Hope Center for Children volunteers recognized as Martin Luther King Jr. Drum Majors of Service
January 20, 2017
Three local volunteers were honored by Hope Center for Children for their service. The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) initiated the Martin Luther King Jr. Drum Majors for Service program to carry forth Dr. King’s legacy. The program acknowledges and celebrates volunteers who perform remarkable everyday acts of service with reliability and commitment, but seldom receive recognition. There are two options to recognize such individuals – MLK Drum Major for Service, based on the quality of the person nominated, and MLK Drum Major for Service President’s Volunteer Service Award (PSVA), based on the number of service hours a person has completed. Hope Center for Children recognized three volunteers, nominated by staff, for these honors.
Olya Harlen and Ja’Leisha Fuller were presented with the MLK Drum Major for Service award for their commitment and passion for Hope Center for Children’s mission. Olya has been dedicated to spending time with the children in the shelter since she began volunteering in 2015. Ja’Leisha began volunteering in 2016 and has helped significantly with the organization’s Christmas projects that served children and families in the community.
Left to right: Karen Neal (Bronze Drum Major for Service award), Susan Ledford (HCFC Community Engagement Manager), JaLeisha Fuller (Drum Major for Service award), and Olya Harlan (Drum Major for Service award).
Karen Neal was recognized with the MLK Drum Major for Service Presidential Service Award as she has given Hope Center for Children over 200 hours of service in the past year. Since 2014, she has dedicated her time to organizing and sorting thousands of articles of clothing so they are ready for approximately 200 children who enter the shelter each year.
“We are delighted to honor these volunteers who often go unrecognized,” said Chamlee Loscuito, Chief Executive Officer. “Their dedication to our mission is demonstrated in their service and we are honored to have the gift of their time.”
About Hope Center for Children:
Hope Center for Children, formerly the Children Shelter of the Upstate and Ellen Hines Smith Girls’ Home, exists to build stable, healthy families and provide children a safe place from abuse and neglect. We have five primary programs that work toward this goal; two programs serve families with increased risk of abuse or neglect, two provide around-the-clock care for children who are victims of abuse or neglect and one program works with youth at risk of homelessness. In the past 12 months, we have served 1,130 families and 2,561 children in our community. For more information on Hope Center for Children, visit www.hopecfc.org or call 864-583-7688.
