ANDREW MACLEAN, American Cancer Society New England Division board president; volunteers Nancy Damiani of Brunswick, Valerie Clark of Topsham and Peggy Mast of Brunswick; Terry Baker, American Cancer Society community executive; and Cheryl Tucker, American Cancer Society vice president of health initiatives, from left, pose during a ceremony honoring the three local volunteers.
Each year the volunteerbased American Cancer Society’s New England Division accepts nominations for the Sandra C. Labaree Volunteer Values Awards, named in honor of the late Sandra C. Labaree, a longtime ACS volunteer from Damariscotta and a founding member of the New England Division board of directors.
The awards recognize and honor New England volunteers whose actions and service in the fight against cancer most exemplify the society’s organizational values, according to an ACS release. While most cancer caregivers who are the bearers of hope and healing are family and friends, there is another group of people who have shown compassion and brought support to people they did not know — volunteers. This year, five outstanding society volunteers from Maine were selected to receive this award.
Three of those volunteers are Valerie Clark of Topsham and Peggy Mast and Nancy Damiani, both of Brunswick. All three are part of a team of Road to Recovery coordinators working in the ACS’s Topsham office.
“These volunteers are committed to making sure that cancer patients receive transportation to their treatment appointments. They are the critical link between the patients needing transportation, and the volunteer drivers providing the rides,” the release states. “Coordinating transportation to and from the many hospitals and treatment centers in eight Maine counties — from rural Maine to our larger cities — and knowing all the intricacies of our volunteer drivers including their schedules and availability, is a huge job. Yet Valerie, Peggy and Nancy go above and beyond in their efforts and are committed to making a difference in the lives of cancer patients. They often cover for each other if one of them is unable to make it to the office, and check with each other to make sure they have exhausted all possible options if they cannot fulfill a request.”
Clark and Mast are both cancer survivors and came to the society to volunteer because they saw people coming into treatment by themselves and wondered how they got there. Mast was so excited about her volunteer position she recruited her friend to join the team.
“We all know the math theory — the whole is always larger than the sum of its parts,” said Terry Baker of the American Cancer Society. “This is true with Valerie, Peggy and Nancy. We are delighted to present the 2012 Sandra C. Labaree Volunteer Values Awards to them for their selfless dedication to help Maine cancer patients.”
The American Cancer Society is always looking for new volunteer drivers to join the Road to Recovery program. Volunteers need to have a reliable vehicle, a valid driver’s license, proof of insurance and be able to attend a training session. Following training, Road to Recovery volunteers can commit to as many or as few hours as their schedule provides.
The other Sandra C. Labaree award winners in Maine this year include Claire Breton of Lewiston, Maria Philbrook of Scarborough, Janet Miles of Livermore and Mari Hoell of Kittery.
To learn more about the American Cancer Society or to seek help, call any time at 1-800-227-2345 or visit cancer.org.
Comments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
