28th ANNUAL GOVERNOR’S VOLUNTEER AWARDS
New Sharon Fire Chief Steve Gerard talks about how the opportunity to help Joplin Missouri came about. (photo D.Hubbard)
Oskaloosa, Iowa – Local Volunteers Recognized
New Sharon Fire and Rescue will received a Governor’s Volunteer Award from Governor Terry E. Branstad during a special ceremony held June 30, 2011 in Pleasant Hill.
The Governor’s Volunteer Awards (GVA) program was created in 1982, with inaugural awards presented in 1983. It has grown from a small program only available to state agencies to its present function of providing all Iowa non-profit, charitable, and government organizations with an easy and effective way to honor their volunteers with a prestigious state-level recognition award.
New Sharon Fire and Rescue will be honored with a group volunteer award for their dedication to not only Mahaska County, but the United States. New Sharon Fire, led by Chief Steve Gerard, has been all over the US to assist communities impacted by disasters. They have helped with everything from hurricanes to flooding and they expect nothing in return. This department and its members put their day to day life on hold to help those in need and do it in a moments notice.
Jamey Robinson, Mahaska County Emergency Management Coordinator, who nominated this department says “ I am very proud to have New Sharon Fire and Rescue in Mahaska County, they are highly trained and a dedicated department that function like a large paid department, but get the volunteer wage.”
“Iowa is currently ranked second in the nation for its volunteerism rate, which is most certainly a direct result of the devotion of Iowa’s volunteers,” said Governor Branstad. “I am honored to have this opportunity to personally thank this year’s award recipients for donating their time and talent to help their fellow Iowans and make a tremendous difference in our state.”
The annual “Volunteering in America” study, released each June, details the millions of hours that volunteers in Iowa collectively contribute. The estimated annual economic impact of that service is well over $1 billion. The entire report can be viewed at www.volunteeringinamerica.gov.
The Governor’s Volunteer Award program is coordinated by the Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service and the Governor’s Office. For more information, visit www.volunteeriowa.org or call 515.725.3094
Editors Note: I will be running interviews with the other Fire Chiefs about their time in Joplin over the course of the next week to help share their story.
