The Sonoma Valley Catalyst Fund hosted the annual Sonoma Valley Star Volunteer Awards at the Hanna Boys Center on Sunday, October 9, 2022. Thirty-seven nonprofit organizations honored thirty-nine of Sonoma Valley’s most active and valuable community volunteers during the awards ceremony. Sonoma Valley Catalyst Fund presented each Star Volunteer with a special trophy and certificates of recognition from Sonoma County District 1 Supervisor Susan Gorin and Congressman Mike Thompson. Nonprofit organizations who serve Sonoma Valley nominate their Star Volunteers in recognition for going above and beyond during the year.

This year’s Star Volunteer Awards ceremony was made possible through grants from co-sponsors Community Foundation Sonoma County and the Rotary Club of Sonoma Valley, and donations from several local nonprofits and businesses.

“Volunteers are often the unsung heroes behind the nonprofits that work to improve our quality of life in Sonoma Valley,” said Rotary Club of Sonoma Valley president Scott Murray. “The Star Volunteer Awards are a time for the whole community to recognize these amazing people.”

“Our co-sponsorship of the Star Awards is part of our continued partnership with the Sonoma Valley Catalyst Fund,” Murray added.  “During the Covid-19 pandemic, our two organizations worked together to raise $200,000 in grants to small businesses impacted by the shutdowns.

The Star Volunteer Awards were started in 2008 by the Sonoma Valley Fund, a committee advised fund of Community Foundation Sonoma County, to highlight the amazing work of Sonoma’s nonprofit community.  In April, the Sonoma Valley Fund merged with the Sonoma Valley Catalyst Fund, and the Star Volunteer Awards are continuing under the newly combined organization.

“The Star Volunteer Awards have been a tremendous celebration of the dedication, courage, and enthusiasm that volunteers bring to our community,” said CFSC’s director of communications, Caitlin Childs. “We are thrilled that this legacy continues under the Sonoma Valley Catalyst Fund’s leadership.”

“We are honored and privileged to continue supporting the Catalyst Fund in Sonoma Valley,” added CFSC’s Interim CEO, Sheryl Alexander. “The members of the Catalyst Fund are committed to better understanding the needs and providing resources and opportunities that enhance the quality of life for people living there. We are very grateful for their thoughtful diligence and dedication to Sonoma Valley through their work.”

The heartwarming event was attended by nonprofit leaders and friends and family members of the awardees. The event was recorded and live-streamed by SonomaTV. To view a recording of the awards ceremony please visit their webpage https://sonomatv.org/ and click on the SonomaTV YouTube icon.

To learn more about the Sonoma Valley Star Volunteer awards and this year’s awardees, please visit https://www.sonomavalleycatalystfund.org/.

2022 Star Volunteer Award Recipients:

Art Escape — Katherine Fonseca

The Botanical Bus — Kim Lydon

Boys & Girls Clubs of Sonoma Valley — Cathy Williamson

Cancer Support Sonoma — Susan Murray

Creative Bridges — Lisa Carlsson

Farm to Pantry — Amelia Belle

Farm to Pantry — Bob Rudolf

Food for All / Cómida para Todos — Laura Ramirez Navarro

Friends In Sonoma Helping — Beverly Koepplin

Friends of the Sonoma Valley Library — Janet Constantino

Homeless Action Sonoma, Inc. — Sierra Nadeau

Impact 100 Sonoma — Dana Simpson-Stokes

Jack London Park Partners — Liz Fisher

Kid Scoop News — Martha Leticia Flores

La Luz Center — Ana Rios

Pets Lifeline — Jon Foreman

Robert Ferguson Observatory — Allen Barrett

Sebastiani Theatre Foundation — Rose Mary Schmidt

Seeds of Learning — Allyson Etherington

Sonoma Arts Live — Monica McKey

Sonoma Botanical Garden — Alan Porter

Sonoma Community Center — Janet Nusbaum

Sonoma Ecology Center — Mark Gonzalves

Sonoma International Film Festival — Nancy Boerum

The Sonoma League for Historic Preservation — Michael Studebaker

Sonoma Overnight Support — Patti England

Sonoma Plein Air Foundation — Ellen Hoover

Sonoma Valley Chamber of Commerce — Tami Cotter

Sonoma Valley Collaborative – Fred Allebach

Sonoma Valley Community Communications – KSVY — Marcia Macomber

Sonoma Valley Community Health Center — Garland Lamb

Sonoma Valley Education Foundation — Laura Stanfield and Megan Kaplan

Sonoma Valley Historical Society — Kate Schertz

Sonoma Valley Mentoring Alliance — Marianne Mullins

Sonoma Valley Museum of Art — Gary Seifer

Sweetwater Spectrum — Carola McAndrew

Transcendence Theatre Company — Cindy Belluomini

Valley of the Moon Music Festival — Barbara Insel

Vintage House — Richard Smith

 

Group photo credit: Melania Mahoney

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