Nevada Volunteers, along with Governor Brian Sandoval, hosted the 10th Annual Governors Points of Light Awards

at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas on October 27, 2011 to honor outstanding volunteer efforts across the state. The recipients were chosen by our judging committee from a field of nearly 130 nominees in 6 categories, to represent this years best examples of service to Nevadas communities. We thank the recipients, the finalists, and all the nominees for giving their time and talents toward building a better Nevada. Nonprofit Volunteer Programs Three Square Food Bank (Las Vegas): Three Square Food Bank has built a volunteer base of more than 7,000 people, logging more than 66,000 volunteer hours in 2010 (the equivalent of 32 full-time employees) to combat hunger through the use of third party events and the hard work of over 600 program partners. Specific programs include the Kids Caf Program to provide nutritious super meals to children in need and the Neighbors for Nutrition program to ensure children receive adequate nutrition during summer break. Three Square Food Bank does extensive outreach to the community to ensure that volunteers are drawn from all economic sectors and populations. They give their volunteers a chance to excel and treat both their volunteers and their clients with dignity and respect.

Corporate and Business Volunteer Programs NV Energy (statewide) : NV Energys volunteer program is multi-faceted. From creating comforting space for crime victims in Reno, to helping weatherize a senior citizens home in Las Vegas, NV energy facilitates active volunteerism for their employees statewide. Over 400 employee volunteers hosted 5 energy assistance expos across Nevada to help thousands of seniors in financial distress. NV Energys Dollars-for-Doers grants reward dedicated employee volunteers with small grants to the employees nonprofit choice. In total, employees gave more than 24,000 hours of community service in 2010 and served on over 140 nonprofit boards. Volunteer Manager Gabrielle Totton (Reno): Gabrielle Tottens commitment to her volunteers in the Trauma Intervention Program of Northern Nevada (TIP) is personal, resulting from the tragic loss of her mother when she was 13. She has been building the volunteer program from scratch since she was hired part-time to launch TIP in 2009. She manages a team of specially trained community volunteers who are called by law enforcement, paramedics, and other emergency responders at all hours to support victims of traumatic events. In the first 18 months of operation, her 30 volunteers have donated over 30,000 hours of service. Gabrielle not only uses quality volunteer management skills to recruit, screen, organize and train volunteers, but her compassion, grace, and infectious humor enables each volunteer to feel genuinely treasured and nourished as they deal with the challenge of responding to such traumatic incidents on a regular basis. Individual Volunteer: Rural Kent Aveson (Elko): Some designated park land had sat idle in Elko since 1997, when a group of citizens joined forces four years ago to propose a Peace Park for the city. Kent Aveson became the hub of that group. He has worked tirelessly to turn the open land into a quiet, meditative space complete with a labyrinth pathway and natural landscaping. Kent Aveson serves as the President of the nonprofit foundation which has received $920,000 of corporate and governmental grants. He has found innovative ways to work with public agencies, corporate agencies, and the community, mobilizing thousands of volunteer hours to bring the park close to completion. Through every stage of the process, Kent was there, literally all the time, and his devotion has resulted in a unique and beautiful place for the citizens of Elko to enjoy. Individual Volunteer: Northern Nevada Individual Volunteer: Northern Nevada Darryl Feemster (Reno): Darryl Feemster knows what the youth of Reno need. Whether the child is rich or poor, black or white, they all need the same thinglove and compassion, and someone that believes in them. Fifteen years ago, Darryl began his journey of mentoring youth by founding the Youth City Council, which gives young people direct access and understanding of how the city works. Today, he works tirelessly for Project Solution, a nonprofit that helps homeless children and children aging out of foster care. From job skills and life skills, to education assistance, Darryl seeks to provide resources for these youth to become law-abiding, self-sufficient individuals. One of Darryls remarkable gifts is his ability to bring people, government agencies, nonprofits, and church groups together to provide a holistic solution to the problems youth are facing today. Individual Volunteer: Southern Nevada Frank Mahoney (Henderson): In 2007, out of compassion for the families of missing adults, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department went to Frank Mahoney and asked him to help. Frank created the Nevada Center for Missing Loved Ones (NCMLO) which has closed over 600 cases, a 90% success rate, with the help of volunteer specialists to canvass computer databases, neighborhoods, homeless shelters, vacant apartments, and the Las Vegas strip. He has also organized an integrated consortium of small airplanes, hikers, ATVs, and a mounted horse unit for desert searches. Franks leadership and tenacity saw through the passage of the Statewide Alert System for the Safe Return of Missing Older Persons, which establishes a Silver Alert system to get the word out about missing seniors. He is also seeking corporate sponsorship for a Senior Identification Protocol to register seniors in a database that will include current photos and information to aid law enforcement if they should become lost. Congratulations to the 2011 Governors Points of Light Recipients!