Nearly 200 President’s Volunteer Service Awards Presented to Residents at Greenspring

Residents at Greenspring were recently recognized for their service to the Greenspring community and greater Springfield community

(Springfield, Va.) - For the 8^th consecutive year, Greenspring retirement community presented residents with President’s Volunteer Service Awards.  Since 2005, the community has been recognizing the volunteer efforts of residents who provide service at both Greenspring and within the greater Springfield community.  This year, 192 individual awards were presented at Greenspring.

The President’s Volunteer Service Awards were created by the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation in 2003 “as a way to thank and honor Americans who, by their demonstrated commitment and example, inspire others to engage in volunteer service,” according to their website.  The level of award presented is based on the number of hours an individual has served in a given year.  For adults, gold awards are presented to those who have served 500 or more hours, silver awards are for 250-499 hours of service, and bronze awards are for 100-249 hours of service.  At Greenspring, 28 gold awards, 51 silver awards, and 109 bronze awards were presented for service in 2012.

Additionally, four lifetime awards, also called the President’s Call to Service Award, were presented in recognition of those who have given 4000 or more hours of service over a lifetime.  Including these four awards, Greenspring has presented a total of ten lifetime awards since 2005.  In 2007, Greenspring was the first Erickson Living community to present a lifetime award to a resident. 

“Greenspring has a true spirit of volunteerism that is hard to beat,” said Robin Gliboff, Greenspring’s Executive Director.  “We have more than 700 active volunteers at our community who share their gifts with residents, staff, and others out in the greater community.”  During 2012, volunteer activities at Greenspring and in the greater Springfield community involving Greenspring volunteers added up to a total of 100,959 hours served.

Of the 192 awards for 2012, seven were presented to non-residents of Greenspring who have volunteered at the community throughout the year, including one recipient who received a “Young Adult” silver award for her service.  Along with a service pin, each recipient received a personalized certificate of recognition and a congratulatory letter from President Obama.  

About Greenspring: Greenspring is situated on a scenic 108-acre campus in Springfield, Virginia.  The community is home to nearly 2000 residents, many of which reside in the over 1400 independent living apartment-style homes.  At Greenspring, more than 200 resident-run and resident-driven programs promote an engaged, fulfilling lifestyle that is reflected in resident satisfaction levels that exceed the industry average.  Life at Greenspring offers a true sense of community and is an exciting alternative to the typical retirement community.  Additional information about Greenspring can be found at www.ericksonliving.com.