The Salvation Army Volunteers of the Year Honored at Virtual Event
Just because we can’t honor our volunteers in person this year doesn’t mean we appreciate them any less. Although the COVID-19 pandemic prevents us from celebrating in person, we created a special video presentation to express our gratitude to those who have selflessly come alongside The Salvation Army to help us fulfill our mission in the Omaha metro.
“The only way The Salvation Army can get it all done for the people most in need is through our amazing volunteers, who ask, ‘What can I do to help?’ That’s when many hands make light work,” said Maj. Greg Thompson, divisional commander of The Salvation Army Western Division. “The Salvation Army’s volunteers are truly at the foundation of what we do here in the metro area.”
We honor and celebrate the following 2020 Volunteers of the Year:
Kay Weinstein
Retired Director of Volunteer Services
Kay retired earlier this year after serving 10 years as the director of volunteer services for the Omaha metro. “Kay was an integral part of our day-to-day operations, and we are grateful for the heartbeat she had for the mission of The Salvation Army,” said Maj. Poppy Thompson.
Lenora Chamberlain
Omaha Citadel Corps
Lenora planned, prepared and served homemade meals at three different youth camps this past summer as well as for the residents of Durham Booth Manor and Renaissance Village. She also stitched hundreds of masks, ensuring that every employee and resident on the Renaissance Village campus was well-protected from COVID-19. “Lenora prefers serving behind the scenes rather than up front, but she’s at the corps almost every day finding ways to help others,” said Maj. Shelly McClintock.
Chuck Kocarnick
Omaha Kroc Center
Chuck serves as the Kroc Center’s Corps Sergeant Major and has been committed to The Salvation Army for decades. “Chuck has a servant’s heart, and this is the driving force in his life,” said Aux. Capt. Tracy Gantner. “He sees ministry as an opportunity, not an obligation, and always willingly and joyfully shares the love of Christ with everyone in his path.”
Carla Milledge
Council Bluffs Corps
“Carla continued to volunteer even after we could no longer keep her employed at the corps because of budget cuts. We cannot speak highly enough of her and her commitment to The Salvation Army,” said Capt. Chuck Cook.
Keith Simpson
North Corps
“Keith takes the bus every day to get to the corps to help out. During the pandemic, he’s put himself at risk to serve and to support the mission of North Corps. He gives so much effort, and it’s a tremendous blessing to have him on our staff,” said Lt. Ken Jones.
Johnny Harrell
Burrows Center
Johnny has been volunteering with the Material Assistance and Seasonal Services (MASS) department at the Burrows Center for almost 10 years. “Johnny is very dedicated and dependable,” said MASS Director Tiffanie McCowin. “He’s at the Burrows Center as many hours as our paid employees each week, and he knows just about every service and how to best assist the clients. We are very grateful for him.”
Keith (Skip) Luther
Emergency Disaster Services (EDS)
“Skip has been a true leader for us,” said EDS Director Pete Hoskin. “He’s helped us develop our disaster team and has recently become our volunteer coordinator. He is extremely dedicated to helping others, which is greatly beneficial to The Salvation Army’s mission.”
Margie Smith
Western Divisional Headquarters
“Margie is a burst of light and energy and a force to be reckoned with,” said Erin Sanders, assistant director of volunteer services. “She has been volunteering with us for more than five years and is still always asking, ‘What more can we do? How many more folks do you need?’ She genuinely loves to volunteer, to give and to support the community.”
In addition to the Volunteers of the Year, we also honor the following top bell ringer fundraisers of 2019:
Millard North Honor Society
First United Methodist Church
Kiwanis Bellevue
Omaha Area Board of Realtors
Ralph Marsh
Ben Devries – Most Creative Award
Finally, we also honor those who have committed 100 hours or more to The Salvation Army of Omaha with the Presidential Volunteer Award:
BRONZE WINNERS (100-249 hours)
Abdou Bahadio
Curtis Becker
Willie Bowie
Lenora Chamberlain
Patty Egbert
Barb Fazzini
Mollie Husman
Chuck Kocarnik
Keith “Skip” Luther
Mary McClarnon
Kathy O’Connor
Alyssa Smith
Karen Spaustat
Sherry Thompson
Karen Wilson
SILVER WINNERS (250-499 hours)
Connie Brace
Keith Simpson
GOLD WINNERS (500+ hours)
Clarence Archie
Phyllis Beaugard
Alexksandr Chernenkly
Johnny Harrell
Mark Krough
Virginia Lankford
Del Nesson
Carla Prince
Interested in volunteering for The Salvation Army? We would love to have you come alongside us to serve our community. Learn more