Gov.’s volunteer awards presented
The award ceremony for recipients of the 2013 Governor’s Volunteer Service Awards for Lenoir County was held April 15 at the Board of Commissioners meeting in the Lenoir County Courthouse.
Lucy Marston, Lenoir County Tourism director, presented the awards, including letters from Governor Pat McCrory thanking the recipients for their efforts, a certificate and a lapel pin. This is the 34th consecutive year these awards have been presented in North Carolina.
Mark Hollar Jr. and Wilma Robinson Boldt are the recipients.
Hollar has supervised a team of eight at Mary’s Kitchen for 12 years. He handles inventory, orders supplies and stocks shelves to feed about 150 every Tuesday. He works continuously to identify new food sources for the kitchen and ensures that the kitchen can access all government programs for which it qualifies. He maintains the kitchen’s operations, often at personal time and expense.
The hope of all volunteers of Mary’s Kitchen is that one day the need for the kitchen will disappear. Until then, it will be there and Mark Hollar will be there to lead the way.
Boldt was presented the award for her efforts with Lenoir Memorial Hospital Volunteers. She has served this group for 32 years, logging more than 22,000 volunteer hours. She had been the chairwoman of the American Hospital Association Committee on Volunteers; director of the Southeastern Conference of Hospital Auxiliaries, an officer for nine years, including president of the NC Society of Volunteers & Auxilians; an officer for seven years of the LMH Volunteers, including president. As chairman of the American Hospital Association Committee on Volunteers, she was a representative of Lenoir Memorial and the state of North Carolina throughout the nation.
Boldt has more service hours than any volunteer in the history of the LMH Auxiliary. She was the organizer and chairwoman of the “Lights of Love” project, which raised more than $500,000 for Oncology services at LMH since its inception. She was the organizer and chairwoman of “Monkey Business,” which provides stuffed animals for pediatric patients, and was the organizer and chairwoman of “The Clown Troupe” patient and staff visitation project at LMH.
All three of these projects received awards from the NCSHV&A. Boldt has worked in many areas, including the service desk and as volunteer manager and buyer of the gift shop. She planned the new gift shop and was instrumental in hiring the first professional manager.
Boldt also received the Medallion Award for Volunteer Service 2013. This award is given to the top 20 volunteers in the state and she is the first to receive this honor for Lenoir County.