• By Todd Luck
• Posted Tuesday, April 16, 2019

Cooperative Extension Honors Volunteers

Volunteers are at the heart of N.C. Cooperative Extension. Numerous volunteers were honored during the N.C. Cooperative Extension, Forsyth County Center Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon on Monday, April 15.

April is National Volunteer Month, so Forsyth Extension Center took the time to treat its volunteers and supporters to lunch. County Commissioners Richard Linville, Don Martin, Tonya McDaniel and Gloria Whisenhunt helped extension staff present awards to ten volunteers while celebrating the impact of volunteer service with nearly 130 program volunteers in attendance.

Susan Kelly, district extension director with NC State University, and Lonnette Marsh, regional extension director with NC A&T State University, both spoke on the importance of volunteer support for Cooperative Extension.

“Volunteers are the heart of your team,” said Marsh. “Volunteers give a little, but they change a lot. Volunteers deserve praise every day in every way.”

Kim Gressley, county extension director, said volunteers help Cooperative Extension create prosperity for North Carolina through programs and partnerships that are focused on agriculture, health and nutrition, and 4-H Youth Development. She said she was impressed with their diligence and talent.

“I am in awe of all of you,” she told the volunteers.

Gressley said volunteers contributed 52,812 hours to the Forsyth Extension Center, which she said is worth a breath-taking $1,303,928 of in-kind service volunteers donated to Cooperative Extension in 2018.

The awards announced at the luncheon were:

Soil & Water Conservation Award - Ed Wall
4-H Volunteer Award - Jesse Anderson
Forsyth Community Gardening Volunteer Award - Peter Dunlap and Angela Rucker
Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Award - Annie Sargent
Family Consumer Sciences Volunteer Award - Donna Staley
Field Crops Volunteer Award - Rod Poindexter
Community Resource Development Award - Edgar Miller
Friends of Extension - Samantha Winship and Vern Switzer