CHARLESTON, W.VA. – Governor Joe Manchin will honor two Cabell County youth for their outstanding dedication to volunteerism and community service. Jonathan Ross and Anastacia Meadows will receive a Governor’s Service Award on Wednesday, July 15 at the Charleston Civic Center at a banquet held as part of Faces of Leadership, the annual state volunteerism conference.
Ross will receive his award in the Youth K-6 category while Meadows will receive her award in the Youth Grades 10-12 category.
Presented annually since 1995, the Governor’s Service Awards honors youth, young adults, adults, seniors, families, organizations and businesses who exemplify outstanding dedication to volunteerism and community service in West Virginia.
Jonathan Ross, a fifth-grader in Huntington, became inspired to do something for his church’s mission trip to a foreign country when he found out he was too young to go on the trip himself. He soon became active in raising money for a fellow church in Peru through the sale of cookbooks titled “H.U.G.S.,” which stands for “Help Us Give Support.”
“People need to be aware that kids can do more than play video games,” he said. “They can make a difference if they try.”
With the help of his parents, Ross began his cookbook by writing letters to various celebrities asking them to submit one of their favorite recipes. As a result, Ross collected more than 100 recipes. Ross and his family typed and funded the publication of the cookbook, which has since raised $3,200 for the church in Peru.
Ross has since been featured in two local newspapers and on a local television station, where he was named the WSAZ Hometown Hero for his contribution to his community.
In addition to his cookbook project, Ross has been an active participant in all of his school’s service-learning projects. He has collected money for a local cancer walk, pennies for the Pennies from Heaven Campaign, and donated canned goods for the school food drive. He also participated in various community projects through his local church.
“He is unbelievably motivated and focused,” Steve Hatten, a fellow church member, said.
Ross hopes to inspire other young people to get involved in their communities and has already started with his little sister, who is currently working on her own project to make a difference.
Anastacia Meadows, 17, of Huntington, felt compelled to act quickly when she discovered the amount of waste being produced at her school by a newspaper surplus. As a result, she established a local recycling program, founded a school “eco-club,” and participated in various community events to promote recycling awareness.
“I was appalled at the amount of waste my school was making,” Meadows said of the moment she saw a garbage truck hauling away a large load of newspapers from the school. “A good environment is not permanent, and I knew that if someone didn’t start something soon, our West Virginia hills would not be so majestic and grand.”
Meadows’ school-wide recycling program was so successful it soon expanded to the Barboursville Library and several local businesses. As a result, Goodwill Industries agreed to place two permanent paper-recycling bins at the school. The program collected and recycled more than four tons of paper last year.
The “Eco-Club” has become the second largest club in the school with more than 50 members. Last year, the club coordinated the collection of pet supplies for a local animal rescue shelter and pop tabs for the Ronald McDonald House in addition to its numerous environmental projects.
As a result of her efforts, Meadows earned a Girl Scout Gold Award and received a national 2009 Prudential Spirit of Service Award, making her the West Virginia Teen Volunteer of the Year.
“She’s very organized and gets things done,” Robin McChristian, a friend of Meadows, said. “I’m proud to be associated with her.”
The Governor’s Service Awards are administered by Volunteer West Virginia, the state’s Commission for National and Community Service to honor outstanding individuals, organizations and businesses solving community problems through volunteer service. A panel of volunteer judges, including past awardees, choose the recipients on the basis of achievement, community needs, continuing involvement, innovation and impact of service.
Other recipients of the 2009 Governor’s Service Awards include, by category:
- Lifetime Achievement: Karen Betler, Harrison County; Vivian Crane, Greenbrier County
- Adult: Annette Fetty-Santilli, Barbour County
- Senior: Raymond Shaw, Harrison County; Betty Russell, Berkeley County
- National Service: Ruth Pepper, Jackson County
- Organization: The Hope Shop, Wirt County; The Shepherd’s Center of Greenbrier Valley, Greenbrier County; Generation Charleston, Kanawha County
- Business: Beckley Newspaper – the Register-Herald, Raleigh County
For tickets to the awards banquet, or information about the conference, contact Moya Doneghy at (304) 558-0111 or 1-800-WV-HELPS, or by email at moya.doneghy@wv.gov.
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