Volunteer Awards
United Way of the Greater Capital region, at its fall Annual Meeting, recognizes the achievements of outstanding volunteers. Three annual awards distinguish three categories of extraordinary service to United Way and the community. Congratulations to this year's winners.
LIVE UNITED Award
The LIVE UNITED Award is presented to a volunteer who not only understands what it means to LIVE UNITED, but demonstrates it every day. LIVE UNITED is not only a mission and a goal, but it is a call to action - to give, advocate and volunteer in order to improve the lives of everyone in the community. The recipient of this award leads by example, and the greater Capital Region is stronger and healthier thanks to his consistent efforts.
2009 Recipient: Michael MacClaury
Mike has volunteered with United Way for nine years as a grant reviewer and has served on a number of United Way committees. Most recently he has served as the Leadership Group chair and serves on the United Way of the Greater Capital Region’s Community Impact Committee.
Over the past three years, Mike has also prepared taxes for low- to moderate-income households through United Way’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program at one of our VITA sites in Schenectady. Mike gives tremendously of his time, not only to United Way of the Greater Capital Region but to other organizations in our community as well, including his neighborhood pool organization and to his congregation.
Mike consistently shows that he LIVES UNITED by taking time to listen to other perspectives and by weighing them fairly and respectfully in relationship to the decision at hand. Mike also encourages best practices in the systems and processes by which United Way supports programs and individuals in the Capital Region.
2010 Recipient: John Kearney
John’s deep commitment to this community emerged from his childhood in Albany’s South End. His father and grandfather were involved in local politics - "when being a politician meant looking out for your neighbor and creating conditions where everyone had access to opportunity," John says. Growing up, John spent many days at the Albany Boys and Girls Club. He had friends who were strongly influenced by the Catholic Youth Organization and the YMCA. John recognized that these community organizations were an oasis from the streets. John saw how these agencies helped him and his peers to find structure, develop discipline and forge relationships with positive adult role models. These lessons stuck with John.
When he started working and became involved with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, he made philanthropy and civic engagement a cornerstone of his career. In addition, John helped organize and grow attendance at the annual Labor Breakfast and Labor Parade – not just to provide fellowship among labor groups but to foster a sense of collective responsibility for the social wellbeing of the Capital Region and its residents.
John’s total community involvement is extensive. He supports Equinox. He supports research and a cure for juvenile diabetes. And he was instrumental in establishing the Center for Disability Services. John is also a voice for sound economic development through his work on the Albany County Empire Zone Board of Directors and the Town of Colonie Industrial Development Agency.
John has served as a United Way Campaign Chair and he played a leadership role in Hands on Capital-land, United Way’s volunteer mobilization effort, now called United in Action. John remains an active volunteer and leader with United Way. He serves on United Way’s Board of Directors and on its Resource Development Committee. John says that he will never forget the support he received from community organizations as a child. And he says he gives back to the community because he was taught that it’s important to say “thanks.”
Community Impact Award
The Community Impact Award is presented to an organization or partner with United Way of the Greater Capital Region that works to create measurable progress to improve lives and strengthen the community. United Way believes in the power of cooperation toward a common goal, and the Community Impact Award goes to an organization that recognizes we can accomplish much more together than we could alone.
2009 Recipient: IRS Albany SPEC Office
SPEC stands for Stakeholder Partnerships, Education and Communication. This is the local IRS office that works with United Way of the Greater Capital Region through the CA$H Coalition to return hard-earned tax dollars to working individuals and families. This is part of United Way’s strategy to help individuals and families achieve financial stability. The CA$H Coalition, led by United Way, consists of more than 60 community partners that direct an enormous annual effort to provide free tax preparation at more than 50 sites in the five counties served by United Way of the Greater Capital Region. The shared goal is to increase people’s financial stability by helping them receive the Earned Income Tax Credit and other tax credits and savings.
Receiving the award on behalf of the IRS Albany SPEC Office was Joann Passineau, Senior Stakeholder Relationship Tax Consultant. Joann collaborates with United Way to provide technical support at all chapter meetings, at executive committee meetings and at tax preparation sites across the Capital Region. She has also helped reach out to populations who may be eligible for tax credits, and she oversees quality control at tax preparation sites so participants in this community program receive professional accurate tax returns. Joann is pictured here with Nancy Dingee, Director of Community Impact at United Way of the Greater Capital Region.
