American Red Cross of Georgia Honors Volunteers
The annual event is usually held in person and hosted by the eight Red Cross chapters in Georgia but will be streamed online this year as a statewide celebration due to COVID-19.
“Our volunteers are crucial to our mission,” said Holly Winner, Executive Director of the Central Midwest Chapter of the American Red Cross of Georgia. “It’s so important that we thank them and recognize their contributions to our organization and those we serve, even if that looks a little different this year.”
The event will recognize the 4,229 registered Red Cross volunteers in Georgia, and the 374,102 hours they served in fiscal year 2020. Their donated time, valued at twenty-five dollars per hour, equates to an amazing 9.7 million dollars in services that helped prevent and alleviate human suffering in local communities.
The following 26 volunteers and partners from Central Midwest Georgia, nominated by their peers, will be honored for their outstanding contributions to Red Cross during the virtual event:
American Red Cross of Georgia Volunteer Honorees
(FY20 Chapter locations of honorees are listed in parentheses)
Blood Drive Coordinator of The Year
Presented to a volunteer who fosters innovative relationships between his/her organization(s) and the Red Cross and contributes to priorities around safe blood products and a strengthened blood program.
- Teresa Krizay (LaGrange, LaGrange Academy)
Blood Services Volunteer of the Year
Presented to a Blood Services volunteer with exemplary leadership skills who has volunteered for at least one year and made an outstanding contribution to Blood Services and the community.
- Annie Bowden (Central Midwest)
Board Leadership Award
Recognizes a board member who has provided significant and outstanding service on the Red Cross Board of Directors, contributing to the success of the local chapter.
- Dawn Ware (LaGrange)
- Lee Gerdes (Macon)
Disaster Action Team Member of the Year
Presented to a Disaster Action Team (DAT) member who has gone above and beyond when called to respond in the past year and shown standout performance in willingness to serve clients.
- John New (LaGrange)
- Virlynn Sanders (Macon)
Disaster Recovery Award
Presented to a two-plus year volunteer who shows exceptional initiative in identifying and/or meeting the Disaster Cycle Service Recovery mission. Recipient demonstrates skills for recruiting, motivating and coordinating others in support of Red Cross casework and displays cultural awareness, sensitivity and creativity in reaching diverse groups.
- Pam Gabel (LaGrange)
- Karen Sauer (Macon)
Disaster Response Award
Presented to a two-plus year volunteer who demonstrates exceptional initiative in identifying and/or meeting the Disaster Cycle Service Response mission. Recipient helps maintain Red Cross readiness by skillfully recruiting, motivating, and coordinating a sufficient number of employees, volunteers and groups reflective of the community as disaster responders, and demonstrates cultural awareness, sensitivity and creativity in reaching diverse audiences.
- Jamie Huff (LaGrange)
Good Neighbor Award
Recognizes an organization that has partnered with the Red Cross to raise awareness of the Red Cross mission and expand the scope of communities the Red Cross is able to serve.
- Martha Ann McCarthy – Upson County EMA (Thomaston)
- Chief Stoner, EMA Director/Houston County Fire Chief (Warner Robins)
Rookie of the Year Award
Recognizes a new volunteer who has shown outstanding performance in their volunteer role during their first year.
- Stephen Alligood (LaGrange)
- Megan Jones (Macon)
Service to the Armed Forces Award
Presented to a volunteer who demonstrates innovative and extraordinary efforts in meeting the needs of Red Cross Armed Forces customers served at the local, national or international level. Recipient’s performance and collaboration reflects positively on the Red Cross, heightens the commitment of others to the Service to the Armed Forces program and advances the organization’s goals for diversity.
- Robins Air Force Base SAF Team (Warner Robins)
Exceptional Volunteer Service Award
Demonstrated exceptional performance and extensive personal commitment to specific service or project that has contributed to the improvement or expansion of Red Cross services to the community.
- Tom Bulifant (LaGrange)
- Ron Holland (LaGrange)
- Sandra Johnson (LaGrange)
- Linda DeVane (Macon)
- Irena Etheridge (Macon)
- Kim Sanders (Macon)
Volunteer Leadership Award
Presented to a volunteer who has sustained outstanding leadership for a number of years while meeting increasingly challenging responsibilities and advancing the organization’s goal of achieving the total diversity of our people, programs, and services.
- Doodle Eubanks (LaGrange)
- Robert Williams (Macon)
Volunteer Services Award
Presented to a volunteer with exceptional skills in recruiting, motivating, and/or coordinating employees, volunteers or groups in sufficient numbers to support Red Cross readiness while helping to ensure that our workforce is growing more reflective of the communities it serves.
- Teri Totten (LaGrange)
- Mary Thrower (Macon)
Clara Barton Volunteer Leadership Award
Our highest honor, presented to a volunteer who has served in a number of leadership positions over the years, lending their personal expertise to help the Red Cross contribute valuable services to the community. Recipient demonstrates leadership in identifying and assessing organizational concerns; implementing effective solutions and providing constructive guidance to the Red Cross workforce.
- Yvonne Arment (LaGrange)
- Wanda Williams (Macon)
More volunteers are always needed to carry out the Red Cross mission. Anyone interested in becoming a Red Cross Volunteer can visit redcross.org to learn more about volunteer opportunities and how to submit a volunteer application.
About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.
