Jim Rathschmidt Announced as 2018 Volunteer Spirit Awards Winner

Volunteer New York!, is proud to recognize the extraordinary local volunteer efforts of Jim Rathschmidt, a Mahopac resident and the co-founder of United for the Troops, with the Quality of Life Award at the 38th Annual Volunteer Spirit Awards. Presented by Regeneron, the 2018 Volunteer Spirit Awards breakfast gala will take place during National Volunteer Week on Friday, April 20, 2018 from 8:00am-10:00am at the Westchester Marriot in Tarrytown, NY.

United for the Troops began quite simply with a gesture that parents everywhere can relate to: Jim Rathschmidt and his wife Patty mailed a care package to his son Luke who was deployed with the 82nd Airborne in Iraq. The package contained simple items like toiletries and snacks. While Luke appreciated the package, he told his parents that he felt badly because most of his fellow soldiers didn’t received any mail or care package at all. This bothered Jim and he began collecting items to fill boxes to send to Luke’s friends and colleagues. In the early days, all the boxes were sent directly to Luke, who passed them around to his delighted fellow soldiers. Later on Patty sent out questionnaires asking what the soldiers would like to see in their packages.

Today United for the Troops is a thriving 501(C)3. It is supported by a network of local school, civic groups, and Scout troops who help gather and sort items, pack boxes. Many help by writing cards and letters. The goal is always to support and remember deployed service members in the hope of making things a little easier for them. The organization works out of space provided by Putnam County to collect and pack the items needed to ship over 18,000 packages a year. The items that fill the boxes are all donated. Any money that is raised or collected is used to pay for the shipping which runs about $15 per box.

There is one point that Jim is most emphatic about: “My wife, Patty and I are co-founders of United for the Troops. We each have done the things we do best. She works behind the scenes while I am the front man. We have had our roles to play in the success of the organization”.

The Quality of Life Award honors individuals who work to improve the quality of life in the following areas, including, but not limited to, working to reduce illness or with the disabled, homeless, elderly, and veteran populations, as well with those with substance abuse problems or mental disabilities.

“There will be six awards given to the outstanding honorees from throughout Westchester, Rockland and Putnam, chosen from a stellar group of nominees submitted by local nonprofits,” said Volunteer New York! Executive Director, Alisa H. Kesten. “Our board of directors will also present its Legacy Award to Geri Shapiro. This event, now in its 38th year, recognizes those who give their time to strengthen our community, its people and resources– without asking for anything in return. We are inspired by their selfless actions, and expect hundreds to join us in celebrating the power of volunteerism.”

For more information, to get tickets, or become a sponsor, please visit: www.volunteernewyork.org/awards or contact Elisabeth Vieselmeyer at 914-227-9307 or evieselmeyer@volunteernewyork.org.

National Volunteer Week began in the US in 1974, a full 25 years after Volunteer New York! was founded by a small group of Westchester County women determined to set up a system to connect local individuals who were looking for meaningful volunteer opportunities, but were coming up short finding them with efficiency. After 68 years their legacy continues and has expanded to include connections in Rockland and Putnam Counties. In the last year alone Volunteer New York! helped inspire over 20,000 volunteers to take action, managing 285,000 hours of service at a value of $8.1 million to the community. Active volunteer opportunities of over 500 local nonprofits are now readily available through its searchable database, which is accessible for free at volunteernewyork.org. Additionally, staff and volunteers provide personal placement advice for individuals and groups, and work with local nonprofits to identify meaningful ways volunteers can increase agency capacity – from the board room to the front line – to achieve mission goals.