NEWARK, Del. - Individuals and groups from Sussex County were honored Thursday with the 2022 Governor's Outstanding Volunteer Award for their exceptional contributions and dedication to service and volunteerism in Delaware.
Honorees from around the state participated in a variety of volunteer opportunities, ranging from fundraising for local nonprofit organizations and promoting the arts and education to advocating for vulnerable populations and caring for animals. The following are Sussex County award recipients.
Karson Barenholtz was recognized for her work with raising awareness for Alzheimer's disease. She volunteers with the Alzheimer's Association and is part of their Walk to End Alzheimer's committee. Karson leads community education outreach at libraries and CHEER Centers, where she discusses topics such as normal signs of aging versus symptoms of dementia.
She also played a role in the passage of Senate Bill 283, which ensures that healthcare professionals participate in continuing education related to quality of life for Alzheimer's and dementia patients. She began volunteering with her mom after her grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 2020.
Randolph Brown worked to reorganize, restructure, and restore the presence of the Milton Historical Society and museum in the community throughout and after the COVID-19 pandemic. He served as the president of the board of trustees for the organization.
The Village Volunteers from Lewes were honored with this service award for the second time. Volunteers can sign up to provide services of their choice to seniors, including transportation to appointments, assistance with tasks around their home and technology, and social outings.
President Steuart Martens said this group supports the independent living of many seniors in their own homes and that it also helps the volunteers. "It gives me purpose in life, whereas most people retire and you think, 'okay, what do I do now? I'm just going to live my life?'" said Martens. "Finding a purpose for an older adult gives us longevity."Â
Services Manager Lisa Corrado agreed. "The members say to me how much they appreciate what I do for them, but they have no idea how much I appreciate doing it."
The Joshua M. Freeman Foundation Volunteer Corps proudly includes over 285 volunteers that assist during performances with parking, tickets, and concessions. They also participate in the organization's arts outreach, which creates opportunities for performances such as hip-hop fundamentals or percussion presentations to take place in local schools.
"Being part of arts education in the classrooms and being able to experience that with administration, teachers, students, and volunteers is blissful and pure joy," said Executive Director Patti Grimes. "It brings out the inner child in all of us."
Volunteer John Tiberi said that volunteering with this group is his way of giving back after a lifetime of positive experiences with the arts. "It really just came down to, growing up, I was always around the arts. Once we moved from New Jersey down to lower Delaware, there was really not a lot of access to arts," he said. "It was just so good seeing this organization go out into the schools to get young children involved in the arts."
The Good Ole Boy Foundation is a group of volunteers that is dedicated to assisting families and children in Sussex County with a variety of services. These include collecting and distributing Christmas gifts, providing Thanksgiving meals, preparing back-to-school supplies, building wheelchair ramps for families with special needs, and more. After an apartment fire earlier this year, volunteers worked to place 55 people in temporary housing.
Governor John Carney said that this year's award recipients "have a spirit of service that's inspiring and leading us to a strong, better Delaware."