Burke residents honored with Governor's Volunteer Service Award

Family, friends, and colleagues gathered Thursday evening at First United Methodist Church to recognize a special group of people being celebrated for their volunteer service to the community.

These recipients of the Governor’s Volunteer Service Award give to the community by sharing their time and talents.

A special guest speaker who knows a thing or two about volunteering kicked off the program: Marsha Riddle.

This co-founder of Western Carolina Center (now J. Iverson Riddle Developmental Center) was instrumental in creating and developing the Volunteer Services Department at the center. She also founded the center’s beloved Christmas parade and played a key role in building its chapel, providing a place of comfort and reflection for residents, families, and staff. She also created the “volunteen” program to inspire youth to serve and established the nation’s first Foster Grandparent Program, a groundbreaking initiative that connects generations through mentorship and love.

Riddle began her remarks by reminding honorees that their work reaches far beyond a single evening of recognition.

“You are such an important part of this community every day,” Riddle told the volunteers. “This community operates … because of people who give unselfishly of themselves to others.”

She also noted that more than 2.2 million volunteers in North Carolina contributed 125.2 million hours of service last year, representing more than $4 billion in value to the state economy.

But Riddle said numbers alone cannot capture the full meaning of volunteer service.

“These statistics, however, don’t do justice to the true worth and value of what you do,” she said. “You as volunteers make a daily difference.”

Riddle closed by thanking Burke County’s award recipients and the many other volunteers they represent.

“You gave of yourself,” she said. “Tonight, I congratulate you, the outstanding volunteers of Burke County. Thank you for your service.”