the afternoon.  I hope I’m still playing one-one-one when I’m her age.

(Becky took these photos, too. Thanks, Becky!)