Area students receive national honor for volunteer work
The importance of volunteer service throughout the nation had a local impact when 13 seniors from Connellsville Area Senior High School and a senior from California High School received a national honor for contributions made in their communities. The students were among a select group of individuals, groups and organizations presented with a President’s Volunteer Service Award issued by the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation, a group created in 2003 by former President George W. Bush to recognize contributions volunteers make to the nation. The award is issued to volunteers that achieved a certain standard measured by the number of service hours over 12 months or cumulative hours earned over their lifetimes.
To date, the President’s Council has partnered with more than 80 leadership organizations and more than 28,000 certifying organizations across the nation bestowing more than 1.5 million awards to deserving volunteers.
This year’s awardees from Connellsville included Nicole Cumberland, Tyler Doppelheuer, Rebekah Greenawalt, Trisha Hamborsky, Zach McGinnis, Rachel Miller, Tara Moyer, Beth Porterfield, Mike Potter, Jenna Reese, Taylor Stutzman and Danielle Thomas in addition to Ron Lincoski of California.
All Connellsville students except for Doppelheuer received their awards through the Connellsville Area High School Patriots under the direction of teacher Linda Shearer.
“This year’s awardees worked tirelessly supporting our deployed servicemen and women and honoring our veterans,” said Shearer.
Doppelheuer was issued his award for volunteer service he performed with the Connellsville Salvation Army’s annual kettle drive while he also donates his time to numerous other nonprofit organizations.
In addition to receiving a President’s Award, Lincoski was also one of 234 students nationwide recognized as a distinguished finalist.
Lincoski, who is an Eagle Scout, worked on refurbishing the World War II Memorial in Daisytown.
Under the program, awards are given to youth ages 14 and under who completed 50 or more hours of volunteer service, to individuals 15 and over who completed 100 or more hours and to families or groups that completed 200 or more hours.
A lifetime achievement award honors those that completed more than 4,000 hours of service over the course of their lifetime.
Together, Shear said the Patriots logged a combined 400 hours of dedication this year earning them a Bronze award while McGinnis, Potter and Reese earned a silver award for working about 500 hours together.
Prudential Financial Inc. in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) sponsors the awards in honor of students in grades five through 12 who have made meaningful contributions to their communities.
“This year’s honorees exemplify the true spirit of helping others and by doing so they give America and the world a promising future, a future filled with compassion and hope,” said Larry Bradley, NASSP president.
Shearer said to date the Patriots have received 60 service awards in all categories, the majority of them bronze, in addition to one Lifetime Service Award.