Nicole Long

Nicole Long has spent the last year volunteering at South County Outreach, whose mission is to prevent hunger and homelessness. South County Outreach has more than 250 regulary scheduled volunteers and more than 1,500 who help serve those in crisis. Long has a passion for those who are struggling in our community – families, the underemployed, unemployed, seniors, veterans and especilly the children.

Long has completed administrative tasks, secured silent auction items for a volunteer recognition luncheon and fundraising event and volunteered at the fundraising event. She has been a student ambassador in the community, educating the business community about the agency and securing much needed support.

South County Outreach could not do the good work that we do in the community without community support. Long truly has a passion for those who are less fortunate and wants to put a roof over the heads of the less fortunate and make sure no child goes to bed and wakes up hungry.

Marissa Vogel

Marissa Vogel and Little Helping Hands inspires and engages young children and their families in volunteering, leading lead thousands of children to be more active volunteers in their community.

When Vogel couldn't track down appropriate volunteer opportunities for her then 4 and 6-year-old, she quit her job and created an Austin-based nonprofit that creates and manages volunteer opportunities for young children and their families. In its third year in existence, Little Helping Hands' volunteers logged close to 5,500 volunteer hours.

Thanks to her efforts 1,500 more families in Austin are engaged and volunteering in nonprofits in Austin. These families are supporting more than 40 nonprofits in Austin with their efforts.

Sherry and James Oliver

The mothers of Sherry and James Oliver were both living in an elderly facility when they passed away. Since their passing, the Olivers continue to come to the facility to visit with the residents, assist in the dining room and offer lots of encouragement to residents.

They do what employees do without every asking for compensation. So many that come to the facility don’t have family or friends visit them regularly and the Olivers step in to fill that void and make sure the residents needs our met – even if it’s just a hand to hold or a listening ear.

Christina Aiken and Katie Doyle

Katie Doyle and Christina Aiken, help assist Joshua's Heart Foundation with fundraising, the junior advisory board, food distributions, and community outreach initiatives. Aiken and Doyle started with Joshua's Heart Foundation by spear heading the Junior Advisory Board. The ladies recruited 12 youth and held four meetings per year. At each meeting the youth would brainstorm four fundraising or community service activities. The Junior Advisory Board built and nourished a garden and all of the vegetables were distributed to families in need. In addition to the garden the girls led the Junior Advisory Board youth on missions of canned food drives, toy drives for a local orphanage and a talent show for seniors residing in a home.

In addition to being co-chairs of the Junior Advisory Board, both have held numerous fundraising events including happy hours (cocktails for a cause) and reached out to local businesses for raffle items. All proceeds from each event go to Joshua's Heart Foundation.

This year the girls also made a huge connection for Joshua's Heart Foundation. While at a local farmers market in Hollywood, Fla. they spoke to a few vegetable and fruit farmers and secured donations on a weekly basis of leftover produce. Each Sunday they go to the farmers market and pick up the produce and deliver the food to local families in need.

Jean Wilson

Jean Wilson reduces the pain and suffering of many through hand massage as a dedicated volunteer at a local comfort care team. She has a quality of serenity that can soothe others and brings a high touch service to many that are experiencing the high tech world of medicine.

She provides a simple service that means so much to people who are having the stress of a hospitalization. The hand massage has been shown to be a very effective, non-invasive way to help people heal. For more than 7 years she has dedicated herself to providing hand massage to patients at Newport Hospital and contributed more than 6,555 hours to the program.

Darlene Bearl

Darlene Bearl tirelessly fulfills community needs through research, networking and knowledge of the history of Anoka County. The Anoka County Historical Society was founded by a group of dedicated community volunteers in Anoka County in 1934. The mission of the Anoka County Historical Society is the discovery, preservation and dissemination of knowledge about the history of Anoka County and the State of Minnesota. Today, the Anoka County Historical Society has been nationally and locally recognized for its excellent work in all aspects of its mission and is an important and enriching part of the lives of Anoka County residents.

Bearl has been involved in a variety of activities at the history center for more than five years. Her insatiable interest in history and desire to educate the community about local history qualifies her as one of the more outstanding volunteers who deliver the mission.

In 2011, thousands of people were served by Anoka County Historical Society volunteers, whose contributions totaled 5,164 hours, and their dedication to preserve the history of Anoka County will benefit people from the county for years to come.

Margaret Edinburgh

Margaret Edinburg has found her joy in making others happy. In 2008 she created Yellow Rose Society to specifically reach out to those 85 and older. She honors these older citizens by sending them a card and showing them their lives have been worthwhile and they have made a positive impact on our world.

In the words of one of Edinburg’s associates, “she posses a quiet, gentle strength.” She has built a reputation for creating ways to selflessly make others happy. It has been said that, “When Margaret says she is going to do something, the next thing you know she is doing it. She is quite an inspiration. So many times, she has established the fact that she is our quarterback.”

Lisa Stordahl

Lisa Stordahl volunteers to address many needs in her community from youth homelessness and hunger, to at-risk teens who are suicidal, cutters, depressed, violent and come from unhealthy family situations. She has been a leader in Girl Scouts for 11 years, addressing the needs of girls.

Stordahl not only devotes many hours a week to volunteering but her chosen career is also with a nonprofit that provides no and low-cost healthcare to teens and young adults. She has an attitude of gratitude, always serving and giving to others. She also leads the community foundation of the sixth largest city in the State of Minnesota, a foundation that was established to assist nonprofits in the community that are doing great things for others and need resources to continue.

She has worked tirelessly on a new youth homelessness initiative to raise awareness and money for the issue.

Daniel Belgrad

The graduation rate last year in the Los Angeles United School District (LAUSD) was 56 percent. The previous year, the dropout rate was more than 25 percent. Daniel Belgrad and S.H.O.W. (Students Helping Our World) are combating those alarming numbers

S.H.O.W. is unique because of its peer-to-peer mission. It was started by students and is run by students to help other students. Belgrad formed committees of 50 students at each of the four schools the program has a presence as well as a leadership committee. They meet regularly to discuss how to raise awareness of S.H.O.W. and of the upcoming rewards. The student leaders have become empowered students at their own schools encouraging their peers to keep SHOWing up. By positive and supportive measures, the students are responding and improving. S.H.O.W. is utilizing the power of the Mayor and the city, the partnership and the support of generous individuals in Los Angeles to raise awareness of the problems in education. S.H.O.W. was never meant to be a solution to the education crisis. It is a tool to bring the community together and show that people care and want to help.

In the four schools that S.H.O.W. is working in, the students who achieved a 96 percent attendance rate last year ranged from 29-71 percent. Even more staggering is that Jordan High School, one of the schools Belgrad is working with, had a mere 29 percent of their students reach a 96 percent attendance rate last year. Low attendance rates lead to higher drop out rates and result in lower job prospects, and lower prospects for a better life. The problems are real. S.H.O.W. would like to increase attendance rates and improve grades while building a community of support and inspiring kids to believe in themselves.

Sherry Szczuka

The Court of Chancery appoints guardians for people who are disabled due to infirmity and age.

These people are vulnerable adults who rely on their guardians to take care of them properly. The court utilizes volunteers like Sherry Szczuka to make visits to each person and ensure their wellbeing.

Szczuka makes field visits to persons subject to guardianship in the state of Delaware residing in the community, nursing facilities and group homes. She serves as the "eyes and ears" of the court and reports on the well-being and living environment of each ward. She reports to the court any issues the guardian or ward may have and follows up accordingly and goes above and beyond her duties.

Szczuka is both unique and special because she took it upon herself to take on more than 100 cases on her own.