2024 Volunteer Spirit Awards celebrate community and service in the Lower Hudson Valley

The Volunteer Spirit Awards always signal the start of spring — and are cause for annual celebration of the resilience and vibrance of the Lower Hudson Valley community.

More than 600 people from across Westchester, Rockland and Putnam counties gathered last Friday morning in Tarrytown to celebrate the service of six remarkable volunteers and the legacy of a leading community servant. The awards are presented by Volunteer New York!, the region's leading resource for volunteerism, and are sponsored by Regeneron.

“Being able to spotlight these incredible changemakers was an honor and a reminder that volunteerism is essential in making our communities more vibrant, resilient, and equitable,” said Jeanette Gisbert, Executive Director of Volunteer New York!. “We are extremely grateful to all of the event sponsors, our corporate champions, and the local community members who came out to support our mission and this year’s winners.”

This annual celebration is the largest volunteer recognition event in the Lower Hudson Valley. For nearly 45 years, Volunteer New York! has recognized volunteers who have done extraordinary work in our communities. Volunteers are nominated in six categories, and an independent panel of judges selects one person or group for each category. The final award category, the Legacy Award, goes to a business or civic leader who has made a personal and professional commitment to volunteerism, has significantly supported the values and mission of Volunteer New York!, and who encourages deep employee and community engagement in service.

More: Who's who of Westchester leaders turn out to honor top volunteers

Who are winners of the the 2024 Volunteer Spirit Awards?

Education & Literacy Award: Jim Isenberg of White Plains

For volunteer action with Grandpas United

Going Green Award: Michael Penziner of Rye

For volunteer action with Friends of Rye Nature Center

Quality of Life Award: Laura Romeo Sobel of Dobbs Ferry

For volunteer action with Dance For A Difference

Resiliency Award: Matthew Ricker of New Rochelle

For volunteer action with New Rochelle Chamber of Commerce

Social Advocacy Award: Colleen Brathwaite of Greenburgh

For volunteer action with Westchester Women’s Agenda

Youth Leadership Award: Mouhamadou Alou of Mount Vernon

For volunteer action with Mount Vernon High School

Legacy Award: Dr. Valerie Mason Cunningham of Chappaqua

What they said

Each of the winners offered remarks on their perspectives on volunteerism and community service. These are excerpts of those remarks:

Education & Literacy Award: Jim Isenberg

Grandpas United is now in six New York cities. ... We are focused on many youth support programs including youth mentoring with the Youth Court. We also meet regularly with elementary school boys who may not have a father or grandfather in their lives. We are preparing to start a Grandpas support program that will provide vocational coaching for our high school youth as well as continue our efforts to promote “trust building” between youth and police with the YPI program.

Going Green Award: Michael Penziner

The honor of being selected for the Going Green Award goes to a volunteer who works to protect and beautify our environment, and advocates for the preservation of our planet. Yes, I do those things. But perhaps the thing we volunteers do most, is to introduce nature to those people who really have little or no contact with it. They have no idea how important nature is to our survival. The world is getting warmer and warmer each year, and scientists believe that if we don’t control climate in the very near future, it is very likely that it will signal the beginning of the end of the world in the not-too-distant future.

Quality of Life Award: Laura Romeo Sobel

I see each day how acts of kindness and compassion create ripple effects that reach far and wide. Those acts of selflessness so often come from a place of passion. But as I reflect on the journeys of myself and others, I also see how much pain plays a part in creating one’s purpose. ... I have learned that when you add your personal passions and your pain together, it can create an even larger wave of action and change than you had ever hoped for. That wave has transformed how I look at my losses and helped turn my grief into hope.  ... So my ask to everyone today is: Use your passions, use your pain, use what makes up your everyday life, because it’s all already there for you. And when you do that and give back to others, you may find that the difference you make is more substantial and purposeful than you ever imagined.

Resiliency Award: Matthew Ricker of New Rochelle

I am New Rochelle through and through, raised here, attended its fine public schools, and graduated from Iona University, where I will soon earn my Masters degree. I love this community and all who dwell within it. Whether it is reading scripture at Sunday mass, helping to take care of dogs at pet rescue, or serving as a panelist for workshops on hearing loss. Volunteering has always been important to me.

Social Advocacy Award: Colleen Brathwaite

I accept this recognition as a testimony to the work of the Westchester Women’s Agenda. We are a mighty band of nonprofits and individual women striving to make women thrive in this County. We have documented the vast inequities that exist in this wealthy community, especially for women who look like me, and are advocating for solutions that can make a difference in their lives. Solutions such as affordable housing, better and more accessible child care, restorative solutions instead of suspensions for school misbehavior, relief from poverty, readily available nutritious food, and better health for all.  ... I see great need in Westchester ... I challenge you all to see and feel the need and respond. We can all do our part to make life better for others. It doesn’t take much. Just a little heart.

Youth Leadership Award: Mouhamadou Alou

My volunteer experience at Mount Vernon High School has been instrumental in my personal and professional growth. It has taught me invaluable skills that I will carry with me throughout my life. Beyond the academic lessons, it has shown me the importance of community, friendship, and the joy found in shared experiences. School, I've learned, is more than just a place of learning; it is a community where bonds are formed, and memories are made.  ... This volunteer award not only recognizes the achievements of my project but also reinforces the importance of inclusivity, community, and the positive impact we can have when we come together for a common purpose.

Legacy Award: Valerie Mason Cunningham

Envision with me, a world radiant with the light of a million volunteers, a world where the echoes of our actions sing the songs of inclusion, where every hand that reaches out to help is a hand that binds us closer together. And so, I ask you once more, "What is the measure of our humanity?" It is the legacy we build today, the inclusive world we sculpt with our hands, hearts and hopes. It is the promise we make to future generations that they will inherit a world not just of tolerance, but of belonging. And in answering the second question, "What if each of us has the power to make a profound difference in the world, starting with our own community?" “How would we use that power?” We affirm that the power to make a profound difference does indeed start in our own communities. It starts with each of us, with every act of kindness, every moment of understanding and every commitment to inclusivity. Let us rise, not as individuals, but as a collective force of unwavering resolve. Let us be the embodiment of the change we seek, the champions of a world where every voice is amplified, and every life is valued. Being that beacon of light for positive change while creating more vibrant, resilient and equitable communities!

Volunteer New York looks forward to 2025 — its 75th year

As Volunteer New York! approaches its 75th year and gears up for the 45th anniversary of the Volunteer Spirit Awards in 2025, the organization is looking forward to celebrating these major milestones and continuing their mission with even greater vigor.

“We invite the community to join us in this upcoming landmark year as volunteers, supporters, and changemakers,” Gisbert said. “Whether you’ve supported us for decades or are new to our community, your engagement is crucial to sustaining and expanding our impact. Together, we can continue making our community more vibrant, resilient, and equitable.”

Ed Forbes is a senior editor for the USA TODAY Network's Atlantic Group, overseeing opinion for news organizations across the northeast.  

To get unlimited access to his insightful thoughts on how we live life in the northeast, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: 2024 Volunteer Spirit Awards Volunteer New York