Individuals Recognized for National Volunteer Appreciation Week
Throughout Volunteer Appreciation Week, April 17th – 23rd, 2022, Rebuild Upstate honors volunteers and entities for their commitment and service.
There are numerous awards given annually to recognize individual volunteers for their service. Please join us in recognizing these volunteers for their service.
All-In Award
Awarded to Doug Greenwell
The All-in-Award is awarded to a single volunteer whose service goes above and beyond.
If you know Doug, you know going above and beyond is what he does! Whether he’s on a build or sharing about our program with anyone who will listen, Doug is doing his part to move our mission forward. We’re so thankful for Doug’s volunteerism.
Golden Hammer Award
Awarded to Graham Proffitt
The Golden Hammer is awarded to an outstanding individual volunteer who has volunteered their time on the build site. This individual goes above and beyond to help our operations team in completing home repair projects.
As a Site Leader, Graham guided countless teams through build days. It takes a special person to know not only how to perform repairs but to also have teaching skills and patience to guide volunteers through performing repairs. This Golden Hammer has been a long-time coming for Graham.
Home Base Helper
Awarded to Laura McKelvey
The Home Base Helper Award is awarded to a single volunteer whose work at our own home, our office, was pivotal to the success of our operations.
Laura’s enthusiasm and willingness to help homeowners with their applications and questions makes her a standout for this award. She jumped into her volunteer role and learned whatever she needed in order to better assist the office and homeowners. No matter what is asked of her, she tackles it with excitement and urgency. Laura has made a huge difference in the lives of our homeowners without even realizing it. Her skills are invaluable to our program intake process and we are grateful that she chooses to volunteer with us.
Handyman Club Volunteer of the Year
Awarded to Mike Mathers
The Handyman Club award goes to an individual that we could not do without.
Mike is someone you can count on. He has volunteered with Rebuild Upstate for quite some time with the St. Anthony’s crew and has impacted countless lives through repair work. We know we can depend on Mike to keep volunteer crews motivated and organized on site!
Ambassador Award
Awarded to Michelle Gray
The Ambassador Award is awarded to an advocate who shares our mission with others. Their effort builds new relationships and opportunities which are a critical part of carrying out our mission.
Michelle Gray never misses a moment to tell someone about Rebuild Upstate. Michelle serves on our GVL Advisory Council and actively recruits new members. She always makes connections with possible volunteers and funding partners to Rebuild Upstate. As a REALTOR with CB Caine, Michelle has an extensive network of people who care about safe, healthy homes. We’re thankful to be part of it. We are so thankful for Michelle’s advocacy and support.
Outstanding Volunteer
Awarded to Gordon Bell & Skip Redman
The Outstanding Volunteer award goes to volunteers who are diligent, show leadership skills, and standout amongst the rest.
Gordon is very knowledgeable on site and is always ready to jump on a task which is what makes him so outstanding! Gordon likes to take charge on projects and figure out how to help the homeowners as much as he can.
Skip is so fun to have around on site. He works hard, but never misses an opportunity to crack a joke. He is eager to help homeowners as much as he can and enjoys figuring out efficient ways to solve problems as they come up throughout a project.
Young Professional of the Year
Awarded to Anna Spangler
The Young Professional of the Year Award is awarded to an outstanding young professional who offers a significant contribution of time and talents.
Anna Spangler supports our program through time, talent, and passion. Anna’s artistic eye and communication skills are assets to driving our mission forward. We’re grateful for her dedication. In addition to board service, she helps create digital assets, such as our annual impact report.
RSVP Award: Anderson County Volunteer of the Year
Awarded to Chris Harpe
The RSVP-Anderson County Award is given to an individual who advocates for our mission and engages older adult volunteers in Anderson County
Chris shares his service as a site leader with countless teams. His volunteerism with the RSVP program (a federal grant through SeniorCorps) is critical to meeting our grant deliverables.
President’s Award
Coming Soon
The President’s Award is awarded to an individual person or entity whose contributions are pivotal and vital to the success of the organization.
Home Repair Warriors
Home Repair Warriors bring our mission to life. These volunteers may serve in the office, on-site, or as an advocate in the community. Wherever they are, their personal contributions make a deep impact on the entire upstate community. Earned by volunteering 50+ hours, these volunteers made substantial time contributions in 2021.
300+ Hours
Paul Wodecki, 382
Doug Greenwell, 363
Steve Hamel, 352
Forest Britt, 301
150 – 299 Hours
Jesse Trout, 281
Jay Valochovic, 235
Tom Lappin, 223
Mike Mathers, 205
Stacy Sargent, 203
Walt Laiewski, 202
Ken Sargent, 201
Tom Caudill, 190
Doug Stephens, 150
100 – 149 Hours
Karen Hamel, 130
Shawn Lowery, 108
50 – 99 Hours
Graham Proffitt, 79
Don Davis, 68
Bob Hannah, 56
Dan Waugh, 52
Thank you for your commitment and service.