Vote for Anna Smith & St. Leo as 2018 Governor’s Volunteer Service Award recipients by April 15! 

Vote now for Anna Smith, Samaritan volunteer, and St. Leo’s as a 2018 Governor’s Volunteer Service Award recipients!

Click here to vote for Anna Smith and St. Leo

Nominee Name: Anna Smith
Nominee’s outstanding commitment: Anna Smith began volunteering with Samaritan Ministries as a college student and has carried her commitment to service throughout her life. Staff and guests alike know that they can depend on her to arrive on time to her shift on the second Tuesday of each month, and she has always handled any issues throughout the evening with level headed efficiency.
Nominee’s outstanding accomplishments: Even throughout her time as a graduate student, Anna has never let anything distract her from giving her full attention to the guests while she was working at the front desk. The professionalism with which she handles every question and request has earned her the lasting respect of our guests, and her reliability allows the shelter staff to focus more of their time and energy on welcoming new guests and overnight volunteers to Samaritan Ministries. Over the course of her 12 year tenure as a Check-in Leader, it has always been apparent that she takes each shift as an opportunity to learn and grow in her role so as to better serve the guests with each passing month.
Nominee’s special skills/qualities: Without compromising her consistently professional and focused demeanor, Anna always has time to talk with the guests and share a kind word. Staff and volunteers alike have commented on how she has the check-in process and front desk procedures down to a science while also maintaining a warm and friendly atmosphere for all who pass by.
Nominee Name: St. Leo The Great Catholic Church Shelter Volunteers
Nominee’s outstanding commitment: St. Leo the Great Catholic Church has been a steadfast supporter of Samaritan Ministries mission to provide food, shelter and hope through Christian love. As the longtime leader of the second Monday group, Dick Egloff was a natural resource to turn to when staff was looking for help with recruiting shelter volunteers from other churches in 2015. Not satisfied with simply agreeing to share his experiences with other potential volunteers, Dick also helped Steve Viola begin a second monthly St. Leo’s shelter group on each third Tuesday. The cumulative experience of this group has not only allowed them to build lasting relationships with our guests, but our staff as well. The peace of mind that comes with knowing a volunteer group is comfortable and capable in their role allows the shelter counselors to spend more one on one time with guests as well as handle any incidents such as medical emergencies efficiently.
Nominee’s outstanding accomplishments: Samaritan Ministries is immeasurably grateful for the volunteer support that so many churches have given to the shelter, but the St. Leo’s volunteers truly stand out in their consistency and frequency throughout the year. In 2017 alone, St. Leo’s volunteers served over 1,600 hours in the shelter preparing and serving meals, keeping a watchful eye on the shelter dorms and providing emotional and spiritual support to our guests. This does not include the time that it takes every month to promote and coordinate each shift behind the scenes. In addition to their hands on service, St. Leo’s has always paid close attention to the needs of our guests and made a concerted effort to collect seasonal items as needed.
Nominee’s special skills/qualities: The men of St. Leo’s bring a wide variety of positive qualities and skills to the table, but one that has left the most lasting impression is their genuine interest in and sincere support of our guests. There is plenty to keep shelter volunteers busy during an overnight shift, but this has never prevented a member of the St. Leo’s group from giving a guest their full focus when the need arises. All of our staff and volunteers share in the guests’ joy when they celebrate accomplishments such as employment and housing, but it takes a special volunteer to provide equal attention when their spirits are low. St. Leo’s volunteers stand out in their capacity to provide words of encouragement and hope when our guests need it the most.