The Cambodian Cooking team received a Community Service Award because the Cambodian Senior Nutrition Program and the United Cambodian Community Center are working closely with the Long Beach Chapter of the American Red Cross to better prepare the Cambodian community for disasters. As part of the Great California ShakeOut on October 13, 2009, Board of Directors members Charles Song and Danny Vong, along with Disaster Volunteer Mike Farrar, designed a mobile feeding and preparedness exercise to teach disaster preparedness skills to the Cambodian community and to offer paid and volunteer staffs a greater understanding of the local Cambodian community. (Long Beach Chapter ARC)
Community service, spirit lauded
By Sarah Peters, Staff Writer
Posted: 01/23/2010
via CAAI News Media
Long Beach Red Cross icon Neil Allgood. (Long Beach Chapter ARC)
LONG BEACH, Calif. -- Neil Allgood was at the right place, at the right time. It could have happened to anyone, but for some reason it happened to him, he said.
That's not the way the Red Cross sees it.
Five years ago the retired 82-year-old Army brigadier general had an award named after him in recognition of his volunteer work and years of service -- 48 years now and still going, he said.
Almost 200 Red Cross volunteers and staff gathered Saturday at the Long Beach airport Holiday Inn for the annual Long Beach Chapter awards and volunteer recognition breakfast.
Awards were given in areas of community service and outstanding volunteer work.
The Neil Allgood Outstanding Disaster Volunteer of the Year Award was presented by Allgood himself.
"They had to pick somebody to do it," he said with humor to the crowd.
The recipients were Willie Mussman and Lisa Harris, co-chairs of the Long Beach chapter Community Disaster Education program and members of the disaster action team.
Through the program Mussman, Harris and a team of volunteers educate individuals and companies on how to prepare for an emergency and how to survive without aid for at least three days.
"That kind of knowledge is empowering," Harris said.
The goal of the program is to ensure that people are ready to act and confident in their ability to protect themselves and others around them, she explained.
"The volunteers could run this organization without us," said Nancy Kindelan, chapter CEO. "When you walk into our office, you know who the real workers are."
There are more than 850 volunteers in the Long Beach area and only 19 paid staff members.
Also recognized were Frankie Wong, Jennifer Tith and Kristin Tith as Betty Seal Outstanding Youth Volunteers of the year.
"There's a satisfaction in helping other people and we learn from opportunities that other students don't get," Jennifer Tith said, "(my sister and I) have grown in a lot of ways."
Other awards presented were the Hal Ball Good Neighbor Award to the city of Paramount and the Dorothy Wise Outstanding Volunteer of the Year presented to Sharmon Voltmer, who was not present.
sarah.peters@presstelegram.com, 562-499-1337
A morning of honors: Nancy Kindelan, CEO; Frankie Wong, Outstanding Youth; Greg Pierson, Board Chairman; Kia Pearson, Director of Volunteers. (Long Beach Chapter ARC)
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