CONTACT: Mikayla Collins
Mikayla@volunteernh.org
603-271-7200
CONCORD, NH – Volunteers and volunteer champions from across the Granite State are receiving well-deserved recognition for their efforts this month during a nearly two-week celebration of the 2020 Spirit of NH Awards. Sixty-four award recipients are currently being highlighted on the Volunteer NH website and Facebook page, with three extra-special awards to be announced during a virtual event later this week. The free, live-streamed Spirit of NH Awards ceremony will be broadcast from the Bank of New Hampshire Stage on Wednesday, December 9, from 6-8 PM.
The event will feature Volunteer Service Award and Volunteer Champion Award recipients in six categories, with a special “Outstanding” award presented to:
- Youth/Young Adult: Isabel Povey – New Hampshire Food Bank; Seeds of Hope
- Adult: Mary Beth Stocken – Upper Valley Haven; Good Beginnings of the Upper Valley; Upper Valley Mask Makers
- Senior: John Barry – Aviation Museum of New Hampshire
- National Service: Carol Austin – Monadnock RSVP Volunteer Center
- Group: New Hampshire Food Bank Salvage Sorting Volunteers
- Volunteer Champion: YMCA of Greater Nashua
The evening’s Master of Ceremonies, Nazzy Nazz of 105.5 JYY, will interview two inspiring award recipients. First will be James T. McKim, Jr., a volunteer with the Manchester NAACP and the Town of Goffstown, who will talk about the social justice work that he is involved with. Nazzy will then interview Jaimie Adams, who volunteered full-time at a long-term care facility, offering her service through a COVID-19 outbreak for six weeks straight in April-May 2020.
“When we needed them most, thousands of Granite Staters answered the call to serve in 2020!” says Gretchen Stallings, Executive Director of Volunteer NH. “Organizations across the state acted nimbly, mobilizing technology and establishing safety protocols. Volunteers quickly engaged, helping with tasks such as distributing food and checking on neighbors during the pandemic.”
Volunteer NH will also highlight historical Community Pillar Award recipients, and Governor Sununu will make a special guest appearance to present the 2020 Governor’s Outstanding Volunteer Manager of the Year Award to Nicole Finitsis of Beacon Hospice Care, an Amedisys Company.
Finally, one special individual or group will be surprised with the top Spirit of NH Award, and then the first-ever People’s Choice Award will be announced to close out the evening. Voting for the People’s Choice Award will remain open on the Volunteer NH website until 7 PM on December 9.
The Spirit of NH Awards ceremony is made possible by our Legacy Sponsor, Bellwether Community Credit Union; Luminary Sponsors: McLane Middleton and Saint Mary’s Bank; and Visionary Sponsors: Cigna, Eastern Bank, Orr & Reno, and the Stephens Family, as well as several other generous contributors.
Visit https://VolunteerNH.org/award-recipients-2020-spirit/ to learn about the award recipients and vote for the People’s Choice Award.
Access the stream on event night or add it to your Google/Apple/Outlook calendar now: https://livestream.com/mfi/2020spiritofnh
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Volunteer NH is a nonprofit organization established in 2001, and is governed by a Board of Directors appointed by the Governor and approved by the Executive Council. With a mission to promote the tradition of service in New Hampshire, Volunteer NH supports and sponsors national service initiatives and provides training, recognition, and a central site for volunteers and volunteer programs to help them strengthen their communities.