2010 Recipient: Family and Children's Service of the Capital Region
The 2010 COMMUNITY IMPACT AWARD went to Family and Children’s Service of the Capital Region for their partnership in United Way 2-1-1. 2-1-1 is a free, confidential phone number people can call to connect with community resources. Dialing 2-1-1 helps people cut through the clutter of information and get the help they need.
2-1-1 launched in 12 counties in Northeastern New York in April of 2009. Although 2-1-1 is funded by United Way, the call center operations are run by Family and Children’s Service of the Capital Region. In just its first year of operation, 2-1-1 handled more than 10,000 calls from Northeastern New York residents. These calls ranged from families looking for ways to put food on the table, to residents needing help heating their homes to people looking for ways to volunteer.
2-1-1 is almost entirely staffed by volunteers. These committed men and women go through nearly 40 hours of training to ensure that no matter what 2-1-1 callers need, they’re helped professionally, efficiently and with the utmost sensitivity. The partnership between United Way and Family and Children’s Service of the Capital Region is a perfect example of how the entire community benefits when people and organizations work together toward a common goal. Accepting the COMMUNITY IMPACT Award for Family and Children’s Service of the Capital Region was the agency’s executive director, Keith Pickett.
United Way Advocacy Award
The United Way Advocacy Award is presented to a person or organization that uses their skills or their business excellence to advocate on behalf of a critical cause.
2010 Recipient: The Century House in Latham
In 2008, The Century House had a problem. Companies that normally held their holiday parties at the Century House were cancelling in favor of making donations to charities. Century House owner and managing partner Colin DeMers thought, “Why can’t companies have parties here and give to charity?”
Over the next six months, Colin worked with the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York to develop the “Enjoy One, Share One” meal program. Every time a meal is served at the Century House, whether it’s at an event like a wedding or corporate party, or a meal at their restaurant, a meal is donated through the Regional Food Bank.
Since starting the “Enjoy One, Share One” program in June of 2009, the Century House has donated more than 106,000 meals through the Food Bank—an average of 6,000 meals per month. And the good work doesn’t stop there. Once a month, chefs, servers, and even customers from the Century House go to different food kitchens run by the Regional Food Bank where they prepare and serve free meals for clients.
The “Enjoy One, Share One” program is sustainable, it’s innovative and it’s changing lives. United Way celebrates The Century House as an advocate for ending hunger in our region. Accepting the award was Colin DeMers.
Tom Curry Inspirational Leadership Award
The Tom Curry Inspirational Leadership Award honors the long-term commitment of energy and resources of an individual to United Way of the Greater Capital Region through inspirational leadership over the course of several years. The award recognizes an individual for reaching beyond his or her own organization to engage others in the work of United Way. It is named for Tom Curry, who worked for Albany International and arranged motivational campaign meetings and was an inspiration for many to increase their support for the campaign.
Tom lived in Saratoga Springs; he worked in Albany and Rensselaer counties; and he supported every facet of United Way’s work across the entire Capital Region. His regional vision continues to be an inspiration to us all. In fact it was his colleagues, who held Tom in such high regard, who asked United Way to create this award in his honor. Appropriately, and at the request of his co-workers, Tom Curry received the inaugural award. His contributions were so significant that we continue to attach his name to this honor. Tom currently lives in Florida.
2009 Recipient: Katharine Doran
Katharine has served with excellence and dedication in almost every facet of United Way’s work across the Capital Region. She has participated as a Community Investment volunteer; she pitched in during our annual community volunteering event – now called United in Action; she has been a campaign volunteer who speaks to CEOs about the value of United Way’s work; and – most significantly – Katharine’s leadership of the former United Way of Northeastern New York as Board Chair during the merger that created United Way of the Greater Capital Region was instrumental in making this transition successful. Katie currently serves as an Officer of the Board and her contributions are always significant, relevant and valuable. We are a stronger, more effective organization today because of Katharine’s work on behalf of United Way.