LANSING, Mich. — United Way of South Central Michigan announced the four winners of their Volunteer of the Year awards during their Volunteer Recognition Celebration Wednesday night.
The Volunteer of the Year winners were in four categories, lifetime, adult, young adult and youth.
In total, there were 12 nominees this year. For a full list of the nominees, click here.
Lifetime winner:
Ronald George
Ronald George has been volunteering at St. Vincent Catholic Charities for over 15 years, and last year, he volunteered approximately 780 hours of his time at five different organizations.
At St. Vincent Catholic Charities, George teaches employment and financial literacy to refugees and uses his background as an accountant.
"Ron respects people, and he is respected. He never perceives himself as doing anything exceptional. It just his way of life, his way of serving those who deserve decency and their place in community," Veronika Parsamova, who nominated George, wrote.
Adult winner:
Andrea Ryan
Andrea Ryan was nominated by the SJ Call-in Coalition Steering Committee, located in St. Johns, for her over 350 hours of work she put into the coalition.
Ryan used her work as a mental health professional to help bring programming and resources to the Clinton County community.
"Andrea's work ethic and endless kindness has built a stronger Clinton County community. Andrea utilizes a call-in method of engaging with people in conversations that are often tumultuous, polarizing and controvercial, she emphasizes kindness and patience," her nominators wrote. "She has literally 'called in': the helping mechanisms that were lacking in the community in order to set the foundation for a community that is inclusive to all."
Young Adult winner:
Arianna Pittenger
Arianna Pittenger was nominated by the Michigan State University Center for Community Engaged Learning, and she volunteered over 1,100 hours last year at the Hotline and Crisis Chat for the MSU Center for Survivors.
"All this while working on her Clinical Social Work Masters Degree and serving as the Director of Equity and Antidiscimination for the MSU Council of Graduate Students," her nominator wrote. "Serving her community is a priority and her volunteerism has helped many survivors."
Youth winner:
Naomi Johnson
Naomi Johnson was nominated by the Capital Region Community Foundation.
Johnson is a senior at Lansing Everett High School and is a mentor in her community.
"Rather than succumbing to the obstacles and circumstances around her, Naomi chooses to use her power to influence, mentor and encourage others to get involved. She shows true leadership qualities yet remains incredibly humble in her accomplishments," Turner wrote. "One of Naomi's most admirable qualities is her gentle nature which exudes comfort and positivity. This is seen in her engagement with the ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) community in her school. Genuine people like Naomi are very special and she again, is someone truly deserving of this honor."
Want to see more local news? Visit the FOX47News Website.
For more news in your neighborhood, go to our In Your Neighborhood page on our website.
Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere.
Sign up for newsletters emailed to your inbox.
Select from these options: Neighborhood News, Breaking News, Severe Weather, School Closings, Daily Headlines, and Daily Forecasts.
