Proud friends and family gathered at the Canton Public Library Board of Trustees August meeting as 11 library volunteers were awarded the President’s Volunteer Service Award. Don Turner, CPL Board President, presented a bronze service star, certificate and letter signed by President Obama to recipients Morgan Benjamin, Quinn Ebner, Betty Hellmers, Lisa Kluka, Diane Miner, Gabrielle Mussehl, Jason Pino, Ilene Saunders, Carolyn Sumner, Sandra Walczak and Xiao Zhu.

“These people demonstrated an undeniable passion for a library that we all love so much,” said Turner. “I know that I speak not just for the board, not just for the leadership of the library, but really for all the citizens of Canton when I say thank you from the bottom of our hearts for the work you’ve done for the Canton Public Library, truly a jewel in the state of Michigan because of folks like you.”

Scanning resources for digital archives, cutting scrap paper and shelving books were just a few of the tasks performed by the 11 volunteers, who accumulated 1282 service hours in 2011, as part of a volunteer corps that logged a total of 4397 hours.

The President's Council on Service and Civic Participation (the Council) was established in 2003 to recognize the valuable contributions volunteers are making in our communities and encourage more people to serve. The Council created the President’s Volunteer Service Award program as a way to thank and honor Americans who, by their demonstrated commitment and example, inspire others to engage in volunteer service.

“Volunteers help the library immensely by performing necessary tasks and allowing our staff to focus on essential service areas. We are extremely grateful for their dedication and value their contribution,” says library director Eva Davis. “They have played an important role in our ability to handle our shrinking budget without cutting hours.”