NASHVILLE, TN - Volunteers from 61 counties were honored at the Eleventh Annual Governor’s Volunteer Stars Awards ceremony at the Franklin Marriott Cool Springs in Franklin on February 10, 2019. The awards celebrated the efforts of 108 volunteers statewide who have strived to improve their communities through service. Miss Tennessee 2018, Christine Williamson, presented the awards, and NewsChannel5 weekend anchor, Jennifer Kraus, served as emcee for the event.​

One youth and one adult volunteer were selected from participating counties to receive this prestigious award. Nominees were judged based on the community’s need of the volunteer service performed, initiative taken to perform the service, creativity used to solve a community problem and impact of the volunteer service on the community. The individual awards are sponsored by Tennessee 4-H.


Honorees from Knox and surrounding counties:

Jerralyn Luckmann – Anderson County Adult Honoree – Jerralyn is a lifelong devoted Girl Scout member and volunteer, as well as the Service Project Coordinator for the Oak Ridge Service Unit. Jerralyn is always actively seeking opportunities for Girl Scouts to better serve Anderson County through volunteerism. Jerralyn actively promotes recycling to help decrease pollution within the city of Oak Ridge. She has organized and implemented many service projects for the community. Two recent projects involved collecting bottle caps. Some were melted down into a bench that was donated to the Oak Ridge animal shelter, and 1,200 Coke bottle caps were redeemed for money, which was donated to schools in the Oak Ridge school system. Jerralyn is an exemplary volunteer who goes above and beyond to ensure she is doing her part to better her community, and its youth.

Jordan Bowling – Anderson County Youth Honoree – Jordan has been a member of Anderson County 4-H for seven years. 4-H members are challenged to “pledge my hands to larger service,” and she has exemplified this commitment to service. For her 4-H project, Jordan chose “Line & Design,” which focuses on sewing, crafts, and art. She uses these skills to help others by making items for children in foster care, veterans, the homeless, cancer patients, and others who are ill or have special needs. Jordan has been equally focused on using her strong public speaking skills to advocate for those who cannot advocate for themselves, and to encourage others to join in the efforts. Jordan is an outstanding volunteer because she looks for areas of need in her community, then takes purposeful steps to address that need. She is a wonderful example to other students and has shown that youth can truly make a difference in their community.

Karen McCaulley – Blount County Adult Honoree – Karen’s life forever changed when she suffered two strokes in the middle of the night in October of 2012. She was seriously affected on her dominant side, and she had to relearn daily tasks. After being sent to Patricia Neal Rehab, she didn’t feel she was being challenged or contributing. She wanted to give, not give up, so she went seeking opportunities and stumbled upon Smokey Mountain Meals on Wheels (SMMOW). There she found a chance to push herself, teach herself, and give back to the community she calls home. She taught herself how to do tasks one-handed and began packaging everything. Karen’s infectious laugh and positive attitude along with her drive and determination are inspiring. Karen and her husband, Jim, volunteer in ANY capacity needed at SMMOW. She genuinely cares and makes a commitment to make a difference every day.

Tiffany Hursh – Blount County Youth Honoree – Tiffany is a Bonner Scholar at Maryville College, and over her 4 years of college has committed 10 hours per week to community service. Tiffany began serving at the Gate, a day center for young adults with disabilities, while she was in high school and has continued to volunteer several times each week throughout her busy college career. Her passion to serve young adults with disabilities started in her relationship with her brother, who has autism. That relationship has forged in Tiffany a heart full of compassion and an eager spirit to serve where she is needed. She helps with special events in addition to simply spending time with Gate participants in their daily routines. She has built friendships and lights up the place up with her ready smile and willingness to be useful. Tiffany has applied for graduate school in Occupational Therapy, where she hopes to gain greater skills and credentials to continue serving people with special needs.

William Flynn – Cumberland County Adult Honoree – William has encouraged and helped the North Cumberland Elementary Chess Club, as well as chess clubs at other schools in the county. He has volunteered many hours encouraging and touching the lives of students. His encouragement, knowledge of the game, and devotion to the students make him an outstanding volunteer. William volunteers with the club weekly and members look forward to “battling” him on the chessboard. His enthusiasm makes the club a wonderful place to be. Students who are often shy and reserved in the regular classroom become “knights” during club time. William is also a vital member of the Cumberland County Chess Club, which holds weekly meetings and encourages the participation of students and adults who love the game of chess. William’s commitment to teaching the game make him trusted and respected among members of the chess community.

