Tree of Life Volunteer of the Year Awards 

Loudoun County, Virginia – On Friday, October 2, Tree of Life Ministries hosted their annual Volunteer Dinner recognizing the hard work of those that give so much of their time in service to the community.  This year, Tree of Life honored their “Volunteers of the Year” in each of their three regions as well as volunteers at SimplyBe Coffee, the Clothing Closet, and Spiritual Care ministry. 

CEO Susannah Lee gave opening remarks and pointed out that “so much of what you do is unseen – a quiet conversation between you and a partner, a prayer together… we want to make sure to recognize all of you and how you make a difference.”  She noted that Tree of Life has about 500 volunteers each year, totaling more than 13,000 volunteer hours annually.  

The awardees spanned a variety of ministries at Tree of Life.  The Western Loudoun region volunteer of the year is Stacy Newman who leads the Community Dinner Ministry. Regional Director Maddy Cockerill said that “Stacy makes sure that everyone who walks through the door feels welcome and has created a true feeling of community… she has a special gift.” In Eastern Loudoun, Mike Wiegold was the awardee and has made an impact helping to lead the Food Branch, working with the pantry manager and grocery stores to keep the shelves stocked.  In the Piedmont Region, volunteer Tina Wallace has made a huge difference connecting Tree of Life’s Working Hands Ministry with local families in need of home repair, helping to make their homes safer.   

At the Clothing Closet, Linda Lawson was awarded the honor – she has been volunteering with Tree of Life for 17 years and manager Diane McDuffie said, “she is the heart and soul of the Clothing Closet.” At SimplyBe, long time volunteer (and customer favorite) Max Miller received the award – his friendliness and easy-going attitude have made him an important part of what makes SimplyBe such a special place. And for the Spiritual Care ministry, Jaye Wiegold was honored, with Chaplain Wayne Ruckman noting her amazing care of those she visits in local nursing homes, helping to encourage them and bring them hope.   

Tree of Life’s purpose is to “reach out to those in need in the community with the love of Jesus” and the program for the evening reflected the organization’s focus on faith, wrapping up with worship music from Caitlin Jane and remarks from Chief Development Officer Jordan Smith who noted one of the Bible verses at the heart of Tree of Life’s services: “whatever you do for the lease of these, my brothers, you did for me” (Matthew 25:35). 

For more information about the ministry and how you can get involved or receive help, visit www.tolministries.org.