Six Middle Tennesseans were honored for outstanding volunteer work today at Hands On Nashville’s 25th annual Mary Catherine Strobel Volunteer Awards presented by HCA/TriStar.
• Heather Cain – Volunteer Innovator Award presented by CMT One Country
• Itzel Gonzalez – Youth Volunteer Award presented by Baptist Healing Trust
• Dr. Lucien Simpson – Community Impact Award presented by C3 Consulting
• Nike Factory Store – Corporate Service Project Award presented by Emdeon
• Luree Rowan – Direct Service Award presented by McNeely Pigott & Fox Public Relations
• Harpeth Bike Club – Civic Volunteer Group Award presented by U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Co.
More than 700 volunteers and agency representatives attended the luncheon and ceremony at the Marriott Cool Springs Conference Center. The annual event, founded by Ford Motor Company, recognizes volunteers for their outstanding contributions to the community.
The six award recipients were selected from a group of 18 finalists and 92 nominees. Following is a list of award recipients in each category and a brief description of the volunteer work for which they are recognized. To read the full bios of award recipients and finalists, please visit www.hon.org.
Volunteer Innovator Award presented by CMT One Country recognizes someone who has responded creatively to an unmet need in his or her community by designing a volunteer program, practice or response or by adding innovation to an existing program or agency.
• Heather Cain has been named the 2011 recipient of the Volunteer Innovator Award for her work with Nations Ministry Center in developing a program for refugee preschool children, focusing on teaching English and basic social skills. The program began with 12 children and has grown in the past four years. It is now staffed with more than 40 weekly volunteers and 80 part-time volunteers. They have served more than 45 refugees.
Youth Volunteer Award presented by Baptist Healing Trust recognizes a young person, age 5 to 22, who incorporates volunteerism into his or her life and serves as an inspiration to others.
• Itzel Gonzalez has been named the 2011 recipient of the Youth Volunteer Award for her work as a certified peer educator through the Nashville CARES Survivor Club. Gonzalez was instrumental in organizing the Glencliff Health Fair, one of the first HIV counseling and testing events held in association with Metro Nashville Public Schools that connected more than 250 individuals with vital health resources. Gonzalez also organized another abstinence and HIV testing event reaching more than 400 youth in the Antioch area.
Community Impact Award presented by C3 Consulting recognizes someone who is involved in a variety of activities or is deeply engaged in the operation or administration of one agency.
• Dr. Lucien Simpson has been named the 2011 recipient of the Community Impact Award for his continued volunteerism within the Nashville community. As a Red Cross volunteer, Simpson regularly delivers donated blood to medical facilities around Nashville. Simpson works with Room In The Inn and Otter Creek Church of Christ, serving as an overnight host for individuals seeking shelter. Simpson reads weekly to at-risk preschoolers at Wayne Read Center, where he serves on the board of directors. He also serves as a volunteer dermatologist at Faith Family Clinic. In addition, Simpson volunteers for Habitat for Humanity and has provided medical assistance on mission trips to Kenya and South America.
Corporate Service Project Award presented by Emdeon recognizes initiatives developed and completed by a corporate business group to impact a specific cause, issue or service agency. The group must exhibit creative approaches to problem-solving and improving the community.
• Nike Factory Store has been named the 2011 recipient of the Corporate Service Project Award for its commitment to Metro Nashville Public Schools and the Nashville community. After the May 2010 flood, Nike laundered 45,000 pieces of clothing to make available to Metro students, employees and their families. For 12 hours, the Nike Factory Store held a free shopping event at McGavock Elementary School to provide more than 4,000 flood victims with 10 articles of clothing, six pairs of socks and a Nike bag. Over the past 10 years, the Nike Factory Store has worked with McGavock Elementary to provide financial support, athletic equipment and employee volunteers who work as mentors and tutors.
Direct Service Award presented by McNeely Pigott & Fox Public Relations recognizes someone who participates in hands-on, direct service with an agency’s constituents.
• Luree Rowan has been named the 2011 recipient of the Direct Service Award for her continued work as one of the original volunteers of the Shopping Bag program at Bethlehem Centers of Nashville. For 25 years, Rowan has helped residents from the Watkins Park neighborhood obtain clothes through the Shopping Bag program, while providing encouragement and support to the homeless.
Civic Volunteer Group Award presented by U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Co. recognizes a civic, membership, congregation or noncorporate group that volunteers together. The group must exhibit an exemplary approach to problem-solving and improving the community.
• Harpeth Bike Club has been named the 2011 recipient of the Civic Volunteer Group Award for its work in providing blind individuals the opportunity to ride bikes, through volunteer riding captains and donated cycling gear and tandem bicycles. Harpeth Bike Club’s continual work has opened the doors for disabled riders to participate in the annual Harpeth River Ride, a nationally recognized road ride offering courses ranging from 20 to 100 miles. Harpeth Bike Club has also welcomed other disabled riders, including injured war veterans and amputees.
The Mary Catherine Strobel Volunteer Awards are a program of Hands On Nashville. Event sponsors include: presenting sponsor, HCA/TriStar; founding sponsor, Ford Motor Company; award sponsors and event partner, Baptist Healing Trust, C3 Consulting, CMT One Country, Emdeon, McNeely Pigott & Fox Public Relations, Volunteer Tennessee and U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Co.; print media sponsors, Nashville Business Journal and Jive! Digital Print Factory; and table and event sponsors, Avondale Partners, LLC, Benefit Brokers, Deloitte, The Dorothy Cate and Thomas F. Frist Foundation, Franklin Marriott Cool Springs, Hands On Nashville board of directors, The Listening Room Cafe, Mars Petcare U.S., NewsChannel 5, Nike Factory Store, Regions Bank, Seigenthaler Public Relations and Tennessee Valley Authority.
About the Mary Catherine Strobel Awards
The Mary Catherine Strobel Volunteer Awards are named in memory of the late Mary Catherine Strobel, known for her extensive and charitable efforts toward improving the lives of Middle Tennessee’s homeless, impoverished and less fortunate populations. The annual awards ceremony celebrates Strobel’s service and recognizes those who continue her legacy.
About Hands On Nashville
Hands On Nashville is Middle Tennessee’s volunteer resource agency. Hands On Nashville creates and manages opportunities for adults, families, teens, children and companies to transform their world through volunteer service. Hands On Nashville challenges everyone to find a way to give back and to … Be the Change. Volunteer. To find out how, check out www.hon.org or call 298-1108.
Luree Rowan, the 2011 recipient of the Direct Service Award for her continued work as one of the original volunteers of the Shopping Bag program at Bethlehem Centers of Nashville, stands with Keith Miles, Mike Pigott, and Brian Williams, executive director of Hands On Nashville, at Hands On Nashville’s 25th annual Mary Catherine Strobel Volunteer Awards presented by HCA/TriStar.