Nicole Julia Ranson – Cumberland County Youth Honoree – Nicole has been in Girl Scouts of Middle Tennessee for seven years, and it is phenomenal that she has been volunteering with multiple organizations over those seven years while maintaining an “A Honor Roll” status. Through Saint Alphonsus Catholic Church, Nicole has donated her time to the Special Olympics. Through her Girl Scout troop, she has collected needed items for the Avalon Center; cooked, served, and donated food to the Bread of Life; and has made dog toys and donated needed items to the Focus On Cumberland County Animal Shelter. She also volunteers to bake homemade goodies at the Homestead United Methodist Church food bank. Nicole believes that one person, even though they are young, can change the world for the better.

Reuben Couch – Grainger County Adult Honoree – Reuben has been volunteering for the Kingswood Home for Children, formerly Kingswood School, for nearly 50 years. Reuben was a student on the campus in the 1940's, and in the 1970's, Reuben returned to help with fundraising and building projects. Just a few years prior, Kingswood had experienced a fire that left all of the orphans without a home. Reuben raised money and performed much of the physical labor to construct two new cottages and erect the A.E. Wachtel Memorial Chapel on the campus. Even today, at age 85, Reuben is still raising money and supporting the campus. Recently, Reuben arranged for the bathrooms in the chapel to be fully restored and remodeled. Reuben has helped raise well over $500,000 for Kingswood, and since 1943, Kingswood Home for Children has been home to over 7,000 children, in large part through Reuben’s efforts.

Emery Brett Coffey – Grainger County Youth Honoree – Emery is a member of Family Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) at Washburn High School. Through FCCLA she volunteered her time at the local nursing home, where she coordinated the collection of hygiene products and toiletries and organized social activities, such as bingo and other games, to keep the residents active. Emery is a member of the Health Council, where she is dedicated to promoting health and well-being, with a recent focus on smokeless tobacco and personal hygiene. Emery also coordinated a blanket drive for the Hope Tree, and she volunteers with a local youth recreational basketball program.

Kathy Knight – Greene County Adult Honoree – Kathy has served Greeneville and Greene County for more than 50 years with a determined passion to ensure the community will grow and thrive well into the future. Her dedication to, and attitude of, volunteerism is evident to everyone. Active on the Board of Directors for the Boys and Girls Club, Kathy has served on several different committees. She has either chaired or served on the Champions Dinner committee from the time she recruited Johnny Majors as the very first speaker to the 18th annual event with new UT Coach Jeremy Pruitt. Since 1967, Kathy has been active in the Greenville Women’s Club, consistently serving in leadership positions and committees throughout the years. Currently, Kathy is the Greene County Tourism Council Chairman, and is a past President of Business Development for the Green County Partnership Board. A charter member of the Main Street: Greeneville project, Kathy has served two terms as President. Additionally, Kathy attends Reformation Lutheran Church where she is very active in many areas of the church.

John DeSchaaf – Jefferson County Adult Honoree – John is a United States military veteran who serves as a Transportation Volunteer for the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) at Douglas-Cherokee Economic Authority, Inc. John transports homebound seniors from Grainger, Hamblen, and Jefferson counties to doctor's appointments, grocery stores, and other locations to ensure access to services and basic living needs. Public transportation is not available in these rural counties, so John’s help is essential for local homebound seniors and people with disabilities. John goes above and beyond to help, walking into the stores with clients, reaching items on high shelves, and carrying bags into homes. John drove over 1,777 miles last year and volunteered over 87 hours. John served his country proudly in the military and continues to serve his country locally, helping those in need. He sets a great example in the community spreading kindness to everyone he meets.

Barbara Boulton – Knox County Adult Honoree – Barbara, a former attorney, has generously devoted her retirement years to serving non-profit organizations in Knoxville. For nearly 25 years, Barbara has volunteered with the Knoxville Museum of Art (KMA), donating as many as 350 hours of her time each year. From supporting the Alive After 5 Friday night live music program, to sorting and digitizing museum records, and checking visitors in at the front desk, Barbara has been involved in many different KMA departments and is fundamental to the museum’s success. In addition to her work at the KMA, Barbara also serves on the Advisory Council of the Knox County Public Library (KCPL), supporting library events and encouraging membership in its sister organization, Friends of KCPL. Working at the Friends at Rothrock Used Book Shop, Barbara has been noted as “one of the most dependable, pleasant volunteers.” Additionally, Barbara is adept at assisting visitors and patrons with her wealth of knowledge.

