Oklahoma City Area Volunteers Honored for Service to Their Community

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OKLAHOMA CITY -- Several Oklahoma City area volunteers were honored for the service they have provided to their community during the OKDHS Annual Volunteer Recognition ceremony.
Receiving an award was the Oklahoma County Association of Black Social Workers. Dianne Johnson, Oklahoma City, president of the OCABSW, accepted on the group's behalf. The association hosts the annual Bridge Project in which black social workers from all state agencies collect canned and dry goods at a local grocery store in November and December to benefit seniors and needy families. Families receive a turkey and food basket during Christmas. The association also networks with other organizations to conduct a toy drive, held in conjunction with the food drive. Last year the association provided 25 food baskets, turkeys and toys to 35 families and five senior Christmas baskets. To date, they have helped 2,521 families in need.

Paul Duffy of Oklahoma City's Midnight Express Band accepted an award on the group's behalf. The band has volunteered its time for more than 10 years, playing for individuals at the Dale Rogers Training Center workshop for people with intellectual disabilities. Each year, the band members take time off from their full-time jobs to play rock and roll for free for the more than 80 people at Dale Rogers. The free concerts take place in December and June each year.

Receiving an award was Kim Schlittler, who with Bill Schlittler, created the Oklahoma City nonprofit organization Best Friends in 1994 to assist pets and their owners. Since then, Best Friends has expanded their efforts to provide assistance to low income families so their pets can be spayed or neutered through the Spay/Neuter Assistance Program. Since cost is often the biggest reason why pets are not spayed or neutered, many low income pet owners can't afford regular veterinary fees. The program enables pet owners to spay or neuter their pet for as little as $10. Since 2005, more than 2,830 dogs and cats have been assisted.

Myrtyle Clingenpeel, Bethany, the mobile meals coordinator at Ridgecrest United Methodist Church, was honored for her work to plan the bi-weekly meal menus, shop for groceries and recruit volunteer cooks and drivers to deliver meals for the program. Clingenpeel plans a variety of nutritious and yet economical meals using her resourcefulness. She also fills in when a volunteer cook or driver is not available. A retired teacher, she was also elected to the General Conference Board of Global Ministries where she served two four-year terms.

The Edmond Memorial High School DECA organization received the Leader of Tomorrow Award for their work on Life Books, a form of scrap books that give OKDHS custody children a means to hold onto precious childhood memories while they are in state care. DECA also assists foster parents by providing stories or photos for the books. The group set a goal of completing 10-20 books but ended up providing more than 100, an amount they have continued to donate annually. Through DECA's generosity and caring, positive information about foster care has been shared with the community and sparked additional interest in providing Life Books. The Leader of Tomorrow Award honors exceptional youth and organizations that provide volunteer service whose work has had a significant impact on individuals or a community. Kim Walters accepted on the group's behalf.

Mary Lou Cozzens of Nichols Hills received the Ed Birchall Award for Humanitarian Service. Cozzens has shared her enthusiastic smile and kind words of encouragement with Oklahoma County residents through the Retire Senior Volunteer Program and as volunteer coordinator for Oklahoma City's Ronald McDonald House. Her work with the Ronald McDonald House and RSVP has made an enormous personal impact on patients and family members by giving each person a smile, comfort and renewed hope. She has also been a member of the RSVP board of directors and plans to continue volunteering and spreading smiles for the rest of her life. The Ed Birchall Award is named for the late television performer known as HoHo the Clown and recognizes an individual whose personal touch has brought comfort and hope to others. 

Gov. Brad Henry’s Cabinet Secretary for Human Services, OKDHS Director Howard H. Hendrick, presented the awards and congratulated the honorees.

The ceremony, Volunteers Light the Way, was held on April 22 in the Chesapeake Room of the Oklahoma History Center in Oklahoma City.

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Representatives of the Edmond Memorial High School DECA received the Leader of Tomorrow Award for their work on Life Books, a form of scrapbooking that benefits OKDHS custody children. The group was among those recognized at the State Volunteerism Awards. Gov. Brad Henry’s Cabinet Secretary for Human Services, OKDHS Director Howard H. Hendrick, far left, presented the awards and congratulated the honorees.