Vote for Mesa County Volunteer of the Year!

How to vote:

1 Read about each volunteer’s qualifications

2 Choose your favorite

❒ John Ahern

❒ Weldon Allen

❒ Ruthmary Allison

❒ Bronwyn Beckstead

❒ Joy Bush

❒ Leonard Cruz

❒ Judy Fenton

❒ Cheryl Gummere

❒ Nanette Lytle

❒ Shirley Schultz

❒ Dana Seelye

❒ Steve Olney

3 Cast your vote online at BeaconSeniorNews.com

Or mail this official ballot to: PO Box 3895, Grand Junction, CO 81502

The last day to vote is Friday, April 7. Online voting closes at 4 p.m. Mail-in ballots must be received by 4 p.m.

All nominees are invited to a special ceremony at Grand Junction BeaconFest, where they will be presented with awards and the Volunteer of the Year will be announced (details below).

Questions? Contact us at 970-243-8829, or email Cloie@BeaconSeniorNews.com

GRAND JUNCTION

Enjoy the area’s largest boomer and senior fair! FREE admission, entertainment, seminars, food

GRAND JUNCTION

Thursday, April 20, 2023

9 am-3 pm

Grand Junction Convention Center of duty for a Mesa County resident. Before starting her weekly route, Meals on Wheels staff pack an extra lunch in Bronwyn’s bag because she spends time with a wheelchair-bound senior and assists her in the home, sorting through mail, organizing stacks of paperwork and socializing. Bronwyn always shows up with a positive attitude and a kind spirit. She is one of those individuals who quietly serves in a great capacity.

Joy Bush

Nominated by Visit Grand Junction

Joy has logged 2,115 lifetime hours at the Grand Junction Visitor Center. She greets guests looking for things to do in the area and assists new residents seeking advice on places to dine, things to do, Realtor information and places to meet other locals.

Joy is well respected by all of the volunteer ambassadors at the Grand Junction Visitor Center. She shares articles with volunteers who have similar interests along with books she’s read, her favorite trails and bike routes and more. Joy is always trying to expand her horizons. If there is a topic she isn’t familiar with, she will research and learn about it. She is always optimistic with a positive attitude.

Leonard Cruz

Nominated by Roice-Hurst Humane Society

Since 2017, Leonard has dedicated more than 2,430 volunteer hours to the dogs at Roice-Hurst Humane Society. He has a special knack for working with the most timid, shy dogs that enter the shelter, often taking them on as his own personal projects until they are adopted. Leonard has fostered more than 60 dogs in his home and has touched the lives of countless more at the shelter. Most days, you can find Leonard sitting on the floor of a dog kennel, gently hand-feeding hot dogs to a wary pup, teaching them that humans aren’t so scary. His generous work has set dozens of dogs up for successful lives with loving families

Judy Fenton

Nominated by Supporting Our Seniors (SOS), Hilltop & Aging and Disability Resources of Colorado (ADRC)

As a volunteer with SOS, Judy has provided rides to homebound seniors for over six years. In addition to being an amazing volunteer, Judy is also an incredible human being. She is a vibrant ray of sunshine. Her happiness and sense of humor rub off on others really easily. She is full of life and will always put a smile on your face. Even though Judy prefers to give seniors rides to medical appointments, she is pretty flexible and always willing to work with us. One day, we had a last-minute ride from a grocery store that no other volunteer was available to do. When we explained the situation to Judy, she enthusiastically took it on. Her flexibility and commitment to the SOS program are among the many reasons we would like to nominate her for Volunteer of the Year.

Cheryl Gummere

Nominated by EUREKA! McConnell Science Museum

Cheryl “Jolly” Gummere has volunteered at EUREKA! McConnell Science Museum since 2018 and has donated over 400 hours of her time. She has filled a variety of roles during her time at the museum, and is always willing to do whatever needs done. She is a leader, welcoming and training new volunteers. Jolly is thoughtful, persistent and a joy to be around.

