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Fifty-four extraordinary community volunteers from all over Los Angeles County, including Lancaster's own Diane Grooms, volunteer extraordinaire, were honored on February 27th with speeches and plaques at WM's Second Annual Community Involvement Awards. Diane, who couldn't make it to the ceremony, was honored by Mayor Frank Roberts, and our own Karen Erstad accepted the honor on her behalf. The event, entirely underwritten by Waste Management, underscored the value of volunteers to local communities.
The event began with a keynote address by Dennis Hayes, the CEO and interim president of the NAACP, in which he discussed the importance of volunteers to community-building. “Volunteerism brings people out of their isolation and puts them in touch with others. Instead of waiting for government to respond to pressure, individuals can take voluntary steps to meet their own needs,” said Dennis Hayes. He concluded with praise for the award recipients in the room; "This country can’t make it without you." Following Mr. Hayes' address, City Council members, mayors and other city representatives from 22 cities in Los Angeles County presented their local volunteers with words of appreciation and engraved plaques.
Steven Tucker, Vice President and Director of Operations for Los Angeles Market South instituted the awards last year, based on his belief that helping communities to recognize volunteers is a way of growing community involvement from the inside out. Community building is a vital part of Waste Management's commitment to the communities we serve.
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