Volunteers Make a Difference in Tualatin

Volunteers can really make a community!    The city of Tualatin is honoring those who donate their time and effort.   In 2021, seven hundred and eighty volunteers contributed over 10,000 hours of service to strengthen the City, make significant improvements in the community, and keep Tualatin growing and thriving.

Each year, City staff nominate volunteers they have worked with over the year who have been truly outstanding.   The city of Tualatin sent out a list of the winners:

Outstanding Adult Volunteers

Tim and Lori Kellogg -Tim and Lori have lived in Tualatin for 31 years. The Kelloggs are avid walkers and they began picking up litter on their walks in 2010. In 2021, Tim and Lori made their volunteering official by becoming part of the Do-It-Yourself Program and served 150 hours. Their interest and concern about increased litter inspired and helped to launch a new volunteer program in Tualatin: Hug a Street Litter Blitz. There have been two Hug a Street events each gathering over five yards of trash with over 80 volunteers attending. The next event is in November 2022.

Beth Dittman – Beth’s volunteer contributions totaled 188 hours, across a wide range of volunteer programs. Beth is chair of the Tualatin Parks Advisory Committee, where she has contributed to the City’s land acknowledgement statement, park asset management, and future parks planning. Beth and her family are Do-It-Yourself Volunteers specifically hunting down trash in local parks. Beth also plants trees in the Put Down Roots in Tualatin program and participates in Spruce Up the Library events and the annual Veteran’s Day Celebration.

Outstanding Lifetime Volunteers

Sheldon and Bobbi Siegel – Bobbi and Sheldon have contributed 2,325 hours of service to the Library, over 13 years! Together, they have shelved over 280,000 items. Team Siegel has assisted the Library through the last two challenging years and has helped re-open the Library’s doors to the public with enthusiasm.

Outstanding Youth Volunteers

Satvika Vadapu – Satvika started out in the Tween TakeOver Program five years ago, and has volunteered every year since, in six different programs. In addition to being versatile, Satvika has demonstrated a strong capacity for leadership on the Teen Library Committee and with TEAM Tualatin, and has even led her younger sister Dhruvika into volunteering for the City. Thank you, Satvika for contributing 105 hours of your time and talent in 2021!

Ava Marsh – Ava has been giving her time, enthusiasm, and leadership abilities to volunteer programs since 2019. Ava is a TEAM Tualatin Volunteer, a member of the Youth Advisory Council and a Do-It-Yourself Volunteer. Ava served 98 hours and made a huge contribution to the community in 2021. She adopted the Jurgens Park Community Garden from June through September and through her commitment gave the community a beautiful public space to wander through and learn about vegetables, herbs, and pollinator friendly plants.

Aaliyah De La O – Aaliyah began volunteering as a Library Summer Teen in 2018 and has returned ever since. In 2021, Aaliyah served 70 hours and was everywhere: helping the Library as a Summer Teen, caring for our Parks and trails with TEAM Tualatin, lending her ideas and leadership to Teen Library Committee, and helping on all three days of Viva Tualatin. Aaliyah’s warm personality and can-do attitude make her an outstanding volunteer and well-connected citizen of Tualatin!

Outstanding Volunteer Groups

Emergency Housing Outreach Group – The Emergency Housing Outreach Assistance Group is comprised of four dedicated volunteers: Maria Pelayo Nguyen, Efren Mexicano, Laura Vargas, and Dawnell Meyer.

Working around their full-time jobs, they served over 60 hours reaching out to community members who needed assistance. This assignment required excellent communication and time management skills, and a sense of urgency and empathy. This group demonstrated extraordinary care and respect for vulnerable members of our community.

Juanita Pohl Center Guest Services Team – The Juanita Pohl Center Guest Services Team is comprised of four dedicated volunteers: Patricia Blackburn, Doreen Knoll, Sharon Noell, and Mary Welsh.

The guest services volunteers are the friendly faces that greet guests at the Juanita Pohl Center both in-person and over the phone. The position requires a lot of flexibility, dedication, and knowledge of programs and services. This talented team helps to create the warm and welcoming atmosphere of the Juanita Pohl Center.

On behalf of the City Council, City staff, and the entire Tualatin community, we thank all our volunteers for making Tualatin a great place to live, work, and play.

For more information on the city of Tualatin’s volunteer program, click here:  www.tualatinoregon.gov/volunteer