The April 26, 2025 Celebration of Service honored Maine's amazing volunteers, outstanding individuals, organizations and programs. It is a pleasure to introduce them here.
Maine Volunteer of the Year Award: David Feldman
Recognizes an individual who has committed significant time and effort to improving the life of individuals or the community through volunteer service. Over the years, this person consistently stepped up and pitched in whenever help was needed.
Organizations Served: Area Interfaith Outreach (AIO) Food and Energy Assistance, Midcoast Habitat for Humanity
For more than 12 years, David Feldman has exemplified what it means to be a committed, hands-on volunteer, generously sharing his time, talent, and heart with two critical community service organizations in the Midcoast region: AIO Food and Energy Assistance and Midcoast Habitat for Humanity.
At AIO, David is the behind-the-scenes force keeping the organization’s busy facility safe, functional, and welcoming. With more than 400 weekly guests and over 125 volunteers accessing the building each week, David’s steady presence as facilities volunteer ensures everything—from commercial refrigeration units and mechanical doors to the boiler and heating systems—runs smoothly. Whether personally addressing repairs or coordinating and overseeing contractors, David maintains meticulous records, operates from a proactive project list, and ensures the space remains not only operational but dignified and inviting for guests who rely on AIO’s food and energy assistance services.
David is equally dedicated to his long-term service with Midcoast Habitat for Humanity, where he has contributed thousands of volunteer hours helping to build more than 50 homes. He brings both skill and leadership to the work site, mentoring new volunteers, supervising construction crews, and fostering a collaborative, encouraging spirit that strengthens every team he’s part of. His role is not only practical—wielding tools and raising walls—but deeply impactful in the lives of the families served.
In 2024 alone, David contributed over 516 hours of volunteer service across more than 125 workdays. Whether he’s resolving an urgent repair, hauling food from a warehouse, or hammering siding on a new home, David does it all with humility, kindness, and unwavering dedication to his community. His selfless contributions have made lasting differences in the lives of countless Mainers, and his example continues to inspire all who serve alongside him.
Young Maine Volunteer of the Year Award: Nathaniel Rathbone
Recognizes a person 20 years old or younger who, through volunteer service, has demonstrated a strong commitment to improving the life of individuals or the community and, by example, shows the meaning of "active citizenship."
Organizations Served: Brunswick HS, Dragon PALS, Unified Special Hockey of Maine
At just 17 years old, Nathaniel "Nat" Rathbone has demonstrated exceptional leadership, empathy, and initiative through a wide range of volunteer service activities that are deeply rooted in building inclusion, literacy, and community in Brunswick.
Recognizing the growing number of multilingual students at Brunswick High School, Nat began volunteering independently during his study halls to support ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) students. Over three years, he has contributed more than 300 hours of service, including an estimated 120 hours each year tutoring more than 30 students. In 2024, he took this commitment further by founding Dragon PALS, a peer tutoring initiative designed to expand academic and social support for the school’s multilingual learners. Under his leadership, the program now includes 10–15 student tutors assisting more than 50 ESOL students and has become a model of student-led engagement that Nat hopes to replicate in other schools.
Nat’s passion for language and literature also led him to found Brunswick High School’s Old English Club, which explores medieval texts and culture. The club holds weekly meetings and has drawn participation from more than 30 students, nurturing curiosity and camaraderie through a shared love of language.
In addition to his academic and service leadership, Nat volunteers with Unified Special Hockey of Maine, where he supports players with intellectual, developmental, and physical challenges during practices. A hockey player himself, Nat brings his athletic skills, patience, and encouragement to the ice, helping teammates feel empowered and included.
Nat has also been involved in his school’s class council, organized fundraisers, supported welcome nights for incoming students, and volunteered at various athletic events. Through every endeavor, he displays a maturity and drive that far exceeds his years.
Nat’s ability to identify needs, create solutions, and lead with compassion has left a meaningful mark on his school and community—and sets a high bar for youth volunteerism in Maine.
Outstanding National Service Volunteer Award: Jackie Burris
Recognizes an individual participant in Maine AmeriCorps or AmeriCorps Seniors who has completed at least one year of service and demonstrated outstanding commitment to service by exceeding the requirements of their normal service assignment.
Organization Served: Foster Grandparent Program – The Opportunity Alliance
With an extraordinary 22 years of volunteer service through the Foster Grandparent Program, Jackie Burris has become a beloved and essential part of the school community at East End Community School in Portland. Through more than 22,000 volunteer hours, Jackie has impacted the lives of hundreds of children—particularly those facing language barriers, homelessness, or hearing loss—offering kindness, attention, and stability.
Jackie serves in a classroom with diverse needs, meeting each child with patience, respect, and care. Her steady presence offers the consistent adult support that many students so deeply need. Known affectionately as “the mayor” of her school, Jackie is recognized and warmly greeted by students and staff alike as she walks the halls, a testament to the lasting impact she has made over more than two decades.
Beyond the classroom, Jackie is an advocate and ambassador for the Foster Grandparent Program itself. She has recruited new volunteers—referring at least three neighbors in the past year alone—and has welcomed newcomers by mentoring them in the school environment. She even educates teachers on the benefits of the program, helping to ensure successful placements and long-term relationships between schools and volunteers.
Jackie’s dedication extends to improving the volunteer experience for others. She regularly recommends speakers and resources for in-service learning sessions, helping her fellow Foster Grandparents stay informed and supported in their roles. Her initiative, generosity, and leadership have strengthened the program and the community it serves.
Jackie Burris embodies the very spirit of national service. Her work enriches young lives, uplifts her peers, and leaves a legacy of compassion and commitment that will be felt for generations.
