National Volunteer Week is a celebration of the collective power volunteers have to make a difference, and is also the reason I feel especially grateful today for the difference Pro Bono Partnership’s 1,300 volunteers have made over the last year. At the first of our three regional Volunteers of the Year events last week, I was reminded once again of the important role we serve and the impact that has on our communities in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut.
At our New York and Fairfield County, CT event, held at ArtsWestchester in White Plains, NY, we celebrated three outstanding volunteers and heard stories from the nonprofit organizations that benefited from their services.
Congratulations to the following Volunteers of the Year:
- Stephen Cooper, Esq. of Robinson & Cole LLP presented by Bob Francis, CEO of RYASAP
- Marc Gold, Esq. of Thomson Reuters presented by FaithActs for Education Director of Operations & Program, Brittany Coleman
- Verity Rees, Esq. of Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP presented by Karen Bobay, Chief Human Resources Officer at Girl Scouts Heart of the Hudson
From resolving employment issues to reviewing grants and navigating corporate mergers, the legal matters they assisted with ranged in complexity and topic but had one thing in common: expert legal services were provided free of charge to deserving nonprofit organizations that were then able to utilize their resources to serve their constituencies.
Hearing their stories made me proud to be part of Pro Bono Partnership; proud to represent an organization whose volunteers donated $9.4 million worth of their time and talent to strengthen our communities, and proud of the difference we’re making together.
Take a look at photos from the event on our Facebook page, and I hope to see you at our New Jersey event on Friday, April 28th or at our Hartford, CT event on Thursday, May 11th.
Gratefully yours,
Marcia Levy, Esq.
Executive Director