John Humphrey – Knox County Youth Honoree – John has served at Zoo Knoxville (ZK) for 18 months, playing a key role in providing a message of conservation. He provides husbandry support in the Shows Department, cleaning and preparing meals for zoo animal ambassadors, and helping with animal cues and props during the shows. In the Interpretation Department, John helps educate the public about the exhibit animals. In his first year as a volunteer, John took the initiative to design and implement an event to promote education about and conservation for African Lions. John was recently named the Youth Volunteer Representative on the ZK Volunteer Advisory Board, the highest leadership role a youth volunteer can fill at the zoo. In this role, John offers a youth volunteer perspective on all decisions for the ZK Volunteer Program, providing suggestions to improve the program and help it to grow.

Sabrina Houston – Loudon County Adult Honoree – Sabrina volunteers more than 400 hours each year at Shangri-La Therapeutic Academy of Riding (STAR) which serves children and adults who have mental, physical, and/or emotional disabilities. She also volunteers in STAR’s Changing Strides program, which serves at-risk youth, corporations, and various other groups in search of emotional well-being, team building, and life skills. The participants believe in Sabrina, the horses trust her, and the instructors depend on her. She has a presence about her that exudes hope, joy and peace. Sabrina has a way of lifting up the riders and connecting with them in a sense that sometimes only the horses can understand. Most notable of all is Sabrina's activity in STAR's multiple fundraisers. She is the brains behind setting up one of STAR’s biggest annual events, "Songwriters in the Round". Sabrina works year-round connecting with local businesses and restaurants to secure donations.

Olivia Hapney – Loudon County Youth Honoree – Olivia has been with Shangri-La Therapeutic Academy of Riding (STAR) since August 2017, starting as a Junior Volunteer when she was 12 years old. Olivia has since become a Lesson Volunteer, Barn Helper and Horse Leader. Olivia has a passion that reaches the horses, the participants and the organization as a whole. At 13 years old, Olivia refuses to be daunted by the responsibility that comes with barn chores and the care of 30 horses. Olivia develops an easy connection with many of the riders, including those who attend her own middle school. The Special Education class at her middle school attends STAR once a week and she joins them to help facilitate their lesson. She truly is a role model to her peers. Olivia’s confidence is contagious to those around her. The riders know they can depend on her and the horses know they can trust her.

Cathy Day – Roane County Adult Honoree – Cathy is one of the founding members of the Roane County Anti-Drug Coalition (RCADC), where she serves as Secretary for the Board. Cathy lost her son to an overdose of crack cocaine in 2000. She offers emotional support to other parents who have lost their children, as well as resources for families with individuals still struggling with substance use disorder. Cathy volunteers through the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP), a Senior Corps program from the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS). Her tireless efforts help to support the mission of RCADC, which is to reduce youth substance use; to educate and raise awareness of alcohol, tobacco and other drug issues; to promote community involvement; and to strengthen community partnerships and prevention strategies in Roane County.

The Governor’s Volunteer Stars Awards also includes business and non-profit categories. One business and one non-profit were selected from each of Tennessee’s three Grand Regions for their outstanding community involvement and service. The business honorees included: Pilot Flying J, East Tennessee Business Honoree; Atmos Energy, Middle Tennessee Business Honoree; and Rockabilly Café, West Tennessee Business Honoree. The business awards were sponsored by Advance Financial. The non-profit honorees included: United Way of Washington County, East Tennessee Non-Profit Honoree; Touchstone Youth Resource Services, Middle Tennessee Non-Profit Honoree; and MyRide West Tennessee, West Tennessee Non-Profit Honoree. The non-profit awards were sponsored by Friends of Volunteer Tennessee.


About the 2018 Governor’s Volunteer Stars Business Honorees

Pilot Flying J – East Tennessee Business Honoree – Pilot Flying J (PFJ) employees volunteer with numerous organizations in the East Tennessee area and beyond. They serve in a variety of capacities, from serving on the board of directors for local nonprofits to delivering meals to homebound seniors. PFJ also partners with Volunteer East Tennessee each year to offer its employees a paid day off to serve during its Day of Service. In 2018, nearly 300 PFJ employees recorded over 1,600 volunteer service hours as they volunteered with over 100 organizations in the East Tennessee region. These organizations include The Boys & Girls Club of the Tennessee Valley, Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee and The Restoration House. PFJ employees lead and shape the future of community organizations by serving on committees and as board members for organizations like Knoxville Habitat for Humanity. Many of the organizations PFJ employees support could not provide services to community members without their help. Other projects they have completed include landscaping at Zoo Knoxville and power-washing the East Tennessee Children’s Hospital. PFJ promotes a culture of volunteerism. Not only do they host their annual Day of Service, they also encourage their employees to volunteer throughout the year and even offer on-site “DIY” projects for employees to participate in and donate to local organizations.

