Spirit of Volunteerism winners announced

May 10, 2019

Six organizations and individuals have been honored with Spirit of Volunteerism Awards from the Helpline Center.

There were 84 nominees for the 36th annual awards.

The  winners are:

Youth Volunteer Award: Grace Bowar for her involvement in the Best Buddy program in Brandon Valley High School. Her interest in helping individuals with a disability stems from having a brother with Down Syndrome. Bowar identifies with how important inclusion is, that everyone needs a friend and we are all more alike than different.

Up and Coming Volunteer Award: Sharon Jorde for volunteering as a foster mom. She has remained at the youngest child’s bedside during an unexpected viral illness, which kept the child hospitalized for over 40 days. Jorde has been this child’s daily champion, caregiver and constant encourager. By volunteering to become a foster mom, Jorde provided the extra love and devotion this child needed for recovery.

Shining Bright Volunteer Award: Dawn Stephens for volunteering 272 hours in 2018, giving back $10,000 to nonprofit organizations in the Sioux Empire through the Wellmark Blues Care Giving program, which financially matches the hours employees volunteer. Stephens has served the homeless and those who have food insecurities. She has coordinated distribution of art supplies and assists at Cleveland Elementary.

Lifetime Volunteer Award: Linda Schulte for her service with the Road to Recovery program as a volunteer driver through the American Cancer Society. Schulte lost her husband to pancreatic cancer, and after going through that she said, “I couldn’t save him but maybe I can help others who are going through cancer treatments.” She also volunteers weekly at Avera in the NICU rocking babies, at Prairie Center Cancer Institute Lab registering patients and at the Avera Family Health Center.

Group Category: Call to Freedom Volunteer Administrative Team for providing invaluable day-to-day support in assisting staff with various projects and supporting the efforts made daily to serve their clients. The administrative volunteer team fills the organizational gaps so funding can go toward serving survivors of human trafficking. The team works as administrative support, assisting with social media and marketing, and organizing an annual fundraiser to bring more awareness to the issue of human trafficking.

Corporate Humanitarian Category: Celebrate Community Church for launching a bold vision to assist the students and families at Terry Redlin Elementary. Celebrate members and staff give 150 hours each month, impacting lives as they serve as consistent, kind and compassionate mentors. They also volunteer time in classrooms, help with school events and provide additional resources for a school that needs a little extra support and help.

Want to stay in the know?

Get our free business news delivered to your inbox.



Spirit of Volunteerism winners announced

Six organizations and individuals have been honored with Spirit of Volunteerism Awards from the Helpline Center.

News Tip

Have a business news item to share with us?

Scroll to top