Volunteers In Public Schools honored the top volunteers Thursday at a luncheon at First United Methodist Church.
VIPS is a program funded by United Way of Southeast Arkansas that promotes volunteering in the community.
The VIPS board members determined the top four volunteers who worked the most hours, according to Monica O’Briant, VIPS coordinator in the Pine Bluff School District. The honorees were:
• Charlie Cannon, who received first place for volunteering 1,565 hours at Forrest Park Pre-School and 34th Avenue Elementary School.
• Curtis Savage, second place winner with 970 hours at Jack Robey Junior High School.
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• Shirley Jacob, third place honoree, who logged 826 hours as a Kutter and a Colorer, those who prepare materials and laminate paperwork for VIPS.
• Eugene Fletcher, fourth place winner, who logged 694 hours at Jack Robey.
The event featured the “Volunteers are Groovy” hippies theme with colorful attire and decorations.
Guest speaker attorney Rosalind Mouser discussed her personal experience as a volunteer at Greenville Elementary School in Kathy Glover’s fifth grade class. She has been with Greenville for one year, has bought school supplies that students were in need of and has also helped teach classes.
Mouser said she knew when she went once she had to commit and go every week to show the kids that someone really does care for and love them.
Also during the luncheon, VIPS handed out awards to their top four volunteers as well as secretaries of the month. The secretaries honored included Pasha Jackson from Forrest Park pre-school, Kathy Woods from Southeast Middle School, Dee Clay from Oak Park Elementary, Jacqueline Thomas from W.T. Cheney, Viola Smith from 1st Ward, and Onia Walters from Jack Robey. The Super Sonic Secretary of the Year was Kathy Woods.