Laura’s House Honors Outstanding Volunteers Mary Bentley and Jolee Hibbard
Posted on April 23, 2013
The two women were recognized by OneOC during the 2013 “Spirit of Volunteerism” awards as being among more than 400 of Orange County’s “unsung heroes” who give of their time and treasure to local nonprofits and community organizations
Laura’s House is pleased to have celebrated the contributions of two of our amazing volunteers, Mary Bentley and Jolee Hibbard as part of the OneOC 2013 “Spirit of Volunteerism” awards!
During a luncheon held on Friday, April 19 at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim, Bentley and Hibbard were among 411 of Orange County’s “unsung heroes,” nominated by 168 nonprofits, community organizations and companies, for their contributions to building a stronger, more vibrant community.
Mary and Jolee were nominated by Laura’s House staff members, who had this to say about the two women:
Mary Bentley has volunteered with Laura’s House for 10 years, generously giving her time, talent and treasure at all of our sites, including the Emergency Shelter, our Corporate Offices and CRC. From serving as a Crisis Hotline volunteer, to landscaping and planting gardens at our Shelter, to preparing meals and donating food, toys and clothing, to assisting with creative special event ideas and holiday decorating, Mary has done it all! And, she often spends her own money to complete these projects. Recently, she saw a need for cabinets in our Shelter garage to store donated school and art supplies for the children of Laura's House. She contacted a builder, had plans drawn up, submitted them for our approval, and then spent $1,500 of her own funds to complete the project. This is just one of the many examples of how Mary always motivated by her passion for Laura's House and the clients we serve, truly giving selflessly. Mary’s bright disposition and willingness to assist in every aspect of the agency, makes her a standout volunteer, and she is never one to forget staff birthdays or milestones. Over the years, she has also recruited friends and family to donate their time, talent and treasures to Laura's House. Those who have worked closely with Mary have said that she is one of the warmest and most generous people that you will ever meet…she has a heart of gold!
Jolee Hibbard has been volunteering with Laura’s House since January 2012. She began serving Laura's House as volunteer with our 24-Hour Crisis Hotline, and since that time, has volunteered with all of the other departments at our Emergency Shelter. When asked how she feels about volunteering with Laura's House, Jolee responded, "The reason that I like to volunteer at Laura's House is that it makes me feel as though I am serving my community. I have been given so many gifts in my life I believe that I have a responsibility to give back." Currently, Jolee volunteers with Laura's House twice a week, despite juggling a MFT course load at Pepperdine University, and a busy life as a mom of two adorable twins. We are so lucky to have her as part of our team here at Laura's House!
Please join us in congratulating Mary and Jolee! We are grateful for their contributions, as well as those of nearly 500 volunteers who contributed more than 8,000 hours of service to Laura’s House in 2012!