Highmark Caring Place to honor mid-state volunteers

June 11, 2009 | Camp Hill, Pa. —

More than 6,500 hours dedicated to help grieving children and families
The Highmark Caring Place will recognize 185 volunteers on Monday, June 15 at the Radisson Penn Harris Convention Center. These individuals have collectively volunteered more than 6,500 hours — an average of nearly 35 hours each during the past year — in support of grieving children, adolescents and their families at the Caring Place facility in Lemoyne.

"The Highmark Caring Place sessions for grieving children and their parents or guardians are available at no cost to any grieving family in the community and are conducted, to a large extent, by trained volunteers," said Highmark Caring Place Director Terese Vorsheck.

"Their support is integral to the program's success as they create a safe place where children and their families can know that they are not alone in their grief and understand that hope and healing are possible."

Volunteers at the Caring Place serve a variety of roles, including group session facilitators, food servers, family greeters, quilters and more. Volunteers who work directly with the grieving children and adults in the group sessions complete an extensive 26-hour training session.

Support group volunteers who will receive special acknowledgement at the volunteer event for their five years of service to the Highmark Caring Place include:

Dauphin County

Darlene Beck, Harrisburg
Dave Delbiondo, Harrisburg
Matt Jacobs, Harrisburg
Yvette Keefer, Middletown
Shelley Marshall-McCown, Harrisburg
Marni Micek, Harrisburg
Pearl Sweeting, Harrisburg

Cumberland County

Sue Archer, Mechanicsburg
Patty Bridy, Camp Hill
Barbara Caboot, New Cumberland
Kathy Cable, Camp Hill
Susie Deeter, Mechanicsburg
Lynn Enck, Boiling Springs
Heidi Orris, Mechanicsburg
Liz Kolonoski, Mechanicsburg
Lynda Moreno, Camp Hill
Gayeta Porter, Mechanicsburg
Joe Porter, Mechanicsburg
Maggie Ruff, New Cumberland
Kathie Seydor, Camp Hill
Gina Steele, Mechanicsburg
Jody Swanger, Mechanicsburg
Joe Szolek, Mechanicsburg
Donna Yoder, Mechanicsburg
Chris Zielonis, Mechanicsburg
Tracy Zimmerman, Mechanicsburg

Lancaster County

Terri Bowling, Lancaster

Perry County

Judy Yohn, Duncannon

York County

Lisa Pedersen, Etters
Devora Sherfy, Dillsburg