Montgomery County Executive Mark Elrich and the Montgomery County Volunteer Center on June 25 recognized individuals and organizations with the County’s highest honor for service and volunteerism at the 13th “Montgomery Serves Awards”. The awards were presented at a ceremony at the Rosborough Theater in Gaithersburg.
This year’s honorees represent volunteers dedicated to programs such as social justice and educational advocacy, safety-net healthcare services and outreach to vulnerable populations.
“The Montgomery Serves Awards are the County’s highest honor for service and volunteerism,” said County Executive Elrich. “I congratulate this year’s winners and thank them for their dedication to volunteerism and the County. Their selfless work not only inspires others but exemplifies the true spirit of community and highlights the profound impact individuals can have when they give of themselves. These remarkable individuals and organizations prove that one person or one group can make a difference. I thank them for their commitment to helping make Montgomery County a better place for all."
This 2024 Montgomery Serves Awards recognized volunteers in the following
categories:
Designated by the County Executive, the Roscoe
R. Nix Distinguished Community Leadership Awards honor community leaders,
change agents and role models who have made extraordinary contributions to the
County throughout the course of their lives.
This year’s awards were presented to:
- Catherine Leggett, an attorney
and former first lady of the County has dedicated her career and volunteer
work to supporting several causes. Ms. Leggett has been instrumental in
promoting the arts and humanities and helping organizations actualize
their mission to serve underrepresented communities.
- Joyce Seigel, a
community leader and activist, has made a commitment to volunteer service
in the County with a focus on equal rights and fair housing. She founded
the West Fernwood Civic Association and played a significant role in revitalizing
the County's Scotland Community. Ms. Seigel worked to improve living
conditions and access to affordable housing for the historically poor
Scotland community.
- Greg Wims is a current
member of the Maryland House of Delegates. He is the former Upcounty
Regional Services Center director and a sixth-generation County resident.
Mr. Wims has served as a voice for the community through his work and
volunteer service. He founded the Victims' Rights Foundation, an
organization focused on providing volunteer support services for victims
of violent crimes.
The Inez Zeigler McAbee and William Harvey Zeigler Humanitarian Award honors
those who unite and bring about positive change for all people. This year’s
award was presented to:
- Warren Fleming, president
of the Damascus Connection Committee, is recognized as a Human Rights
champion. He provides a voice for the Upcounty and has led efforts to
increase awareness of the resources available to community members in need
and preserve the rich history of African American contributions in the
County.
Neal Potter Path of Achievement Awards are presented to residents 60 or
older for lifetime volunteer service. This year’s awards were presented to:
- Bruce Adams, former
County Councilmember and former director of the Office of Community
Partnerships, has served the community for more than five decades.
Inspired by public servants Neal Potter and John Gardener, he has strived
to make a difference by volunteering on several government advisory boards
and commissions, nonprofit boards and special committees. As an advocate
for positive youth development and leadership, Mr. Adams taught leadership
to students at County high schools and co-founded the Bethesda Community
Base Ball Club to improve youth fields.
- Mary Canapary has
dedicated a lifetime of extraordinary service as the volunteer director of
The Lord's Table in Gaithersburg. As the longest-serving volunteer, Ms.
Canapary has served more than 500,000 hot meals and led a team of
specialized volunteers to provide individualized and targeted resources
for housing, addiction counseling and access to health care. She also has
recruited and managed approximately 400 volunteers.
Volunteer of the Year Awards recognize outstanding volunteer service
performed during the previous calendar year. The winners in the three
categories of the awards:
- Volunteer of the Year:
Wendy Kent has been actively involved with improving access to food and
other essential items in the Greater Takoma Park and Silver Spring community
for more than 10 years. She co-founded Tommy's Pantry to help alleviate
food security by providing shelf-stable food items along with health,
hygiene and household cleaning products not covered by SNAP-EBT benefits.
Tommy's Pantry initially served an average of 20 families per month and
grew to serve more than 400 families a month during the COVID-19 public
health crisis.
- Youth Volunteer of the
Year: Tejusvi Vijay is a junior in the Science, Math and Computer Science
Magnet Program at Montgomery Blair High School. Tejusvi has committed to
promoting diversity and inclusivity in STEM through her volunteer service.
She has served as a volunteer coach and a mentor for girls and launched
the Lego Club for English Language Learners at Blair High School. Tejusvi
also serves on Councilmember Laurie Sayles’s youth advisory council.
- Volunteer Business of
the Year: The Monitor Group, a Rockville-based, family-operated financial
services business, maintains a quarterly volunteer campaign supporting
local nonprofits such as the Personal Care Foundation, So What Else? and
the County Family Justice Center Foundation. The staff at The Monitor
Group is dedicated to contributing to a positive and transformative
impact. Their volunteer service has provided support to survivors of
domestic abuse, backpacks for students and encouraged collaborative
partnerships to strengthen nonprofits' community reach and impact.
- Volunteer Group of the
Year: The AARP Tax-Aide program of Montgomery County has offered free tax
preparation services to County residents for more than five decades. The
program is fully volunteer-led and operated. In 2023, volunteers prepared
3,780 returns resulting in a total of $3,530,262 in refunds.
The Montgomery County Volunteer Center organizes the annual awards and helps
individuals and groups find volunteer opportunities year-round.
Learn more about the Volunteer Center, its annual awards and past award
recipients at www.montgomeryserves.org.
