News : Local Citizens Receive Recognition at Governor's Volunteer Award

Blairstown Ambulance crew receiving recognition from Governor Reynolds for their work

The following organization and individuals from Benton County and the surrounding area, will receive a Governor's Volunteer Award from Governor Kim Reynolds and Lt. Governor Adam Gregg during a special recognition ceremony held Tuesday, June 25th in Ankeny:

Blairstown Ambulance - Nominated by Janet Niebuhr

Jim Hessenius, Atkins - Nominated by Teresa Barnes for his work as a Court Appointed Special Advocate for neglected and abused children. CASA.

Chelsea Koeppen, Vinton - Nominated by Mia Dean with Volunteer Iowa for her exceptional work with AmeriCorps VISTA Iowa. Her significant project involved initiating a mentor/mentee program at Vinton-Shellsburg elementary schools, which has made a meaningful impact on the community.

Wendy Riggle, La Porte City - Nominated by Laurel Degelau, Volunteer Coordinator with the Iowa Veterans Home.  Riggle volunteers as the American Legion Auxiliary Hospital Rep which involves coordinating activities between the residents at IVH and the ALA. 

The following individuals were honored with an  individual Length of Service Award:

Melissa (Mel) Davis, Vinton, 5 Years of Service nominated by Teresa Barnes with the Foster Care Review Board, in recognition of 5 years of service with CASA-Benton County.

Lillian McGivern, Keystone, 30 Years of Service

Jeanne Mullen, LaPorte City, 5 Years of Service

More than 400 awards are being presented this year. It is estimated that over 85 communities in Iowa were served by this year's honorees.

"Those being recognized are the people who invest in others without expecting anything in return-except, of course, for the fulfillment that comes from doing their part to give back to their community," said Gov. Kim Reynolds. "This collective impact is nothing short of remarkable."

Coordinated by Volunteer Iowa, a bureau within the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (Iowa HHS), the Governor's Volunteer Award program-now in its 40th year-provides an easy way for Iowa nonprofits, charitable organizations, and government entities to honor their volunteers with a prestigious, state-level award. More information is available at volunteeriowa.org.

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About Volunteer Iowa

Volunteer Iowa-a bureau within Iowa HHS--and its partner agencies work with organizations and individuals on three main fronts. The first is to help agencies develop quality programs that use service as a strategy to fulfill their missions and address Iowa's greatest areas of need. The second is to help engage Iowans in their communities by promoting service and expanding the volunteer base. Finally, the third area of work is to connect individuals with appropriate service opportunities by building volunteer infrastructure. More information is available at volunteeriowa.org.