From top left to right: Christina Dinh, Joyce Choi, Hailey Keefer, Judith Ocegueda 

Project Access Resource Centers is proud to announce its 47th Annual Spirit of Volunteerism Awards nominees. The event, which takes place on April 20, 2023, at The City Grove of Anaheim in California, is one of OneOC’s most anticipated events of the year, celebrating the outstanding and innovative volunteer service of individuals and groups throughout Southern California.

OneOC (Volunteer Center of Orange County) helps Orange County’s nonprofits become as efficient and effective as they are passionate about their missions. Its services are fully integrated and strengthened through partnerships with other local service providers. Together, they work to accelerate the success of Orange County nonprofits, enabling them to reach their full potential. 

One of the nominees is Joyce Choi, who started volunteering with Project Access Resource Center on July 16, 2021. In 2022, Joyce completed an impressive 110 hours of volunteer service. What sets Joyce apart from her peers is her willingness to go the extra mile without being asked. She has shown an exemplary “can do” attitude and enthusiastically takes on any task. Due to her positive attitude and effective accountability, Joyce was entrusted with more responsibilities, including running an ESL program and other activities at Tara Village in Cypress, California. Joyce has set the bar high for volunteers, and we’re excited to see her succeed in all she does.

Another nominee is Hailey Keefer, who began her Project Access Resource Center internship on February 7, 2023. Hailey has completed 55 hours of volunteer service as of February 2023. In the beginning, Hailey was a little shy, but as time passed, she grew as an individual, especially when working with kids in the After School Program. She has quickly learned how to work with the kids and learn about each one of them. Hailey is very good at communicating, has no problem helping with whatever is needed, and is always helping others.

Christina Dinh is also nominated for her exceptional volunteer service. She started volunteering with Project Access Resource Center on July 29, 2022, and although she only completed 10 hours of volunteer service in 2022, her positive impact has been significant. Christina brought in over $400 worth of in-kind donations from various organizations and local businesses local to the Project Access Resource Center.

These donations included food/snacks, gift cards/prizes, and certificates, which all supplemented our events and Resource Center overall. Christina also led a group of 5-10 youths in grades from K-5th during our daily After School Program. Her emphasis on the importance of mental health awareness drove her to creatively establish tactics for the children to stay engaged and comfortably explore topics such as comprehending emotions, feelings, and conflict management. Christina is someone we would want to work with again; her willingness to learn, complete tasks, and make situations better/positive is unbeatable.

Lastly, Judith Ocegueda is nominated for her exceptional volunteer service. She started volunteering with Project Access Resource Center on September 19, 2022 and completed 85 hours of volunteer service in 2022. Her greatest strengths are time management, attention to detail, and passion for helping others. Judith’s knowledge of mental health has helped engage and promote the importance of one of Project Access’s key health and wellness initiatives to youth, adult, and senior residents. Her ability to interact effectively with community partners, other staff members, and residents demonstrate her influence and leadership abilities. We greatly respect her optimism, sense of responsibility, and the quality of work that she has put into giving back to the community.

Project Access Resource Center is proud to have these four exceptional volunteers as nominees for the 47th Annual Spirit of Volunteerism Awards. Their dedication and hard work have positively impacted the community and shown the power of volunteering. We wish them all the best of luck at the upcoming event.

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