(Hands On Nashville)
Hands On Nashville Announces 2010 Strobel Awards
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MAY 25, 2010
By Press Release

Six Middle Tennesseans were honored in April for outstanding volunteer work today at Hands On Nashville’s 24th annual Mary Catherine Strobel Volunteer Awards presented by HCA/TriStar.
More than 600 volunteers and agency representatives attended the luncheon and ceremony at the Franklin Marriott’s Cool Springs Conference Center. The annual event, founded by Ford Motor Company, recognizes volunteers for their outstanding contributions to the community.
The six award recipients were selected out of 19 finalists and 85 nominees. Following is a list of award recipients in each category, and a brief description of the volunteer work for which they are recognized.
Civic Volunteer Group Award Presented by U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company
The Civic Volunteer Group Award pertains to representatives of civic, membership, congregation or noncorporate groups that volunteer together for a cause.
• HelpLine Volunteers has been named the 2010 recipient of the Civic Volunteer Group Award Presented by U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company for its work with The Alcohol & Drug Council of Middle Tennessee, which offers solutions for those affected by addictions. The HelpLine program began using community volunteers to answer telephone calls for those in crisis in 2006. The volunteers have donated more than 8,000 hours to the program, making sure someone is available to answer the phone at all times.
Community Impact Volunteer Award Presented by Mars Petcare
The Community Impact Volunteer Award refers to individuals who are involved in a variety of community activities or are deeply engaged in the operation or administration of one agency.
• Edd Allison has been named the 2010 recipient of the Community Impact Volunteer Award Presented by Mars Petcare for his work with the tutoring program FiftyForward Friends Learning in Pairs, where he has donated more than 1,100 hours during the past five years. He’s also volunteered with the Vanderbilt Ingram Cancer Center Clinic, Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, the Infusion Clinic at Vanderbilt, the Nashville Zoo and the Nashville Humane Association.
Corporate Service Project Award Presented by Embark Real Estate Services
The Corporate Service Project Award pertains to initiatives developed by a corporate business group to impact a specific cause, issue or service agency.
• Cigna Government Services has been named the 2010 recipient of the Corporate Service Project Award Presented by Embark Real Estate Services for its work with FiftyForward’s Bordeaux facility. Cigna employees constructed raised gardens that are accessible to the facility’s members with limited mobility. The gardens were designed to provide physical and social opportunities to members and to yield fresh produce. Cigna employees plan to continue working on other volunteer projects with the facility.
Direct Service Volunteer Award Presented by McNeely Pigott & Fox Public Relations
The Direct Service Volunteer Award recognizes individuals who have participated in hands-on, direct service with an agency’s constituents.
• Martha Ann Baird has been named the 2010 recipient of the Direct Service Volunteer Award Presented by McNeely Pigott & Fox Public Relations for her work over the past 11 years with the Nashville Area Habitat for Humanity. As a volunteer supervisor, Baird spent more than 1,200 hours in 2009 working on various Habitat projects. She was also instrumental in founding Habitat’s Faith Relations Committee.
Volunteer Innovator Award Presented by CMT One Country
The Volunteer Innovator Award recognizes individuals or groups that have responded creatively to an unmet community need by designing a volunteer program, practice or response, or by adding innovation to an existing program or agency.
• Jim White has been named the 2010 recipient of the Volunteer Innovator Award Presented by CMT One Country for his work with Vanderbilt University Medical Center. White was the first-ever Heart Institute Red Coat Ambassador, greeting patients and assisting them to their destinations throughout the campus. He helped create a new volunteer position, the “Heart Institute Inpatient Visitor,” for volunteers who can relate to patients and lean on personal experience to help them through their treatment. The efforts have been so successful that Vanderbilt has created similar volunteer programs in other areas of the hospital.
Youth Volunteer Award Presented by Baptist Healing Trust
The Youth Volunteer Award recognizes youth, teens and young adults ages 5 to 22 who serve as an inspiration to others through significant volunteerism.
• Mariel D’Andrea has been named the 2010 recipient of the Youth Volunteer Award Presented by Baptist Healing Trust for her work as the Franklin Chapter Coordinator of Becca’s Closet, a national nonprofit that provides prom dresses to needy women at no cost. D’Andrea has operated the program out of her home for four years, giving away more than 300 prom dresses each season. She coordinates everything from dress donations to client appointments to promotional efforts.
The Mary Catherine Strobel Volunteer Awards are a program of Hands On Nashville. Event sponsors include: presenting sponsor, HCA/Tristar; founding sponsor, Ford Motor Company; partner, Volunteer Tennessee; award sponsors, Baptist Healing Trust, CMT One Country, Embark Real Estate Services, Mars Petcare, McNeely Pigott & Fox and U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company; print media sponsor, Nashville Business Journal; and table and event sponsors, Assumption Church, Avondale Partners, LLC, Buford Lewis Co., C3 Consulting, LCC, Deloitte, Franklin Marriott Cool Springs, Hands On Nashville board of directors, Lightning 100, NewsChannel 5, Regions Bank, Seigenthaler Public Relations, Tennessee Valley Authority and Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
About the Mary Catherine Strobel Awards
The Mary Catherine Strobel Volunteer Awards are named in memory of the late Mary Catherine Strobel, known for her extensive and charitable efforts toward improving the lives of Middle Tennessee’s homeless, impoverished and less fortunate populations. The annual awards ceremony celebrates Strobel’s service and recognizes those who continue her legacy.
About Hands On Nashville
Hands On Nashville is Middle Tennessee’s volunteer resource agency. Hands On Nashville creates and manages opportunities for adults, families, teens, children and companies to transform their world through volunteer service. Hands On Nashville challenges everyone to find a way to give back and to … Be the Change. Volunteer. To find out how, check out www.hon.org.