On a 2007 trip to Bangladesh, volunteers taught residents how to make compost. Photo courtesy of Winrock International
Press release from Winrock International:
Winrock International announced it has awarded Andrew Goodheart Brown from Asheville with the President’s Volunteer Service Award, a national honor offered in recognition of volunteer service.
Established in 2003, the award is available on an annual basis to individuals, groups and families who have met or exceeded requirements for volunteer service and have demonstrated exemplary citizenship through volunteering. As one of thousands of certifying organizations participating in the award program, Winrock International confers the award to recognize the outstanding achievements of its volunteers.
Andrew Goodheart Brown with a harvest of organically raised apples in East Asheville. Photo courtesy of Winrock International
Since 1994, through Winrock’s (USAID-funded Farmer-to-Farmer Program), Brown has contributed over 2,000 hours of volunteer service on international assignments in countries around the globe such as: Armenia, Bangladesh, Belarus, Bolivia, Brazil, Republic of Georgia, Guatemala, Jordan, Mozambique, Myanmar, Rwanda, Sri Lanka and Uganda.
Brown demonstrates how local citizens can truly make a difference in today’s world: His assignments center upon sustainable use of natural resources, mostly in developing countries. His projects include a wide array of sustainable topics, such as: permaculture, vermiculture, organic orcharding, sustainable soil management, alternative crops and composting.
Volunteers find these assignments to be personally as well as professionally rewarding. Helping people help themselves is a contribution that makes sense. Brown is quick to proclaim that he gains as much as he gives, as well as deepening his enjoyment and respect for all peoples and cultures the world over.
DeAnn McGrew, director of agriculture and volunteer programs at Winrock explains, “Volunteerism is a core American value. It connects us to our neighbors, whether they are local or global, and gives us an opportunity to use our skills for a greater good.”
The award is issued by the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation, a
group created by President Bush to recognize the valuable contributions volunteers are making to our nation. The council comprises leaders in government, media, entertainment, business, education, nonprofits and volunteer service organizations, and community volunteering.
For more information about how to qualify for the President’s Volunteer Service Award and to find out how to identify additional volunteer opportunities in this area, visit www.presidentialserviceawards.gov
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The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.