Push on to salute Emo volunteers

The Ontario Volunteer Service Awards help organizations across the province ensure their volunteers receive the recognition they deserve.
And Emo Chamber of Commerce president Colleen Vennechenko stressed at a meeting earlier this month that she’d like to see many of the community’s volunteers nominated this year.
“I think Emo has an opportunity to nominate its volunteers,” she noted. “I think anyone who has volunteered with the town, hockey, church, or whatever should be nominated.”
The Township of Emo only recently became aware of the awards after a form was included in a package for the recreation council last year. Three of its members were the only Emo volunteers nominated.
Now Vennechenko wants to get the whole community on board.
“We have a lot of volunteers here,” she remarked. “Let’s see if we could get Emo ‘up there.’”
Any volunteer who has contributed consecutive years of service to a single group within Ontario, and has not received payment, is eligible for nomination.
Groups that have been in existence for a minimum of five years may nominate up to seven volunteers, and are encouraged to nominate at least one youth volunteer.
The Ontario Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration selects the deserving candidates, who then are presented with stylized trillium pins and personalized certificates at ceremonies across the province.
“Atikokan has held [the] banquet the last two years and that’s only because they had the most volunteers,” noted Vennechenko. “That’s what they try to do—whoever has the most volunteers is where it gets held.
“We could very easily do this,” she continued. “There were about 75 nominated in Northwestern Ontario last year and we could likely [nominate] 75 ourselves.”
Vennechenko said local organizations wouldn’t necessarily have to nominate all their volunteers this year. They could nominate seven people this year and then next year they could nominate another seven.
“I just think Emo can do this,” she stressed. “I see a lot of people who deserve this—seniors who’ve never been given that pat on the back. . . .
“Volunteers often don’t want to be recognized, but it’s good to give them a pat on the back and something to hang on their wall.
“It’s not an easy job sometimes,” she admitted. “You do it because nobody else will do it, so you have to look at it from that point of view, too.”
Vennechenko indicated she’s handed out the nomination forms to some groups already, but hasn’t got them to everyone. Community organizations, not-for-profit associations, boards, businesses, municipalities, and hospitals are encouraged to nominate their volunteers.
Anyone interested in the award program should contact Vennechenko at the Corner Closet in Emo.
The deadline for nominations is Jan. 15.