Volunteer Calgary Leadership Awards; Gala spotlights outstanding leaders
By Sheryl Ratcliff, Calgary Herald April 22, 2010
Excerpts: Earlier this week, Volunteer Calgary celebrated a group of these philanthropists at the 14th Annual Leadership Awards. At a gala event held at the BMO Centre on April 19, Volunteer Calgary welcomed hundreds of guests as they bestowed well-deserved recognition on our city’s volunteers.
The Volunteer Management Award went to Azmin Poonja, manager of Volunteer Resources for the Calgary Public Library (CPL).
Since she joined the organization in 2006, the Library has achieved a record number of volunteers and since 2009, 1,680 people have contributed over 30,000 hours to volunteer programs, a huge accomplishment that reflects on Poonja’s passion for her work.
“I believe that volunteerism is a way of giving back to the community and it’s a vital component of a healthy community,” she says.
“I think we are very lucky to live in Calgary! Honestly, I find that Calgarians are very giving.”
With volunteers ranging in age from 11 to 85, Poonja’s CPL volunteer workforce is an essential part of pulling off 19 diverse Library programs, including everything from career coaching to a partnership with PALS (Pet Access League Society), in which children learn literacy skills through reading to pets in a non-threatening environment.
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