Sandy Springs Library Volunteer Wins Service Award

A familiar face with the Sandy Springs Branch of the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System was recognized for her commitment to the library.

Laura Thompson, who has worked as a volunteer since 2010 at the branch on Mount Vernon Highway, won the President’s Call to Service Award for reaching a career total of over 4,000 hours.

Thompson received the honor during the system’s 24th Annual Volunteer Recognition Award Program was held Nov. 15, which had over 125 people in attendance.

Special guest speakers included Stephanie Moody, chair of the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System Board of Trustees and Fulton County District 6 Commissioner Joan Garner, who is also former Library Board trustee.

With 1,350 of those hours being served in 2013, Thompson was also in the top three volunteers with the highest hours for 2013. Additional winners included Ben Statham who served 1,379 hours with the Friends of the Alpharetta Library and Carol Harrison who served 1,174 hours with the Friends of the Roswell Library.

The value of volunteering topped $1.5 million at Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System, with 2,008 volunteers donating 67,645 hours in 2013 valued at $1,525,407.15 in donated services. This is the sixth year library volunteer services have topped $1 million.

Library volunteers serve as adult literacy tutors, English as a second language (ESL) teachers, homework help aides, math tutors, computer assistants, clerical assistants, children’s program aides, special event hosts and more – in any of the Library System’s 34 branches. Volunteers with Friends of the Library groups are active in 24 branches and served over 22,000 hours last year.

Some highlights of the volunteer year include: 146 volunteers donated over 100 hours in 2013, including 58 who donated over 200 hours. Three of these volunteers donated over 1,000 hours in 2013.

Several volunteers reached milestones including 28 volunteers who celebrated their five-year service award, 16 volunteers who celebrated their ten-year service award and eight volunteers who celebrated their 15-year service award. Eleven volunteers received the Millennium Award for reaching a career total of 1,000 hours.

Eleven young adults and nine teens won the President’s Volunteer Service Award, as well as 15 Friends of the Library groups won the President’s Volunteer Service Award for groups serving over 200 hours in one year.

Photo 1: Top 2 Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System volunteers Laura Thompson, Sandy Springs Library, and Ben Statham, Friends of the Alpharetta Library, celebrate the “Big Check” with (L to R) Interim Library Director Anne Haimes and Chair of the Library Board of Trustees, Stephanie Moody.

Photo 2: Odessa Washington-Williams (middle), Friends of the South Fulton Library, celebrating her 5 year anniversary with (L to R) Fulton County Commissioner Joan Garner, District 6, and Chair of the Library Board of Trustees, Stephanie Moody.