New River Community Action (NRCA) presented their annual Philip Sadler Memorial Community Service Volunteer of the Year Award to Sharon Lowery at the agency’s board of directors’ meeting in Radford on May 18, 2017. NRCA recognized Ms. Lowery for her outstanding volunteer service to the Children’s Health Improvement Partnership Giles County Baby & Toddler Shop.
The shop is a unique service for families living in Giles. Parents receive necessary items such as clothing, diapers, shoes, and coats to help meet the needs of their children. However, the shop is more than helping with needed items. When a family visits the shop for the first time, the parent is invited to complete a short information sheet so that a CHIP staff member can make contact later to provide information about home visiting and other available resources in the community.
Home visiting is a powerful tool that promotes strong, healthy families and supports parents in their efforts to become self-sufficient. Many parents choose to enroll in CHIP home visiting, ultimately empowering future generations in Giles County.
Lowery is the Volunteer Shop Manager at the Giles County Baby & Toddler Shop. She recruits, trains, and supervises other volunteers at the shop. Ms. Lowery often stays after closing to clean, organize, or meet clients for after-hours emergency needs. She contributes funds to buy goods for the shop and pays for a storage unit to keep large or out of season items secure and organized.
Lowery’s dedication to the shop and its customers goes beyond mere customer service. She helps each client feel valued and loved. Her philosophy includes treating everyone with dignity and respect, and she trains her staff to share in this attitude of joyous giving. Lowery’s goal is that everyone who walks in the door feels welcomed. She is the glue that keeps her staff of six volunteers committed and enthusiastic.
NRCA annually presents the Philip Sadler Memorial Community Service Volunteer of the Year Award in memory of the late Philip M. Sadler, a Pulaski County attorney, community leader, and humanitarian. In recognition of exceptional service to the community, NRCA presents the award to an outstanding NRCA volunteer.
Working in collaboration with local health and human service partner agencies, volunteers, community and faith-based organizations, NRCA assists more than 12,000 New River Valley residents each year through a variety of programs that address local conditions of poverty and improve the lives of low-income individuals and families.