2009 Volunteer Gala

Volunteers are the heart of Elder Care Services.   This year, we combined the recognition of the volunteers for Meals on Wheels, Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP), and Seniors Transporting at Risk Seniors (STARS) in to one Volunteer Gala.

The theme of the Gala was “Hands that Serve. Hearts that Care.”  The event was held on Thursday, May 14th at the Civic Center.  Over 300 volunteers came together and were recognized for their commitment to serving others in our community.  In 2008, over 611 RSVP volunteers served over 73,354 hours in the Big Bend area; STARS volunteers provided over 250 trips driving seniors to medical appointments and grocery stores; and Meals on Wheels volunteers logged in over 19,000 hours delivering meals to homebound seniors.

Shirley Kirschoff was recognized as "Elder Care Services Volunteer of the Year" and was nominated by Elder Care for the Tallahassee Democrat and Area Agency on Aging Volunteer of the Year Award and the Tallahassee Senior Center Silver Star Award.

Donna Wells with Capital Health Plan, major sponsor of this year's event, presented the Meals on Wheels Frances Clay Award to Ben Trexler. Frances Clay was one of the founding volunteers of the Meals on Wheels program in Tallahassee.

Linda England with Harbor Chase, another sponsor of the event, recognized all of the STARS volunteers.

Our final sponsor, Humana MarketPoint, recognized Retired Senior Volunteers from Chipley.

Working together with volunteers and supporters, Elder Care Service can provide the most cost-effective, personalized strategies to meet the needs of our ever-increasing number of elders, especially those on fixed incomes.

STARS Volunteers were recognized for their daily support in taking seniors to doctor appointments, pharmacies and grocery stores.

RSVP volunteers cover 14 surrounding counties.