Medfield02052's Blog

Yesterday afternoon at The Center the Medfield Foundation volunteer awards reception was held to fete and celebrate the ten extraordinary Medfield volunteers suggested for recognition this year by fourteen different residents.  DCAMM Commissioner Carole Cornelison deadpanned about John Thompson, that at first she was not aware that he actually had a job, because she saw him so much at so many meeting related to the Medfield State Hospital environmental clean up.  For the past couple of years John has spent 10-20 hours per week dealing with that MSH clean up for the Town of Medfield.

Kathy Brennan, one of the event organizers commented that “this uplifting event celebrated the inspirational volunteers who represent just a small sample of the good work done by so many good people in Medfield. As Anne Frank once said: ‘How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.’  You can make a difference.”

See Colleen Sullivan’s blog post and photos on Patch for more detail.

This observer found the stories by the volunteers to be both moving and inspirational, and highly recommends looking for the replay of the reception on Medfield.TV, so you too can learn just what remarkable things your neighbors are effecting.

Medfield Foundation 2014 Volunteer Recognition Reception

3:00 PM, Sunday, March 23 at The Center at Medfield

The Medfield Foundation is pleased to announce that the following people  will be celebrated at the recognition reception next Sunday at 3:00 PM, Sunday, March 23 at The Center at Medfield, One Ice House Road.  All were nominated for special recognition by fellow residents for doing extraordinary volunteer work.

Youth Volunteer of the Year

• Andrea Nevins for initiating the Miss Amazing Massachusetts event, and for volunteering with the Medfield High School Student Council, Project 351 Alumni Leadership Council, Boston Cares Teen Advisory Council, Best Buddies, Special Olympics, and as a Adaptive skiing volunteer instructor.
• Dina Roche for running food drives to benefit the Medfield Food Cupboard at the Montrose School for the past five years.
• Siddharth Arun for starting and running the Chess Club at the Library, and also for volunteering at Norwood Hospital, and teaching chess in other places.
• Wesley, Corey, & Aaron Dron  for being great and caring neighbors to a couple needing assistance.

Volunteer of the Year

• John Thompson for his work with the  Medfield State Hospital Mediation Committee, and also for the State Hospital Environmental Review Committee, Medfield Archeology Advisory Committee, Medfield Conservation Commission, Friends of the Dwight Derby House, Vine Lake Preservation Trust, and Port of Galilee Advisory Committee Narragansett RI Town Council.
• Sonja Johanson for her work with the Victory Garden at the Wheelock School, and also the Wheelock School Site Council, the  Massachusetts Horticultural Society, and the  Massachusetts Master Gardener Association.
• Kim Price for her work with the Medfield Coalition for Public Education, and also for the Medfield Kids PMC, and Dale St. School CSA.

Lifetime Achievement

• Andy Thompson for his work with Little League, Soccer, Lacrosse, Ice Hockey, Boy Scouts, Medfield Park & Recreation Commission, operating the football scoreboard for 47 years, Medfield Physical Fitness Association for 48 years, The Center, the American Legion, and MPRC activities at Medfield Day.

Click to see the announcement for:

• All the volunteers
• Andy Thompson who received the Lifetime Achievement Award
• John Thompson who is the Volunteer of the Year
• Andrea Nevins who is the Youth Volunteer of the Year

Now all Medfield gets to hear their interesting stories, about why they were nominated, what they do, and why they do it.  The MFi’s 2014 volunteer recognition reception provides an afternoon of storytelling by and about these exceptional volunteers – anyone is welcome to attend, and all are guaranteed to be entertained.

The seventh annual MFi volunteer awards are again sponsored by the generosity of the Rockland Trust Charitable Foundation (for the third year).