Outstanding Volunteer Team Award: Living Innovations Volunteer Team
This award recognizes a team of volunteers (family, employees, friends, club or association members) who committed significant time and effort to improving the life of individuals or the community through volunteer service. Fundraising is not considered a volunteer activity for the purpose of this award.
Organization Served: Eastern Area Agency on Aging
For more than a decade, the Living Innovations Volunteer Team has been a pillar of support for the Eastern Area Agency on Aging (EAAA), delivering vital services with consistency, kindness, and a spirit of inclusion. Since 2012, over 23 dedicated team members from Living Innovations—a nonprofit that supports individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities—have volunteered side by side with clients, demonstrating the power of community integration and meaningful service.
In 2024 alone, the team contributed more than 1,400 volunteer hours, touching programs across EAAA’s footprint in Penobscot and Piscataquis counties. Their contributions are as diverse as they are impactful. As essential partners to Meals on Wheels, Living Innovations volunteers deliver nutritious meals multiple days each week from EAAA hubs in Brewer, Millinocket, and Milo. These visits do more than meet physical needs—they lift spirits and reduce isolation, creating connections with older adults that brighten both their lives and those of the volunteers.
At EAAA’s Community Café in Brewer, the team helps serve warm meals and foster a welcoming space for older adults to gather. They are also integral to the Furry Friends Food Bank, where their care helps assemble monthly pet food kits for approximately 250 older adults and their beloved companions.
The Living Innovations team’s reliability and warmth were especially critical during the COVID-19 pandemic, when they increased their support to help meet surging demands for food assistance. Their response—without hesitation—speaks to a deeply rooted ethic of service.
Team members and clients alike are motivated by one unifying belief: “We don’t want anyone to be hungry.” Their enthusiasm, dedication, and shared compassion have made them irreplaceable to EAAA’s mission and a beacon of inclusive volunteerism across the region.
Outstanding Non-Profit Volunteer Program Award: Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program
Recognizes a volunteer program operated by a non-profit organization (501(c)3), school, municipality, or other unit of government, which has made significant changes and improvements in challenges or problems faced by the community.
Lead Contact: Eden Martin
For over 40 years, Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program (MCHPP) has been a vital community resource in the greater Brunswick area, addressing food insecurity through a compassionate, volunteer-powered model. MCHPP’s mission is to provide free access to healthy, culturally appropriate, and sustainable food sources with low barriers and dignity. In 2024 alone, more than 715 volunteers contributed over 37,000 hours of service—an impressive demonstration of community commitment and program strength.
MCHPP operates nine interconnected programs including a food pantry, soup kitchen, grocery delivery for homebound individuals, and food recovery efforts that have rescued over 1.8 million pounds of food from being wasted. These services collectively supported more than 15,000 individuals across the region last year. Volunteers are engaged in nearly every step: collecting donations from retailers, preparing and serving meals, stocking pantries, harvesting from local farms, conducting intakes, providing transportation, and offering friendly support and connection to neighbors in need.
The program is more than a food resource—it is a place of friendship, belonging, and community. Volunteers regularly describe their work at MCHPP as deeply meaningful. Many have built lifelong friendships through their service and speak highly of the welcoming and respectful culture cultivated by both staff and fellow volunteers. As one volunteer shared, “MCHPP believes that food insecurity is different for everyone—and people are accepted without judgment.” Another praised the flexibility and inclusivity of the volunteer opportunities, calling MCHPP “a positive place” where purpose and joy go hand in hand.
The program also invests in the well-being and longevity of its volunteers through regular check-ins, milestone recognition, and ongoing opportunities for meaningful connection.
From nutritious meals to the nurturing of community bonds, MCHPP exemplifies what a volunteer-driven organization can achieve. Its impact reaches far beyond the dinner table—into the heart of what makes a community strong.
Special Recognition: The Caring Action Award
Crosswalk Community Outreach
This award acknowledges an exceptional volunteer, group, or organization that made a significant contribution in responding to an emergency.
For 17 years, the 48-member team at Crosswalk Community Outreach has exemplified the true spirit of community care—responding swiftly, compassionately, and without hesitation to meet urgent needs across the Lake Region area of Maine.
While Crosswalk provides consistent support every other week with food, clothing, and household essentials, it is their commitment during times of crisis that truly sets them apart. During extended power outages and throughout the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Crosswalk volunteers prepared and delivered over 500 homemade meals per week, five days a week, from March through July. From July through September, they continued to operate three meal delivery routes, ensuring that vulnerable residents received nourishment and connection when isolation and food insecurity were at their peak.
Their emergency services extend beyond food. Crosswalk routinely responds to calls from local schools, town offices, and agencies to meet urgent needs—whether it's emergency fuel assistance, temporary housing, or financial support raised through community dinners for neighbors facing health or housing crises. All efforts are powered by an army of dedicated volunteers and coordinated leadership, including founding board member Joanna Moore, a trained Community Health Worker who connects residents with SNAP benefits, GA assistance, and housing support.
In addition to their crisis work, Crosswalk operates a healthy, self-choice food pantry featuring lean proteins, local produce, and dairy items. They have also led efforts to increase regional awareness around hunger and homelessness through advocacy groups like the Lake Region Action Committee and Homelessness Round Table.
At its heart, Crosswalk is more than a volunteer program—it is a lifeline. With caring hearts and willing hands, these volunteers meet neighbors at their most vulnerable moments with compassion and dignity. Their sustained commitment to emergency relief and holistic support has made them an anchor of hope and resilience in their community.