We proudly honored 16 volunteers or volunteer groups in November and December for their contributions in making our community better. The people recognized received their awards in small ceremonies, which were recorded on video and later aired during Salem City Council meetings. Individual awards ceremonies continue to air weekly on the City of Salem Facebook Page as part of our Salem Volunteers Rock play list.
Whether their names were on the plaques or not, all City volunteers deserve a share of the appreciation for what they do, whether their volunteerism is a day-to-day occurrence or a once-in-a-lifetime project. The volunteers we honored this year:
- made their neighborhoods better,
- delivered meals,
- responded to the needs of our older residents,
- cleaned up streets citywide,
- patrolled parks,
- advocated for people with disabilities,
- made sure firefighters have wills,
- helped the homeless,
- renovated the Library dollhouse,
- curated and reinstalled Library artwork after renovation,
- helped make the new Salem Rotary Gerry Frank Pavillion at Riverfront Park possible.
"I guess the one lesson we can take out of this is to look around, find something you can do, and do it!" said Dave Newman, whose one-man adopt-a-street efforts have been ongoing for a decade or more.
Also honored in this effort were two City employees. Tibby Larson, who retired after 20 years as Salem's Parks and Recreation Volunteer Program, oversaw contributions of more than 240,000 volunteer hours to our parks and activities. She received a Mayor' Special Recognition Award. Kevin Garcia, of the Public Works Water Distribution Section, was the first recipient of the Richard Swyers Public Works Award, which honors workers who are members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME). His job is to be the first to arrive and investigate in response to a custome complaint or service request.
Award Recipients
Here's a list of our 2021 Volunteer Recognition award winners. You can find out more about their stories on our YouTube Volunteer Playlist.
At Your Service:
- Dave Newman
- Library Artwork Reinstallation Team
- Peggy Zorn
- Teri Lupoli
Distinguished Project:
- Eduardo Angulo and the Hallman Neighborhood Council & Community Partners
Mayor's Merit Award:
- Meals on Wheels Volunteers
- Monica Pacheco
Outstanding Neighbor:
Arnaud Verstuyf and Darrin Brightman
- Muriel Meyer
- Shannon Priem
- Steve Van Pelt
Salem Spirit:
- Center 50+ Volunteers
- Minto-Brown Island Volunteer Park Patrol
Special Mayor's Award:
Vern Miller Award:
- Ken Van Osdol and Barry Nelson
Willard C. Marshall Award:
- Jimmy Jones and the ARCHES Project
