Vern Simpson Awarded Volunteer of the Year Award

New River Community Action (NRCA) presented Vern Simpson with the Philip Sadler Memorial Community Service Volunteer of the Year Award at the organization’s Board of Directors meeting on May 20. NRCA recognized Mr. Simpson for his distinguished volunteer service with the Blacksburg Interfaith Food Pantry (BIFP).

Simpson has volunteered for the BIFP for 15 years in various roles. He served as the volunteer Director of the pantry for 4 years following the departure of longtime volunteer Director, Freda Cromer, and currently serves as the volunteer Assistant Director. His responsibilities cover the entire spectrum of operations including food acquisition and distribution, client screening, volunteer training, facility maintenance, compliance with Feed America and NRCA guidelines, as well as many other tasks.

After assuming the role of volunteer Director, Simpson began taking steps to encourage community involvement. He divided roles and responsibilities to increase participation of more volunteers, asked volunteers to make suggestions for the operation and improvement of the pantry as well as implementing many of those suggestions, and has helped to grow both the number of people served by the pantry and the support of the community.

Simpson has a calm demeanor and maintains it under pressure or when circumstances change suddenly. This is a huge asset for a volunteer organization that serves and works with people from all walks of life but was especially valuable this year throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. He took on the difficult job of reorganizing operations so that clients could continue being served while also protecting the health of the BIFP’s volunteers. Simpson developed a drive through system that has allowed the program to operate without interruption.

NRCA annually awards the Philip Sadler Memorial Community Service Volunteer of the Year Award in memory of Philip M. Sadler, a Pulaski County attorney, community leader and humanitarian. It is presented to an outstanding agency volunteer in recognition of exceptional service to the community.

NRCA assists approximately 9,000 residents of the New River Valley each year working in collaboration with local health and human service partner agencies, volunteers, community and faith-based organizations through a variety of programs that address local conditions of poverty and improve the lives of low-income individuals and families.

Submitted by Tristan Mortensen