Governor’s Outstanding Volunteer Awards ceremony set Oct. 24

Almost two dozen individuals and groups will be honored with the 2018 Governor’s Outstanding Volunteer Awards during a ceremony and reception starting at 5 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 24, at Dover Downs Hotel. The recipients will be recognized for significant contributions, engagement and impact in diverse activities including mentoring children, supporting people with disabilities, protecting the environment, and assisting seniors, homeless people, and veterans.

“Each day across our state, thousands of volunteers come together with the common purpose to make a difference in the lives of the people they serve,” said Gov. John Carney. “Those volunteers don’t ask for anything in return, because they know in helping others, they enhance their own lives. We appreciate all those who volunteer their time and talents in Delaware, and it is my privilege to honor 23 individuals and groups with the 2018 Governor’s Outstanding Volunteer Award.”

The Governor’s Outstanding Volunteer Awards, administered by the State Office of Volunteerism, honor the contributions of individuals and groups in Delaware that have made a positive impact in their communities or across the state through service and volunteering. The SOV reports that 17,815 Delaware adults volunteered their time in 2017 through VolunteerDelaware.org, contributing more than 700,000 hours of service to nonprofits and community organizations. The value of their service is estimated at more than $17.4 million. 

Individual winners in Sussex County are Jason Bakke, Arts/Culture; Teresa Salinardo, Community Service; and William F. Jiron Jr., Veterans and Military Families.

Bakke has been volunteering since age 12 for the Zwaanendael Museum in Lewes, a showcase for the area’s maritime, military and social history. He has served as an educator, interpreter, researcher, program developer and performer, and has helped museum staff expand its outreach into Sussex County. In 2017 alone, Bakke volunteered more than 100 hours of service.

Salinardo has been serving her community for more than 50 years. Currently, she volunteers at the Freeman Stage in Selbyville, and also donates her time and talents to Easterseals, the Christian Storehouse Thrift House, Catholic Charities and her local church. In addition, she has served as a foster parent to newborns until they are adopted. 

As an Air Force retiree of 21 years and former Department of Defense contractor, Jiron understands the many challenges that face veterans. In 2008, he opened the Veterans’ Awareness Center in Greenwood with a mission to help all Delaware veterans achieve independence and self-sufficiency through access to information and services. The VAC provides resources for employment, educational benefits, emergency funding referrals and personalized self-help programs. Jiron is also active in several other organizations focused on veterans.

Sussex County group winners are Fort Miles Historical Association, Arts/Culture; Common Thread, Economic Development; MERR Institute volunteers, Environment; First State Senior Companion Program volunteers, Healthy Futures; and American Legion Auxiliary Oak Orchard-Riverdale Unit 20, Veterans & Military Families.

In 2003, the Fort Miles Historical Association was founded to work with Delaware State Parks and Cape Henlopen State Park to develop the potential of Fort Miles to share the rich history of Delaware’s role in coastal defense. Volunteers help educate the public by speaking at community meetings, taking part in historically accurate restoration efforts, participating in community events promoting the museum, and offering volunteer opportunities to other community groups such as the Boy Scouts and church groups.

Common Thread is a group of 10 women from Eagle’s Nest Church in Milton who provide new Sussex County Habitat for Humanity homeowners and families with baskets of hand-sewn and quilted items for their homes. Since its founding in 2015, Common Thread has served more than 40 Habitat for Humanity families in Sussex County. Over the past year, 14 new homeowners were presented with gift baskets filled by Common Thread volunteers who learn about each Habitat partner family to better understand their personal needs. 

The Marine Education, Research & Rehabilitation Institute Inc. is a public, nonprofit volunteer-based organization. With one paid staff person and 420 trained volunteers, MERR operates throughout Delaware and, in 2017, responded to 232 stranded marine animals including whales, porpoises, seals, manatees and sea turtles. These volunteers include schoolchildren, teachers, retirees and local business people. Through their efforts, MERR saves the state of Delaware more than $450,000 annually.

First State Senior Companion Program volunteers, ages 55 and up, provide assistance and friendship to older adults in Delaware; their efforts include personal care, nutrition, social care, home management, information and advocacy, respite and transportation. The program helps clients remain independent in their homes and communities instead of having to move to institutional care. In 2017, 67 program volunteers served 138 clients and volunteered more than 75,000 hours, saving Delawareans $1.7 million for in-home, non-medical care fees. More than 90 percent of clients reported that they increased social ties and social support via their senior companions.

The mission of the American Legion Auxiliary is to serve veterans, the military and military families, and to support the community with a commitment to the principles of justice, freedom, democracy and loyalty. In 2017, the American Legion Auxiliary Oak Orchard-Riverdale Unit 20 recorded more than 20,000 hours of volunteer service benefiting hundreds of veterans, military, and their families and community residents. Efforts included blood drives, flu shot clinics, school book fairs, academic scholarships for graduating high school students, ice cream socials for veterans at local nursing homes, and working with Wreaths Across America to provide wreaths at the Delaware Veterans Cemetery in Millsboro.

For more information, go to www.volunteerdelaware.org. For complete details on award winners, go to news.delaware.gov and search for “2018 governor's volunteer awards ceremony.”