• Volunteers contributed 148,908 hours of their time to enhance their community through City efforts this year.
• Celebrate their many contributions with the City of Salem at a Volunteer Recognition Celebration on Monday, October 16.

Salem, Ore. – Volunteers are the golden ticket. They make our cities not only better, but possible. Whether they serve on advisory boards, work on behalf of seniors, provide neighborhood emergency response, or serve in their neighborhood associations, parks or libraries, they help make our community a better place for all. 

Monday night volunteers walked the red carpet as we celebrated the contribution of thousands of City of Salem volunteers.

Over the past year, 5,401 volunteers contributed 148,908 hours to make our community better. 

For decades, the City of Salem has honored our volunteers with an annual red-carpet celebration. This year's event included a casual gathering, light appetizers and music by the Sprague High School Spring Quartet, followed by the award ceremony in Loucks Auditorium. 

This year’s volunteers have:

• Bridged generational gaps,
• Preserved Salem’s history,
• Enhanced our urban forest,
• Volunteered for community events,
• Enhanced our parks and pollinator gardens,
• Strengthened their neighborhoods, and much more.

We also have a new category, the Lisa Letney Award in honor of people who volunteer to serve Salem’s unsheltered people and others at risk of becoming unsheltered. It is named for a longtime advocate.

Learn more about volunteering with the City of Salem.

AWARD RECIPIENTS

Al Loucks Business-Government Partnership – Russ Monk and Tom Ohnstad, Hi Impact Technologies

Outstanding City Advisory Group Volunteer – Andrew Zimmerman

Dorothy Patch Community and Educational Achievement Award – Dr. Tommy Van Cleave and the volunteers of the Office of Civic Engagement at Willamette University

Salem Spirit Award – Professor David Craig

At Your Service Award – Chane Griggs

Mayor’s Youth Achievement Award – 

Salem Public Library Teen Advisory Board

Evyn Baker

South Salem High School

Lisa Letney Award – Lindsay Bigelow

Outstanding Neighbor Award – 

Highland Neighborhood Association

Jenny Hiatt

At Your Service Award – Center 50+ Respite Volunteers

Mayor’s Merit Award – 

Leslye Garcia

Emery and Sons Construction

Black Joy Oregon

Pam Garland

Melinda Rossow and Rhonda Murray

Salem Police Department Advisory Council to the Chief

Kirk Seyfert, The Hub

Willard Marshall Award – Ross Sutherland

Vern Miller Award – Bill Metlzer