VERGENNES — In June, RSVP and the Volunteer Center of the United Way held its annual Volunteer Recognition Luncheon at the American Legion in Vergennes. One hundred thirty volunteers gathered to be honored for their service to local nonprofit organizations.
Virginia Wolf of Leicester received her 40th anniversary award; Marion Werner of Middlebury was presented with an engraved pewter plate recognizing her 20 years of volunteer service; Dot Dunham of Orwell and Ann Folger of Waltham accepted their 15th anniversary engraved key chains; and Helen Vrooman, Nancy Orvis, Mona Rogers, Jean Andrews, Connie Bumbeck and Lois Higbee received certificates of appreciation for their 10 years of service as members of RSVP.
Sixty Addison County businesses and individuals contributed door prizes to be distributed to the volunteers. Golden Russet Farm provided lovely flowering plants for each of the tables, and Hannaford supermarket and Carly Newton from the Hannaford Career Center made delicious sheet cakes for dessert. Monument Farms donated several gallons of ice cream. Middlebury Sweets, Maple Grove Farms, Champlain Chocolates and Otter Creek Bakery donated delicious candies and cookies for the party favor bags.
Other donated items included a pewter oil lamp, handmade quilts, a strawberry rhubarb pie, a big jar of honey, flowering plants, a hand-carved wooden figurine, lovely hand-knitted items and countless gift certificates to local stores and restaurants totaling $410.
We would like to express our sincere appreciation to the following individuals and businesses for their continued support of our volunteers:Porter Knight, for her inspiring keynote speech; Tim Guiles, for his extraordinary piano playing; and all our generous donors.
We would also like to recognize the following nonagenarians who were honored for their outstanding continued service as RSVP volunteers:
Mary Baker, Genevieve Baldwin, Linda Burdett, Ann Cassidy, Betty Corvan, Mabel Cyr, Nancy Diemand, Dina Edelman, Marjorie Freeman, Alice Griswold, Doris Hayden, Shirley Karnes, Arnold Lattrell, Alice Lauritsen, John Lenk, Irene Meehan, Bill Niles, Agnes Novak, Lois Osgood, Bertha Perron, Adele Pierce, Peg Rood, Helen Ryan, Katie Schmidt, Lenore Shewell, Marie Shortsleeve, Bonnie Solomon, Lois Thurber, Mayneal Wayland and Virginia Wolf.
Thank you to all of the volunteers in our community who have made a difference throughout the years.
Editor’s note: This article was contributed by Serena Guiles and Lynn Bosworth of Addison County RSVP and the Volunteer Center.