Nanette Lytle

Nominated by Grand Valley Pets Alive

When Nanette and her family moved into their new Fruita home, they quickly noticed the overwhelming feral cat and abandoned pet cat problem in the area. Their trailer park was overrun by cats who were often sick or injured, or abandoned by their owners who moved away. Many of them were starving and produced litter after litter of kittens every year who often died or were killed on the surrounding streets. Nanette, along with her teenage daughter Violet and mother-in-law Ann, started trapping and spaying/neutering the cats, hoping to rescue the kittens and younger cats, tame them and place them in loving forever homes. They spend countless hours feeding and spending time with the colony—all in an attempt to make trapping efforts more successful. They became involved with Grand Valley Pets Alive’s Spay/Neuter Return Program, utilizing vouchers to cover the cost of procedures and then continue to feed and care for the cats, mostly at their own expense. When GVPA had the opportunity to apply for a grant from the City of Fruita, Nanette went door to door securing signatures on a letter of support. Because of Nanette’s efforts, her mighty team has been able to take care of 59 of the approximate 60 colony cats. Currently, the team is dealing with the displacement of the colony while being displaced themselves. Even though they no longer living there, they continue to feed, trap and take care of them.

Shirley Schultz

Nominated by HopeWest

Shirley is a volunteer at Heirlooms for Hospice and has been volunteering with HopeWest for over 25 years. Last year, she turned 100 years old. Her motto is,

“If you’re not having fun, it’s not worth doing.” She volunteers at Heirlooms on Monday mornings and always tells us she is happy to do whatever “grunt work” we have for her. She is a valuable asset to the HopeWest team. Everyone she comes into contact with is lucky to know her. When we shared that we would like to nominate her for the Volunteer of the Year award, she said, “I get far more out of volunteering then you get out of me, and I enjoy every minute of it”.

Dana Seelye

Nominated by VA Western Colorado Health Care System

Dana has given hundreds of hours to beautify the landscaping at the VA Hospital. An Army veteran and master gardener, Dana has done a great job of recruiting others to help him. Many times, he helps his helpers succeed in other areas of their lives. His passion for volunteering, improving our grounds and showing kindness to others continues to inspire.

Steve Olney

Nominated by Community Hospital & Community Food Bank

When you arrive at Community Hospital, Steve’s is one of the friendly smiles that greets you. He gives his time two mornings a week greeting visitors, patients and their families and escorting them to their appointments. His humor and friendliness put people at ease, and his kindness and compassion shows through in every interaction. Steve also visits with patients, collects mail throughout the hospital, works on a variety of special projects and is always willing to take on a new responsibility. During his six-year tenure at the hospital, Steve has volunteered over 2,600 hours. He knows many patients by name, and the staff looks forward to talking with him and are grateful for his willingness to give his time and talents to the hospital. Steve connects with other volunteers, supports their work and is a friend many of us have come to rely on. Steve is also an integral part of the Community Food Bank family. He goes to Main Street Bagels every Monday morning to pick up bagels for us to serve. Then he spends every Monday afternoon as our greeter, explaining our shopping model to new clients, updating returning clients of any changes and answering questions. He truly cares for our clients and is eager to hear about their day. Not only is Steve dedicated and compassionate towards clients, but he also makes sure to build community with other volunteers he serves with. Steve is an amazing volunteer who shows up for each shift with a smile on his face and a get-it-done attitude, making him the perfect candidate for Volunteer of the Year!

By Nona Kelley Carver

Dear God,

want to thank you for these rugged Rocky Mountains, that you formed and stacked so close up to the sky. I wonder if you made them to inspire and to uplift us, or simply piled them up here just to echo eagle’s cry.

How their heights still make me dizzy, every time I travel through them, and their beauty pours a peace into my soul…

And I pause here and I ponder if the lakes reflect their splendor, clear to heaven and if that has been your goal.

God, we’ve scratched upon their surface with our railroads and our highways, that still take us to the places where we really want to go. But sometimes, stark fear will grip us as we peer beyond the edges, into crystal streams that run at least a thousand feet below.

I still marvel at the colors from pale gray to deep magenta… at the purples and the depths of valleys green; and I think you must have rested as you finished with creation, with these mountains as your footstool while you looked upon the scene.

I feel sure you smiled contented as you scattered seeds for flowers, and you watered them with raindrops so they’d grow. Then you chilled the earth for winter, let it rest until the springtime, as you capped these mighty mountains with a sparkling crown of snow.

When you hung your lovely rainbows that still follow summer showers, did you place them there before us so we’d see, that your guiding hand will lead us ever onward, ever upward? If we trust you, you will set our spirits free.

God, we love these Rocky Mountains you’ve created for our pleasure, but we love you more, and this will be my prayer… that we honor and adore you, place our heart and soul before you, and accept the strong protection you provide with loving care.