National Volunteer Week recognized

Posted: Tuesday, April 17, 2012 3:48 pm

By Margot Seay
Special to The Press
 It’s National Volunteer Week, and since we live in the “Volunteer State,” we want to take a few moments to recognize the amazing work that so many of you are doing throughout Tennessee.
Thank you for helping your neighbors. Thank you for improving your communities. Thank you for helping our state continue to earn the reputation that we first got 200 years ago — during the War of 1812 — when so many Tennesseans signed up for service that we first became known as the “Volunteer State.”
Do you know someone who deserves recognition for making a significant difference?
Think about people you’ve worked with on volunteer projects, folks you’ve heard about from friends, those you’ve read about in your local newspaper. What about you?
Please let us know.
We are seeking nominations for the 2012 AARP Tennessee Andrus Award for Community Service.
The award honors AARP founder Ethel Percy Andrus, whose motto “to serve, not to be served” continues to shape our work 54 years after she founded this association to help older Americans age with dignity and purpose.
The awards recognize unique older individuals who are doing amazing things to help their communities and are serving as an inspiration to others.
Some potential nominees are the hundreds of AARP volunteers who help folks with their taxes, teach safe driving skills, fight hunger and advocate on behalf of 50+ Tennesseans. Others are individuals who saw a need in the community and committed themselves to filling it.
We are particularly pleased that nominations are open for any Tennessee volunteer who is age 50 or older — not just AARP members.
And there’s more than prestige and a nice trophy on the line. There’s a purse totaling $5,000 for the top three nominees to designate to their charities of choice!
“The best part about winning the Andrus Award — which in itself was a great surprise and honor — was the donation that was made to Juniors House Child Advocacy Center,” 2011 winner Mary Ann Meyer-Schuck says.
“It was very generous of AARP to help a very deserving charity.”
AARP Tennessee will give $2,500 to an eligible non-profit organization chosen by the state Andrus winner, while the top two runners-up will receive $1,500 and $1,000, respectively, for their charities of choice.
Nomination forms are available from Stacy Pennington in the AARP Tennessee office at 615-726-5116 or spennington@aarp.org. You also can call 1-888-OUR-AARP (1-888-687-2277) or apply online at www.aarp.org/tn (Go to the story with the headline “Nominate Inspiring Volunteers.”)
Nominations will be accepted through June 1.
So please take a moment during this “National Volunteer Week” to think of people who are doing great work — but may not be getting the recognition they deserve. Isn’t it time to change that?
Editor’s note: Margot Seay is AARP Tennessee’s highest-ranking volunteer and embodies the giving spirit of AARP founder Ethel Percy Andrus, according to the organization. Published in The WCP 4.17.18