Several volunteers from around the Fox Valley are winning awards.
Cindy Reffke was the Volunteer of the Year at the Celebrating Volunteers event, at the Red Lion Hotel Paper Valley in downtown Appleton on Wednesday night. She’s been involved with a number of groups and events over the years, and started helping Prevent Suicide Fox Cities about six years ago.
Reffke believes volunteering can help anyone’s mental health. She says when you give back to someone else, you take the focus off yourself. She thinks it makes people feel so good, from the inside out.
Sharon Hulce of the Employment Resource Group received the Community Service Award. Her business runs free job searches for nonprofits. Hulce believes that’s leading to a strong engagement with the nonprofit community, just like they see in for-profit industries.
Appleton East High School senior Sydney Olmstead took home the Youth Scholarship Award, and she says she helps in little ways when she can. That includes cooking breakfast at the Pillars warming shelter, and helping at Feeding America. She’s also pitched in with fall yard cleanups and donation drives.
Dick Calder won the Mentoring Award. He was the president of the Mielke Family Foundation for 16 years, and he’s helped mentor people through a local Rotary Club, and other activities.
New London first responders director Kayla Schuh is this year’s Health Care Award winner. She leads the volunteer group that helps at emergency scenes and community events.
Karla Huston received the Excellence In The Arts Award. The Appleton woman was the state’s poet laureate from 2017-18.
Community First Credit Union and the Sexual Assault Crisis Center won the Business Partnership of the Year Award, for their work on the annual “Shall We Dance” fundraiser.
List of award winners
Janet Berry Volunteer Of The Year Award: Cindy Reffke
Walter L. Rugland Community Service Award: Sharon Hulce
Youth Scholarship Award: Sydney Olmstead
Paul & Elaine Groth Mentoring Award: Dick Calder
Hanns Kretzschmar Award For Excellence In The Arts: Karla Huston
Health Care Award: Kayla Schuh
Business Partnership Of The Year Award: Community First Credit Union and the Sexual Assault Crisis Center