Atmos Energy – Middle Tennessee Business Honoree – Every year, the team of Atmos Energy devotes time to complete projects that benefit their community. They bring in the heavy equipment, tools and as many as 80 employee volunteers (about three-fourths of the company). Some of the projects they have completed over the last few years include building a footbridge behind the Fairview Boys & Girls Club so the kids would have access to an outdoor classroom area, clearing brush and trees around FiftyForward’s Martin Center in Brentwood, improving an entire neighborhood across from Liberty Elementary in Franklin and clearing the Toussaint L'Overture County Cemetery in Franklin. This past fall, the Atmos Energy and CenterPoint teams redid the landscaping at the Poplar Grove Elementary and Middle School campus in just one day. Volunteers pulled up overgrown cedar shrubbery that lined the front exterior and then replanted, mulched and put down straw. This opened up the school front and made it safer and more inviting. By lunchtime, the entire project was nearly completed, so they took a break and grilled out for the entire volunteer crew, as well as anyone at Poplar Grove who wished to join them. These corporate volunteer teams come with smiles, energy and the know-how to do major projects that are difficult for nonprofit organizations to accomplish with their staff (and their budgets) in a timely way.

Rockabilly Café – West Tennessee Business Honoree – All of the employees of Rockabilly Café in Selmer, Tennessee, volunteer their time on Thanksgiving Day to give back to the community. Rockabilly Café provides a full Thanksgiving meal for the community at no charge. Most employees start preparing the night before, and on Thanksgiving they were all back at the restaurant at 6 a.m. getting everything ready for the big meal. Additionally, over 40 citizens not affiliated with the cafe volunteered their time to help out. All the citizens of Selmer and the surrounding areas benefit from this free Thanksgiving meal. Of the 1,157 total meals served that day, many were delivered throughout the community by volunteers. In one elderly retirement area, there were over 50 meals delivered; 101 meals were delivered to feed the inmates of the local jail, along with the employees working for the sheriff’s department that day. The motels in the area and many other bedridden citizens in Selmer were also brought food. This is only one of the ways Rockabilly Café has provided for its community. There is a donation box at the restaurant where voluntary donations are accepted. Over $1,800 was recently collected and used to help families in the area to buy Christmas presents for underprivileged children with the hope of making their Christmas just a little bit brighter.


About the 2018 Governor’s Volunteer Stars Non-profit Honorees

United Way of Washington County, TN – East Tennessee Non-Profit Honoree – The United Way of Washington County, TN fights for the health, education and financial stability of every person in their community, with three distinct manners of impact. The organization recently implemented its first-ever standalone program, Vello, a virtual volunteer reading program that has been placed in 10 second-grade classrooms in Johnson City and Washington County. Over half of the area third-graders read at a level that is below proficient, and this program will be key in increasing early literacy. Since the program’s implementation in September, more than 130 Vello volunteers have been recruited, background-checked and trained, and are helping hundreds of area children not reading at grade level. This program allows busy professionals to maximize their volunteer time by volunteering from their offices, and allows children to receive assistance without class disruption. This program will grow in the 2019-2020 school year, expanding the number of volunteers and students served. The organization’s Annual Week of Caring sees over 100 volunteers providing roughly 1,000 hours of service projects valued at over $36,000 in time and supplies to assist community agencies. The United Way of Washington County, TN has made a strong impact in its community through the promotion of volunteerism.

Touchstone Youth Resource Services – Middle Tennessee Non-Profit Honoree – Touchstone Youth Resource Services is having a tremendous effect on high school students. This nonprofit depends greatly on volunteers to fulfill its important mission to inspire change in the world by helping youth envision a hopeful future, embrace positive options and engage in real steps toward a better life. This objective is primarily achieved in Middle Tennessee through the nonprofit’s social-emotional development initiative, CiViL (short for Character, Values and Leadership), targeting students from various high schools. Touchstone does this at no cost to the students, their families or the schools, and this could not be done without the group’s volunteers. Currently, eight trained volunteers help facilitate the network of weekly CiViL groups. These individuals are quite dedicated, and make a commitment for the entire school year. Additional volunteers help with monthly service projects and quarterly special events for the CiViL students. Touchstone’s annual “Your Best Shot” senior portrait event works with local photographers to provide photography sessions at no cost to deserving graduating seniors who could not otherwise afford them. Volunteers also host and organize this day for local graduates and their families. Touchstone’s goal is for volunteers to grow into progressively deeper levels of commitment and ownership of projects as they engage teens with life-changing activities. CiViL has a service-learning component, which students describe as a major turning point in getting their lives on track. One of their former students currently volunteers on Touchstone’s board of directors. Touchstone also works to develop a heart for volunteerism in the students it serves.

