| Service award winners Sherill Shaw and Stockton, a PAWS volunteer. |
Each year United Way of Southeastern Utah recognizes one volunteer from Carbon and Emery County who gives selflessly of their time to serve their community. This year United Way recognized Stockton (the first pet volunteer recognition) and his handler Darlene Erni of Emery County’s recipient and Sherill Shaw of Carbon County.
The opportunity to recognize the volunteers was sponsored by the College of Eastern Utah’s Health and Wellness Center, Far West Bank, Volunteer Connections and donations from individuals who recognized volunteers in our community by sponsoring a candle in that volunteer’s name.
The event was held at the College of Eastern Utah in the Alumni Room and United Way presented checks for program support to Community Nursing Services and the CEU Health and Wellness Center. The funding is part of United Way’s annual Community Care Fund Giving Campaign that kicked off on September 8 and runs through January 2005.
For more information on giving, volunteer services or volunteer recognition contact Pamela Juliano at 637-8911 or 1-800-250-SERVE (Emery County only).
| Pam Juliano presents a check to Tammy Bracken with the Health and Wellness Center at CEU. |
Emery county recipient Stockton, has been a volunteer for seven years. As a volunteer he spends time with children at Cleveland Elementary and senior citizens at Turnquist in Emery County. He is part of the Active Re-Entry PAWS program and his owner handler Darlene Erni have given voice to a community of seniors and individuals with disability who may feel they have no purpose in life when in fact the handlers and pets feel they are receiving as much or more from the service they provide. Stockton has been nominated for the Governor’s Points of Light Award.
Sherill Shaw has volunteered with the Helper Arts Festival for three years, two as festival chairperson. “Countless hours of coordinating and communication are spent on raising the necessary funds to organize one of the most successful community activities in Carbon county,” says Pam Juliano.
The 2004 festival was the most well attended festival in recent years. Sherill credits that to her outstanding team of volunteers that helped coordinate everything from city collaborations to featuring artisans both local and regional and featuring quality musicians, excellent food, youth art and literature.