Twenty-Six Older Americans Honored for Volunteer
Work, Leadership
MetLife Foundation, National Association of Area
Agencies on Aging in seventh year of urging seniors to get involved in
their communities
Frank Iszak, 77,
Gold Honoree - Community Champion
May 12, 2009 – Earlier this month the 2009 Older
Volunteers Enrich America Awards were passed out to twenty-six older
volunteers by the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a).
The program sponsored by MetLife Foundation, now in its seventh year,
honors the exemplary contributions of older volunteers and promotes
volunteering among older adults nationwide.
The award-winning volunteers, who range in age from
56 to 89 years, were in Washington on May 1 to attend a ceremony in
their honor.
“Now more than ever, volunteers have a vital role
to play in strengthening communities,” said Dennis White, president and
CEO, MetLife Foundation. “We are pleased to join n4a in honoring 26
older volunteers who are making a difference and inspiring individuals
of all ages with their commitment and results.”
The award winners, selected by a "blue ribbon
panel," are recognized in three categories: Community Champion, which
honors those who use their time and talent to make their community a
better place to live; Mentor, which recognizes older volunteers who are
devoted to working with young people and their families; and Team
Spirit, which pays tribute to older volunteers who assist older adults.
Gold Honorees
The top award recipient in each category was
recognized as a Gold Honoree:
Frank Iszak, 77, of San Diego, California
earned top recognition in the Community Champion category.
Iszak founded the Silver Age Yoga Community
Outreach program (SAYCO), a yoga program for disadvantaged seniors. In
addition to improving the lives of seniors through free yoga classes,
SAYCO established a partnership with the Veteran’s Administration and
the University of California, San Diego to pilot a research project that
shows the positive impact of silver age yoga, which includes fall
prevention due to better balance.
He recruited more than 150 volunteers to teach
classes for seniors and also created a DVD titled “Yoga for Caregivers,”
designed to provide stress relief for caregivers.
Frank came to the U.S. as a political refugee from
Hungary in 1956 and considers his community outreach “his payment of
debt to America for the privilege of becoming part of this great
society.”
Robert “Bob” Burtwell, 79, of Venice,
Florida earned top recognition in the Mentor category for his ten
years of volunteer work at Laurel Nokomis School (K-8) and at a special
drop-out prevention program for at-risk mothers.
“Mr. Bob,” as he is called by his students, is a
“Master Gardener” and volunteers as a classroom assistant in the
horticulture class where he teaches kids to enjoy the earth.
At a local nursing and assisted living facility,
Burtwell and his students arranged planters that residents could enjoy
and take care of from their wheelchairs, a true intergenerational
experience. Robert is currently working on renovating a neglected
playground into a garden to attract and observe birds.
Beatriz (Betty) Marino, 69, of Portland,
Oregon earned top recognition in the Team Spirit category for her
600 hours of work to help more than 500 Medicare beneficiaries navigate
the process of getting access to their benefits.
Betty, who speaks fluent Spanish, began
volunteering in 2003 when Oregon suffered severe budget cuts that
resulted in hundreds of low-income seniors and people with disabilities
not being able to afford their medications. Her expertise in low-income
assistance and her knowledge of the complicated medical savings accounts
and high deductible plans saved lives and brought hope to people who had
run out of options.
Silver Honor Recipients
In addition to the Gold Honorees, 21 individuals
and one couple were chosen as the Silver Honorees for their outstanding
volunteer contributions.
Community Champion Category
Richard & Margery Armbrecht, 81, Hawkeye
Valley Area Agency on Aging Meal Program, Fredericksburg, Iowa; Charles E. Conklin, 72, Gunpowder Valley Conservancy, Glen Arm,
Maryland; Dorothy (Dotty) Cullen, 83, Cumberland County Office on Aging
RSVP, Vineland, New Jersey; Jeanette Glennon, 81, Meals on Wheels Volunteer Program, Staten
Island, New York; Alan Gurvis, 80, RSVP, Boynton Beach, Florida; Richard “Dick” Lundgren, 65, Alzheimer’s Association Volunteer
Program, Auburn, Washington; Charles A Strauss, 73, JABA’s Volunteer Services, Faber,
Virginia; Richard Tate, 72, SE WA Aging and Long Term Care Advisory
Council, Ellensburg, Washington.
Mentor Category
Gerald Spreen, 79, Post Falls School
District Mentoring Program, Post Falls, Idaho; Archie Thompson, 89, Foster Grandparent Program, Crescent City,
California.
Team Spirit Category
Alyce Alkire, 83, Rum River Interfaith
Caregivers, Inc., Milaca, Minnesota; Dennis J. Blome, 71, Shenandoah Area Retired and Senior Volunteer
Program, Front Royal, Virginia; Caren-Marie Bowman, 56, Medicare Counseling, Concord, New
Hampshire; Alan Chandler, 58, CVAA Volunteer Program, Milton, Vermont; Ronald Colvin, 65, Bergen County Senior Nutrition Program,
Hackensack, New Jersey; Martha Ford Gladden, 77, AARP Legal Counsel for the Elderly,
Washington, DC; Lois Gross, 70, Meals on Wheels of Central Maryland, Inc., Glen
Burnie, Maryland; Richard H. Hilton, 70, Southern Maine Agency on Aging Senior
Medicare Patrol, South Portland, Maine; Lena Nance, 68, RSVP of Greater Cleveland, Warrensville Heights,
Ohio; Particia A. Roach, 64, Money Management Program, Gloucester,
Massachusetts; Ron Throndson, 75, Somerset County Handyman Project, Bound Brook,
New Jersey; Elaine Zimny, 80, Kindness, Inc., Lakeview, Arkansas.
“The impact of volunteerism is always powerful,
but in these economic times, it is more significant than ever,” said
Sandy Markwood, CEO of n4a..
“States and localities are struggling to balance
their budgets and valuable programs that benefit our most vulnerable
citizens are being cut. Fortunately, there are thousands of volunteers
like our 26 honorees here in Washington today who are stepping in and
impacting lives.
“We are grateful that MetLife Foundation has made
it possible to recognize their inspirational work at a national level.”
All of the honorees received engraved gifts, and
the organizations that hosted the volunteers will receive monetary
awards.
Notes:
National Association of Area Agencies on Aging
(n4a) is the leading voice on aging issues for Area Agencies on Aging
(AAAs) across the country and a champion for Title VI Native American
aging programs. n4a’s primary mission is to build the capacity of its
members to help older persons and persons with disabilities live with
dignity and choices in their homes and communities for as long as
possible. (www.n4a.org)
MetLife Foundation was established by MetLife in
1976 to carry on its longstanding tradition of corporate contributions
and community involvement. Grants support health, education, civic and
cultural programs throughout the United States. For more information
about the Foundation, visit
www.metlife.org.
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