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More than 200 volunteers gathered together on Main Street at The Village in celebration and recognition of their service to Waveny throughout the year.
“As I look around this room, I see a diverse group of individuals who have made a decision to serve,” said Rebecca Albrecht, director of human resources for Waveny.
More than 80 active Waveny volunteers were recognized for service-hour milestones ranging from 50 to 5,500 hours. In addition to recognizing hours of service, 13 volunteers received awards commemorating their anniversaries of 5, 10, 15, 20, 35 and 40 years of service at Waveny. A special honor was given to Waveny’s longest-serving volunteer, Fiz Tomaselli, for marking four decades of service as Waveny celebrated its 40th anniversary April 22.
Specially recognized for their volunteer service in beautifying Waveny were the New Canaan Garden Club, the Beautification League, The Gardeners, the PEO group, the Tuesday Ladies, New Canaan Florist Garden & Gifts and the Stamford Garden Club.
“Being connected makes us feel purposeful in our world and service brings with it a deep sense of connection,” said Debbie Perron, director of volunteers for Waveny. “Waveny becomes our extended family and there is no better feeling than when a resident asks ‘when are you coming back dear?’ You are all living proof of what happiness research reveals: That close relationships and service boost our well-being.”
Following additional words of thanks from Todd Lampert, Waveny board vice-chairman and Bill Piper, Waveny’s CEO, awards were presented to volunteers for their outstanding service-hour milestones including:
- 5,500 hours of service – Catherine Hollstein
- 3,900 hours of service – Fiz Tomaselli
- 3,250 hours of service – Lila Coleman and Dominique Gredoni
- 3,000 hours of service – Marion Blose and Alice Widen
- 1,750 hours of service – Sheila McMann
- 1,500 hours of service – Joan Hopkins and Chris Snell
- 1,250 hours of service – Judy Gilroy and Denise Widen
- 1,000 hours of service – Rita Stone
To see all of the volunteers and organizations recognized, visit http://www.waveny.org/about/waveny-in-the-news.html?id=842.
The awards ceremony marked the mid-point of a week-long celebration in honor of National Volunteer Appreciation Week, which was themed “Volunteers: A Work of Heart."
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