Pamela Caruso, a Chatham County Council on Aging volunteer was awarded the 2018 Medallion Award by the NC Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service. She was one of the honorees at the award ceremony held on May 7, at the State Capitol in Raleigh. Caruso was recognized for her outstanding volunteer service in Chatham County.
Caruso has volunteered with the Chatham County Council on Aging for the Senior Health Insurance Information Program (SHIIP) for more than eight years. She has also volunteered for the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA) for over ten years. She has dedicated over 200 hours to these programs, assisting low-income families and seniors.
Eight Commissioners for the NC Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service attended the award ceremony in Raleigh. First Lady Kristin Cooper, wife of Governor Roy Cooper, presented the awards. This is the tenth year the Governor’s Office has awarded this accommodation, which recognizes the “best of the best.”
Caruso was nominated as Chatham County’s recipient for the NC Outstanding Volunteer Medallion. Each county can submit one volunteer for this special honor. There are 100 counties in North Carolina, but the NC Commission on Volunteerism & Community Service only selects 20 honorees. This year, Caruso was among them. Only three Chatham residents have ever received this honor.
“Volunteerism is an important part of the proud history of community service in Chatham County,” said Dina Reynolds, Executive Director of United Way of Chatham County. “It is our honor to recognize our neighbors who truly make a difference in the lives of others.”
Since 1998, United Way has coordinated the Chatham County Outstanding Volunteer Awards to recognize individuals who selflessly give their time, talent and expertise to benefit the residents our community. Chatham County community members make up the local Volunteer Nomination Review Committee that reviews the nomination forms, selects the honorees and plans local recognition activities. The committee also selects Chatham County’s nominees to be considered for recognition on the state level. The United Way of Chatham County Volunteer Center coordinates this effort with the NC Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service.
For more information about volunteering in Chatham County, please contact Alane Coore, United Way Volunteer Center Coordinator at 542-1110 or visit the United Way of Chatham County website at www.unitedwayofchathamcounty.org.