Individuals Honored During National Volunteer Appreciation Week

Throughout Volunteer Appreciation Week, April 20th – 26th, 2025, Rebuild Upstate honors volunteers and entities for their commitment and service.

This post is part two in a two-part series recognizing volunteers for their service. It features awards traditionally given to community leaders and individuals for volunteerism. Read about entities, businesses, and churches here.

Golden Hammer Award

Awarded to Mark Hyndman

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 complete home repair projects.

Mark goes above and beyond to help our program team complete home repair projects. He is a true leader, teacher, and friend to Rebuild Upstate. He is dedicated to our mission of ensuring that those in need have safe and accessible homes. Mark is a site leader,  Anderson Handyman Club volunteer, and someone who is always willing to help out in a pinch. We are so grateful for his hard work to help so many homeowners.

Golden Wrench Award

Awarded to Tom Lappin

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 complete home repair projects.

Tom is a longtime volunteer and friend of the organization. You can find him on our Thursday Handyman Club in Greenville. He is always willing to shift his schedule to our ever-changing scheduling needs. He is always kind to homeowners, and he is quick to step back and evaluate the situation before diving in with solutions.

Outstanding Volunteers

Awarded to Walt Laiewski and Jay Valachovic

The Outstanding Volunteer award goes to diligent volunteers who show leadership skills and stand out among their peers.

Walt Laiewski Walt is all the things we could hope for in a volunteer.  He shows up consistently, is thoughtful and kind towards our homeowners, is a strategic problem solver, and an encouraging member of my favorite HMC!!!  This year, as the St Anthony HMC has gone through some team changes, he has stepped up to help with leading and organizing the club.  We are so grateful for who he is and all he does.  Rebuild Upstate and our community benefit grateful from Walt’s good work. 

Jay Valachovic Jay has been a volunteer for a few years with Rebuild Upstate. He is such a kind and gentle soul, and always has a smile on his face. He goes out of his way to help the organization however it needs, like organizing a Friday inventory crew. We were sad to see Jay retire from Rebuild Upstate this year, but his impact on the organization was amazing.

Ambassador Award: Community Engagement Volunteer of the Year

Awarded to Doug Greenwell

Awarded to a person or entity we recognize for service above and beyond in sharing our mission with the community

If you’ve served with Doug on a build site (or in any setting), you know why he’s the perfect choice for this honor. Doug cares deeply about helping neighbors in need, and he understands that to do this, you must build meaningful partnerships within your community and “make the case” for why this work matters. Doug proudly plugs Rebuild Upstate’s mission and the importance of serving our neighbors wherever he goes!

Doug has volunteered with Rebuild Upstate for 6 years, serving in a variety of capacities ranging from Handyman Club member, Site Leader, Advisory Council member, Office Volunteer, and Board Member. Doug has initiated several community partnerships for Rebuild Upstate that have resulted in both volunteer time, donations, and grant funding. In 2024, Doug volunteered 207 hours of his time with us. He is one of the most involved actively volunteers around. We are proud to have Doug represent Rebuild Upstate. He is an exemplary leader and a strong advocate for our low-income neighbors. 

Doug worked as an engineer with Michelin for 40 years and joined Rebuild Upstate’s board in 2023. Learn more about Doug: https://rebuildupstate.org/meet-new-board-member-doug-greenwell/

Foundational Supporter Hall of Fame

Awarded to Lisa Gilstrap

The Foundational Supporters award recognizes individuals who use their time, talents, voice, and/or resources in an “above and beyond” and multi-year effort to advance our mission. This is Rebuild Upstate’s Hall of Fame.

Lisa is a Loan Officer with Appalachian Development Corporation and has served RU in several capacities since first volunteering with our organization nearly 12 years ago including advisory council and the board of directors. Lisa is masterful at weaving the mission of RU into any conversation, recruiting new advocates everywhere she goes. She connects home repair to the impact of kindness and love, and has a way of encouraging others to give a little bit more. Lisa has made a profound impact on this organization’s mission, and we are certain that our growth has been influenced by her investment into advancing our brand and following.

Young Professional of the Year

Awarded to Melody Wunrow

The Young Professional Award is given to a young professional who has given a significant contribution of their time and talents towards our mission.

This year, that young professional is Melody Wunrow, the owner of NowThen Studios. NowThen Studios is an interior design company. We were able to present Melody with her award in person last week at our new Easley warehouse, where Melody donated many hours of her time and expertise to help us maximize functionality of the space and envision its full potential. We are so grateful for Melody’s willingness to support Rebuild Upstate as we entered a new era with the warehouse purchase. We highly recommend working with her and thank her endlessly for her support.

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 deeply impact the entire upstate community. Earned by volunteering 50+ hours, these volunteers made substantial time contributions in 2024.

300+ Hours

Chris Harpe (456)
Stephen Hamel (355)

150 – 299 Hours

Jay Valachovic (290) , Walt Laiewski (276),  Tom Fruhwirth (263), Jesse Trout, (244), Doug Greenwell, (206), Paul Wodecki (188), Tom Caudill, (173), Ron Beaudoin (164), Mark Hyndman, (160), Bob McCulley (157), Karen Hamel (156), Michael Arabe (152)

100 – 149 Hours

Steve Mears (141), Don Shaw (140), Tom Lappin (134), Betty Beaudoin (131), John Geck (126), Mike Neely (117), Ken Bickel (115), Wiley Bryant (113), Mike Pruitt (113), Dan Keesler (103), Tim Forrestall (100)

To all our recent volunteers, thank you! Our program is stronger because of you.