This is a press release from Beverly L. Mancuso, executive director Cornell Cooperative Extension of Genesee County:
National Volunteer Week 2010 is April 18-24. This year's theme, "Celebrating People in Action," honors those who dedicate themselves to taking action and bettering their communities.
It’s also about inspiring, recognizing and encouraging people to seek out imaginative ways to engage in their communities — to put themselves at the center of social change. It’s about demonstrating to the nation that by working together, we can meet our challenges and accomplish our goals. National Volunteer Week is about...discovering and actively demonstrating our collective power to promote positive transformation
Established in 1974, National Volunteer Week has grown exponentially in scope each year, drawing the support and endorsement of all subsequent U.S. presidents, governors and other respected elected officials, including our own Genesee County Legislature. National Volunteer Week embodies the energy and power volunteers evoke on a daily basis as they lead by example — not only encouraging the people they help, but motivating others to serve as well.
Well-known humorist and author Erma Bombeck is quoted as saying “Volunteers are the only human beings on the face of the Earth who reflect this nation’s compassion, unselfish caring, patience and just plain love for one another.”
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Genesee County is one of the many organizations that depend on volunteers every day. For almost 100 years, we have counted on thousands of volunteers as we provide programming throughout our community, To each and every one of you, thank you – whether Agriculture, Board, 4-H, Leadership Genesee, Master Gardeners, Nutrition, each and every program we have been fortunate enough to provide over the years, please know that we could never do it without you. In these challenging economic times, it is more important than ever to realize, recognize and remember our volunteers.
I would like to take this opportunity to recognize Denise Chatt on her nomination for the 2010 New York State 4-H Salute to Excellence Volunteer of the Year award. Thank you, Denise, for sharing your time, talent and efforts and for living the 4-H motto “To Make the Best Better." Denise received honorable mention for efforts in the 4-H program in Genesee County, and will be one of a dozen 4-H Volunteers of the Day at the 2010 New York State Fair.
Let me close by once again thanking all our volunteers, and all volunteers throughout Genesee County. Thank you one and all for sharing your time, talent and efforts in furthering our mission. You truly do make a difference.
