2009 Governor’s Volunteer Awards: OneStar Foundation is Now Accepting Nominations
AUSTIN - OneStar Foundation: Texas Center for Social Impact is now accepting nominations for the 26th Annual Governor's Volunteer Awards (GVA). The nomination deadline is August 28, 2009.
OneStar partners annually with the Office of the Governor for GVA, which honors some of Texas' most outstanding and innovative volunteers. Four new categories of awards are introduced this year: Social Innovator Award, Corporate Community Impact Award, Public Innovator Award and Community Collaborator Award. These awards are in addition to the Community Motivator Award, the First Lady's Rising Star Award and the Governor's Lonestar Achievement Award. GVA winners will be honored at a ceremony on December 9, 2009, in Dallas, Texas. The winners will celebrate with their invited guests and attendees of the 32nd annual Governor's Nonprofit Leadership Conference, which will take place concurrently.
To download the nomination form and find more information on the eligibility criteria for these categories, go to OneStar's Web site at http://www.onestarfoundation.org/page/gva
"Service and volunteerism is the backbone of our communities, meeting needs in ways government alone cannot," said Elizabeth Seale, President and CEO of OneStar Foundation. "The Governor's Volunteer Awards recognizes and celebrates these community leaders who work tirelessly to better the quality of life for their neighbors. I encourage all Texans to consider nominating those whose service has made a difference in their lives or in the lives of others."
Volunteers are a crucial part of the economy, both nationally and in Texas. According to the "Volunteering in America" report by the Corporation for National Community Service, approximately 60.8 million volunteers-or 27.2% of the U.S. population-donated 8.1 billion hours of service in 2007, which adds up to a $158 million economic contribution. The 4.7 million people who volunteered in Texas that same year gave 598.2 million hours of service-or an economic contribution of approximately $11.7 million.
