Red Cross volunteers feted

Five volunteers with the American Red Cross Solano County, as well as the leadership team, were among those honored by the Red Cross in a virtual event hosted earlier this month that celebrated the nonprofit's regional volunteers.

The recognition honors volunteers from Solano, Sonoma, Napa and Marin counties who dedicate many hours in service to the Red Cross and their local communities.

“The time and energy volunteers dedicate each day makes the work of the Red Cross possible,” Jeff Baumgartner, Red Cross North Bay Chapter executive director, said in a statement. “This past year, 452 dedicated North Bay Chapter volunteers contributed more than 22,955 hours to support the mission of the Red Cross. They continue to work tirelessly to ensure families in our North Bay communities will not face the next emergency alone.”

The awards given to local volunteers were:

• Disaster Cycle Services — Extraordinary Commitment and Dedication Award — Ken and Paula Blackshear (Solano), Hilary King (Marin), Linda Schill (Sonoma)

• Disaster Cycle Services — Leadership Award — Ann Eichhorn (Marin), Jody Kimbrel (Solano), Cindy Jones (Sonoma)

• Biomedical Services — Donor Ambassador Program — Kathleen Olsen (Sonoma)

• New Volunteer Award — Laura Mohoff (Sonoma), Laura Ryan-Adler (Marin)

• Community Engagement Award — Kay Tsenin (Marin), Nanette Shamieh (Solano), Thom Kuk (Sonoma)

• Teamwork and Collaboration Award — Solano Leadership Team

• Organizational Support Award — Dave Simmons (Sonoma)

• Youth Services Award — Lydia Zhou (Napa)

• “Gene Beck Memorial” Volunteer of the Year Award — Merilee Guillory (Sonoma), Alisa Zhou (Marin), Pamela Ingram (Solano)

• Service to the Armed Forces — Janis Dmytriw (Solano)

Additionally, Angela Hunt of the Napa and Sonoma chapters received the Clara Barton Award for Meritorious Leadership, which recognizes a volunteer for their years of service in various leadership positions.

“Hunt dedicates many hours each year as the Workforce Engagement Team Lead for Napa and Sonoma Counties,” officials wrote in a news release. “She also serves as a team lead on the Local Response Management Team and the Napa-Sonoma Disaster Deployment Team. Always on the lookout for responders who are available to be assigned to both local and national disasters, Hunt helps train new volunteers on what to expect during deployments. When disasters occur, she also jumps in to help with staff services. Her professionalism, generosity, wisdom and guidance are unmatched.”

Marcia Antipa of Marin County was also honored with the Regional Volunteer of the Year Award, which recognizes volunteer contributions made throughout the 2021 calendar year that go above and beyond what is expected. It is the highest honor and volunteer achievement bestowed by the region, per the news release.

“Antipa is a communications volunteer but also devotes time and effort to supporting other departments,” officials wrote. “She regularly writes blog entries for the Northern California Coastal Region, fields interviews on various Red Cross topics and is dedicated to telling the Red Cross story. She is a valued member of the team, and her personality and dedication inspires many.”