COVA recognizes more than 150 volunteers
People from 14 nonprofits attend the annual awards luncheon at Berry.
Jay and Ginny Word took a curriculum from the National Institutes of Health and designed the Senior Surfers program — a free computer course for Medicare beneficiaries in Floyd and Polk counties.
For that, and other work with the GeorgiaCares chapter in Northwest Georgia, they were named Volunteers of the Year at the Rome COVA appreciation luncheon Tuesday.
“They’ve spent hours — hours and hours — getting it organized to help empower seniors to manage their healthcare online,” said Betty Schaaf, volunteer coordinator for the chapter.
More than 150 volunteers and managers from 14 local nonprofits attended the Council of Volunteer Administrators’ annual awards party at Berry College’s Krannert Ballroom.
“You can look around this room and see what a wonderful place Rome and Floyd County is to live, mostly because of all of you,” said speaker Amy Astin, director of volunteer services at Floyd Medical Center.
The event featured a buffet provided by Classic Fare Catering at Berry College, entertainment by the Dixie Stompers, donated door prizes and recognition of volunteers from 10 other groups:
Susan Little helps out with clerical work and fundraising at the Exchange Club Family Resource Center and connects families with sponsors during the club’s Christmas project.
Jackie Scott serves on the Floyd County Juvenile Court’s citizen review panel that assists in cases involving foster children.
Jamie Griffin has taken the lead in NAMI Rome’s Connections Recovery support group, a free, peer-led support group for adults living with mental illness.
Craig Duhamel is the construction manager for A Brush With Kindness, the house paint and repair program run by Habitat for Humanity — Coosa Valley Inc.
Ronald Monteith volunteers with DIGS Inc. teaching developmentally challenged adults woodworking to create garden art.
Morgan Andrews, a Berry senior who interned at Harbor House, helped children brought to the center and coordinating special projects for Child Abuse Prevention Month.
Jan Greene, a Compassionate Paws board member, takes her “pet partners” Kemme and JoJo to visit at nursing homes and mentors other pet partner teams.
Cathy Johnson volunteers
in the FMC gift shop, which raises money for the hospital’s neonatal ICU and serves as a therapeutic area for patients regaining mobility.
Bobbie Franklin and Ruth Brewer are bereavement care volunteers for Heyman Hospice Care, co-leading support groups and assisting families.
Urs Maire looks out for the interests of local foster children through the Floyd County CASA — court-appointed special advocates — program.