Meet the Volunteer Manager Finalists!
Each year, Nevada Volunteers is overwhelmed by the amount of nominations and the inspiring stories submitted for the Governor’s Points of Light Awards. Our distinguished panel of judges selected the following three finalists for this year. These three individuals will be honored at the awards luncheon on January 18, 2013, and the recipient of the category will be announced. Congratulations to the finalists and thank you for your service to our communities!
Volunteer Manager Finalists for the
2013 Governor’s Points of Light Awards
Sharon Harding (Las Vegas)
Sharon Harding, Volunteer Program Coordinator, oversees the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department’s Metro Volunteer Program (MVP), which currently has over 450 volunteers. During the last fiscal year MVP volunteers contributed 157,000 hours of service. A large portion of their successful is due to Sharon’s follow up with volunteers to make sure that they are well trained and happy in the areas that they are serving.
In the ten years that Sharon Harding has mentored the Program, the number of volunteers and hours of service have continued to increase dramatically. As an example of that success, this year the Program was awarded the Police Department Volunteer Program of the Year by the International Association of Chiefs of Police. Sharon is continually looking for ways to improve and expand the Program within community partners and cross-generational.
Dustin Rains (Las Vegas)
Dustin has always been an exemplary volunteer in his community, but began to shine brightly over the last year or so when he was hired at the Spell out! African Community Center as their Resource Developer and Volunteer Manager. He revamped the entire volunteer program, rewriting the manual and job descriptions, creating applications to screen volunteers, and installing the care and compassion that every volunteer deserves.
The ECDC African Community Center relies on volunteers to be community mentors and assist with everyday tasks. The Community Mentor Program, created by Dustin, is unique. Members of the community are paired up with a refugee individual or a family, one that speaks the opposite language. Dustin started the program this way for several reasons; because by using non-verbal communication. the actions of teaching clients everyday tasks, being compassionate, understanding the needs and wants, makes both the client and volunteer want to succeed. In this way, they grow in understanding each other and they both learn at the same time.
Dorothy Zucker (Las Vegas)
When Dorothy Zucker retired and became a volunteer at Desert Springs Hospital in 1997, she was assigned to the emergency room desk and later worked in the gift shop. She became very active with the Auxiliary Board of Directors, serving as Treasurer for four years, and as President of the Auxiliary for four years. She was responsible for establishing the Hospital Chapel and Memorial Gardens. Six years ago Dorothy stepped up from volunteer to employee as the Volunteer Manager at the Desert Springs Hospital. She is responsible for scheduling 267 volunteers which includes adults, teens, chaplains, pet therapists, and pastors. She also oversees the operation of the gift shop with purchasing and everyday activities, and acts as the hospital liaison to the ten member Auxiliary Board of Directors.
Not only has she contributed to the volunteer program through her recruitment process, but she also makes it her mission to provide assistance and service to the Desert Springs Hospital employees, patients, families.
Interested in finding out who becomes the recipient of the Governor’s Points of Light Award in the Rural Nevada Individual category? Click here for more information!
