Individual Volunteer of the Year nominees included Geri Beck; Fred Bustillos; Brittni Cearley and Kerry Connelly; Tyler Heberle; Sarah Goold, Tawney Lambert, Kim Leclaire and Denise Watts; Kelvin Lee; Betty Marchbanks; Tim McCrink; Robin Payne; Roxie and Ernie Rice; and Sandy Valdez. Photo by Ornella Rossi

 

SACRAMENTO REGION, CA (MPG) - Who are the volunteers quietly shaping programs for seniors, students, disaster survivors and families across the Sacramento region? That question was answered May 20 as Directors of Volunteers in Agencies (DOVIA) honored 22 nominees during its annual awards reception at Meristem in Fair Oaks.

The event, held at 9200 Fair Oaks Blvd., brought together volunteer leaders and supporters from across Sacramento, Yolo, Sutter, Yuba, El Dorado and Placer counties to recognize service in three categories. The awards included Youth Volunteer of the Year, recognizing volunteers under age 21 with at least 25 hours of service with the winner receiving a $500 scholarship; Individual Volunteer of the Year, honoring volunteers over 21 with at least 25 hours of service; and Volunteer Manager of the Year, recognizing a paid or unpaid leader for exceptional volunteer program management, with the winner receiving a one-year complimentary DOVIA Sacramento membership.

Youth Volunteer of the Year nominees included Elizabeth Caton, Kendayl Taber and Lily Lower; Kelsie Johnson; Melvin Lam; Dahlia Monso; Angelica Maltese; and Isabella Sandoval, Madison Dailey, Alyla Parks and Kaitlyn Babitz. Photo by Ornella Rossi

DOVIA Sacramento, active since the late 1970s, serves as a regional hub for volunteer managers, offering training, peer networking and professional development while promoting volunteerism across nonprofit and public agencies.

“For 48 years, DOVIA Sacramento has celebrated the extraordinary people who uplift our community while also training the volunteer program managers who support Sacramento’s many service driven organizations,” said Leslie Fritz of the DOVIA board. “One of the tenants of good volunteer management is to remember to thank and recognize volunteers. Today we will be doing that.”

This year’s program was emceed by Fritz. She noted support from Sacramento Venture Philanthropy as program sponsor, with additional contributions from Big Day of Giving donors.

Roxie (left) and Ernie Rice (right) of the Firefighters Burn Institute were named Individual Volunteers of the Year.

Top honors went to volunteers whose service ranged from youth-led community building to decades of nonprofit support.

Sacramento County Board of Supervisors, including Phil Serna, Patrick Kennedy, Rich Desmond, Rosario Rodriguez and Pat Hume, presented certificates recognizing nominees.

The Youth Volunteer of the Year award was presented to Angelica Maltese nominated by Blossom Vale Senior Living Center. Maltese, an elementary school student, created an “Adopt a Grandparent” program and has visited her adopted resident weekly since 2024. She also compiled resident recipes into a Blossom Vale cookbook shared with families, which organizers described as a lasting tribute to residents.

Goya Gutierrez nominated by NorCal Resist was recognized as Volunteer Manager of the Year. Courtesy photo

Roxie and Ernie Rice of the Firefighters Burn Institute were named Individual Volunteers of the Year. The married couple has volunteered for a combined 37 years, supporting burn survivors and families, organizing outreach events and helping expand the nonprofit’s reach despite its small staff.

Goya Gutierrez nominated by NorCal Resist was recognized as Volunteer Manager of the Year. Gutierrez was honored for developing programs supporting immigrant communities, including an after-school tutoring program for refugee children and volunteer-led assistance for families navigating local services.

All nominees were recognized during the ceremony.

Youth Volunteer of the Year nominees included Elizabeth Caton, Kendayl Taber and Lily Lower nominated by San Juan Unified School District; Kelsie Johnson nominated by Blossom Vale Senior Living; Melvin Lam nominated by Interim Healthcare Hospice; Dahlia Monson nominated by WEAVE, Inc.; Angelica Maltese nominated by Blossom Vale Senior Living Center; and Isabella Sandoval, Madison Dailey, Alyla Parks and Kaitlyn Babitz nominated by Sacramento County Animal Shelter–Bradshaw.

Individual Volunteer of the Year nominees included Geri Beck nominated by Meristem, Rotary and HART; Fred Bustillos nominated by West Sacramento Community Emergency Response Team; Brittni Cearley and Kerry Connelly nominated by Project R.I.D.E., Inc.; Tyler Heberle nominated by Sacramento LGBT Community Center; Sarah Goold, Tawney Lambert, Kim Leclaire and Denise Watts nominated by Food Literacy Center; Kelvin Lee nominated by SMUD Museum of Science and Curiosity; Betty Marchbanks nominated by Keaton’s Child Cancer Alliance; Tim McCrink nominated by Sacramento Valley Conservancy; Robin Payne nominated by Agency on Aging Area 4; Roxie and Ernie Rice nominated by Firefighters Burn Institute; and Sandy Valdez nominated by AARP Foundation Experience Corps–Sacramento.

Volunteer Manager of the Year nominee was Goya Gutierrez nominated by NorCal Resist.

Organizers said judges evaluated nominees independently, noting close competition across categories as they reviewed service completed between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2025. Judges included Brad Squires of Sacramento Venture Philanthropy; Mark Cullum, district director for California state Assemblymember Josh Hoover; and Molly Patterson of the Elk Grove Police Department.