MyRide West Tennessee – West Tennessee Non-Profit Honoree – The mission of MyRide West Tennessee is to provide safe, reliable transportation to older adults (ages 60 and older) in Madison County so they can stay active in their community and retain their independence. The MyRide volunteers use their own vehicles to drive the older adults to the doctor, pharmacy, grocery store, beauty shop or social events. Without volunteers, this program could not exist. It is literally volunteer driven. This program impacts many lives of older adults in Madison County who normally would not be able to go on much-needed trips. In the less than two years this program has been in service, it has provided over 2,300 trips to 70 older adults in the county. This service is unique because it provides a door-to-door option for older adults who need more of a one-on-one approach to transportation.


“Each year, 1.6 million Tennessee volunteers give more than 137 million hours of service, contributing the equivalent of $3.3 billion to Tennessee’s economy. They are the backbone of our great state, and by giving of their time and talents to fulfill needs that would otherwise go unmet, they truly embody the spirit of giving,” said Volunteer Tennessee Executive Director, Jim Snell.

Volunteer Tennessee coordinates the Governor’s Volunteer Stars Awards at the state level. Volunteer Tennessee is the 25 member bipartisan citizen board appointed by the Governor to oversee AmeriCorps and service-learning programs and to advance volunteerism and citizen service to solve community problems in the Volunteer State.


About the 2018 Governor’s Volunteer Stars Non-profit Honorees

United Way of Washington County, TN – East Tennessee Non-Profit Honoree – The United Way of Washington County, TN fights for the health, education and financial stability of every person in their community, with three distinct manners of impact. The organization recently implemented its first-ever standalone program, Vello, a virtual volunteer reading program that has been placed in 10 second-grade classrooms in Johnson City and Washington County. Over half of the area third-graders read at a level that is below proficient, and this program will be key in increasing early literacy. Since the program’s implementation in September, more than 130 Vello volunteers have been recruited, background-checked and trained, and are helping hundreds of area children not reading at grade level. This program allows busy professionals to maximize their volunteer time by volunteering from their offices, and allows children to receive assistance without class disruption. This program will grow in the 2019-2020 school year, expanding the number of volunteers and students served. The organization’s Annual Week of Caring sees over 100 volunteers providing roughly 1,000 hours of service projects valued at over $36,000 in time and supplies to assist community agencies. The United Way of Washington County, TN has made a strong impact in its community through the promotion of volunteerism.

Touchstone Youth Resource Services – Middle Tennessee Non-Profit Honoree – Touchstone Youth Resource Services is having a tremendous effect on high school students. This nonprofit depends greatly on volunteers to fulfill its important mission to inspire change in the world by helping youth envision a hopeful future, embrace positive options and engage in real steps toward a better life. This objective is primarily achieved in Middle Tennessee through the nonprofit’s social-emotional development initiative, CiViL (short for Character, Values and Leadership), targeting students from various high schools. Touchstone does this at no cost to the students, their families or the schools, and this could not be done without the group’s volunteers. Currently, eight trained volunteers help facilitate the network of weekly CiViL groups. These individuals are quite dedicated, and make a commitment for the entire school year. Additional volunteers help with monthly service projects and quarterly special events for the CiViL students. Touchstone’s annual “Your Best Shot” senior portrait event works with local photographers to provide photography sessions at no cost to deserving graduating seniors who could not otherwise afford them. Volunteers also host and organize this day for local graduates and their families. Touchstone’s goal is for volunteers to grow into progressively deeper levels of commitment and ownership of projects as they engage teens with life-changing activities. CiViL has a service-learning component, which students describe as a major turning point in getting their lives on track. One of their former students currently volunteers on Touchstone’s board of directors. Touchstone also works to develop a heart for volunteerism in the students it serves.

MyRide West Tennessee – West Tennessee Non-Profit Honoree – The mission of MyRide West Tennessee is to provide safe, reliable transportation to older adults (ages 60 and older) in Madison County so they can stay active in their community and retain their independence. The MyRide volunteers use their own vehicles to drive the older adults to the doctor, pharmacy, grocery store, beauty shop or social events. Without volunteers, this program could not exist. It is literally volunteer driven. This program impacts many lives of older adults in Madison County who normally would not be able to go on much-needed trips. In the less than two years this program has been in service, it has provided over 2,300 trips to 70 older adults in the county. This service is unique because it provides a door-to-door option for older adults who need more of a one-on-one approach to transportation.

For more information on Volunteer Tennessee, please visit www.volunteertennessee.net.