Throughout this year, the number of individuals volunteering on Fort Meade has grown to more than 1,650 -- 400 more than last year.
The volunteers and their efforts were honored at the annual Volunteer Awards Banquet on April 25. The ceremony, held at Michael's Eighth Avenue in Glen Burnie, featured dinner, dancing, awards for the top volunteers, and music by the Chamber Brass of the U.S. Army Field Band and violinist Autumn Sims.
"Every year I'm just more and more enthused with the volunteers that we see at Fort Meade," said Marie Miles, Army Volunteer Corps coordinator. "When I look around our community, you have set the bar. You are awesome."
Anne Arundel County Councilman Peter Smith served as the event's keynote speaker, discussing the importance and significance of volunteering. Smith lauded the police officer who volunteered his time to help the councilman when he was growing up.
"Every person in this room shows the capacity to do great things," Smith said. "Your journey in life isn't about the success that you accumulate, but your desires and willingness to dedicate your life to allow others to have a journey.
"Because of you, somebody will have enough to eat tonight. Because of you, somebody will have decent clothes to wear, someone will have shelter or will receive medical care, someone will learn the skills that they need to survive and succeed. This world is a better place because you volunteer, and we thank you for it."
Volunteers, Smith said, are a different breed of citizens who are "special, inspiring, giving and hardworking" and "serve a purpose greater than themselves, and they represent the best of our society."
Smith, who also serves as the Anne Arundel County coordinator for Toys for Tots, said that while many people will donate toys and money, volunteers who give their time provide a greater gift.
"The most precious gift that anyone can give you is their time," Smith said. "Time cannot be given back or earned. The value is immeasurable and it creates a ripple effect that literally changes the direction of someone's life."
Garrison Commander Col. Edward C. Rothstein shared a similar message, thanking the volunteers for their work and providing support for the command. Rothstein was awarded a poster check representing the estimated $5.3 million that Fort Meade volunteers saved the installation through their work.
"The selfless service that you provide is remarkable. ... You do make a difference," he said. "I just want to thank you so much from the bottom of my heart."
At the end of the ceremony, the year's top volunteers were honored with a certificate as well as a personalized brick at Centennial Park.
Audrey Rothstein, wife of the garrison commander, was awarded the Lifetime Volunteer of the Year for helping to create a healthy and thriving military community.
Harriet Swindon was named Civilian of the Year for her work at the Fort Meade Joint Installation Tax Center. Swindon served more than 50 clients, saving them $14,000 in tax preparation fees while finding $428,000 in tax refunds.
For their work with various organizations such as the USO Food Pantry and providing scholarships and grants to high school seniors and for volunteering, the Enlisted Spouses Club earned the coveted Organization of the Year.
Navy Cryptological Technician Collection 3rd Class Danielle Roberts was awarded Active Duty of the Year for coordinating more than 4,000 hours of volunteer work and overseeing nine project managers while organizing 789 military and civilian volunteers for a project with Habitat for Humanity, which provides affordable housing for low-income families.
After serving on the Youth Summer Planning Board and contributing 300 service hours in her school, church and community, Victoria Smalling was named Youth of the Year.
Family of the Year went to Bruce and Olivia Hunter who have been volunteering with the Highsteppers Track and Field Club for 20 years.
Several of the winners said they felt gratified after receiving the awards. Bruce Hunter said he never considered winning an award for his work as a coach.
"We volunteer because we like it -- we like doing what we do," he said. "We get a great deal of enjoyment, a great sense of accomplishment, a great deal of satisfaction. If we remained anonymous, it'd be fine us -- as long as we could do what we're doing right now, which is volunteering, coaching, mentoring those kids."
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