Volunteer Awards
Dial Help & HKCTC Volunteer Emilee DeForge wins SparkPlug Award
We are very excited to share that Dial Help and Houghton/Keweenaw Communities That Care (HKCTC) volunteer Emilee DeForge was awarded Youth Contributor of the Year at the 2023 Keweenaw Community Sparkplug Awards!
A student at Houghton High School, Emilee has been volunteering with the HKCTC since 2021, supporting various projects:
- HKCTC's annual suicide prevention walks
- Teen Outreach Program (TOP) after-school clubs for middle schoolers
- Holding a SnowBall formal dance fundraiser to benefit HKCTC, which was 100% planned and held by Houghton High School students
- Distributing HKCTC materials in the community
- Attending HKCTC monthly work group meetings
Thank you Emilee for your commitment to our community!
Dial Help Volunteer Melissa Santini wins UP Service Award
We are very excited to share that long-term Dial Help volunteer Melissa Santini has won Grow & Lead's UP Service Award in the adult category for 2020! Melissa has been an invaluable asset to Dial Help, driving from Ontonagon each week (no matter the weather) to work on our crisis line. She began volunteering with the agency in 2015, and has answered over 800 calls. Melissa is also a victim advocate in Ontonagon.
Melissa provides a calm listening ear to those in need, a safe place to those who may have none, and empowerment to those who are feeling insignificant. In her role as a crisis specialist, she also helps connect clients to the local resources they need.
As Executive Director Rebecca Crane said, "I can't say enough about her. She's so dedicated...what a wonderful experience it is to come in and see her there, and to talk to her for a few minutes, just knowing that she's been here for so long. It's been amazing experience."
You can view Melissa's virtual award acceptance online here, along with her interview with WJMN here.
