County honors volunteers at recognition ceremony

Tracy DeFore

County of San Diego Communications Office

People who freely give their time without any thought of monetary reward deserve to be celebrated. And the County did just that by honoring its volunteers during the 2023 Volunteer Recognition Ceremony May 2 at the County Administration Center.

Volunteers are truly valued for their donation of time, skills and knowledge. Their work makes all the difference in helping the County provide quality customer service.

Last fiscal year, 7,670 volunteers saved the County $23 million, allowing those dollars to go toward other programs and services.

During the event, Board Chairwoman Nora Vargas presented a proclamation for Volunteer Recognition Month to the county’s volunteer coordinator Marylyn Gines and departmental coordinators.

Afterward, the Board of Supervisors recognized the volunteers that were nominated by departments as providing outstanding service. These 2023 County Volunteers of the Year include:

The District 5 Community Planning Sponsor Group Chairs Robert Carlyle, James Chagala, Eileen Delaney for Fallbrook, Rebecca Falk, Sandra Farrell, Paul Georgantas for Rainbow, Delores Harmes, Steve Norris for Bonsall, and Hans Peterma.

Community planning and sponsor groups play an important role in shaping the growth and development of a community. They hold regular public meetings to gather community input, and then provide informed recommendations to County decision-makers on proposed projects and initiatives.

Their participation in the land use process is critical to ensure the needs and interests of local residents are taken into account. Community Planning and sponsor groups truly are the backbone of the unincorporated County. Without their efforts, many important projects and other local initiatives would not be possible.

Their dedication to public service is making the county a better place and is a testament to each member’s character and values. The community planning and sponsor groups in District 5 contributed to a total of 4,320 hours in volunteer work.

If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, you can find opportunities at a variety of county departments and through county partners. For more information, visit https://www.sandiegocounty.gov/content/sdc/volunteer.html.