Volunteer Award Recipients for 2017
David P. Shebby, Hall of Fame Award
The Hall of Fame Award honors a volunteer whose efforts exhibit, by action and deed over an extended period of time, exceptional service and dedication to the Center, its clients and its causes, and who has left a permanent mark in its history.
“My favorite part of the Center is the very high level of legal services it provides. The Center’s forte is not cookie-cutter divorces but instead sophisticated legal advocacy with respect to complex issues. Such elite representation, unavailable elsewhere for the low-income population we serve, is often life-altering for Center clients.”
Candice K. Rogers, Frances Wender Kandel Volunteer of the Year Award
The Frances Wender Kandel Volunteer of the Year Award honors a volunteer who has shown a dedication to community service, the Center and its clients, in the tradition of the award’s namesake, Frances Wender Kandel, a volunteer lawyer who, before her untimely death, helped start the Center and was one of its biggest cheerleaders and active participants.
Candice Rogers currently serves as President of the Center’s Board of Directors and has been a Board member since 2012. She also mentors less experienced attorneys through the Pro Bono Panel which she believes “helps expand the ability of the Center to help more people in need. As an attorney, it is hard to watch someone fight through the system without representation. I knew that I had to get involved with the Center because its mission is to provide access to the courts for those families who cannot afford an attorney.”
Christopher W. Moore, Pro Bono Volunteer of the Year Award
The Pro Bono Volunteer of the Year Award honors a volunteer lawyer who has provided substantial and extraordinary service in a case or cases, or in a subject matter, providing relief to a client or clients who without the assistance, would have been irreparably injured.
“Representing clients through the Center is a very meaningful way for me to help people have their day in court and to help victims end the cycle of domestic violence. I am happy to be a part of the Center.”
Benjamin Kanani, New Volunteer of the Year Award
The New Volunteer of the Year Award honors an individual who has joined the Center as a volunteer within the last 12 months, and has shown spirit, energy and commitment to serving as a role model for other new participants.
“I believe that a certain amount of my success belongs to the rest of the world, and volunteering at the Center allows me to help balance the levels of justice. The Center is great place to volunteer because I use all of my legal skills, and I’ve learned a new field of law.”
Samuel L. Barry and Margaret Molina, Distinguished Service Award
The Distinguished Service Award honors a volunteer whose contribution within the year has exceeded expectations, and benefited clients as well as the needs of the Center.
Samuel L. Barry
“Volunteering with the Harriett Buhai Center has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. Not only have I served those in need, I’ve made lifelong friends along the way.”
Margaret Molina
“To see someone smile when helping them go through a rough time in their personal life is an amazing experience. Speaking a client’s language, like Spanish, puts them at ease in a tense situation; it’s another way I can give back to the community.”
Alexander Olson, Community Volunteer of the Year Award
The Community Volunteer of the Year Award honors a volunteer who has carried out behind-the-scenes activities that have substantially contributed to enhancing the Center’s infrastructure.
“When I first started volunteering at the Center to gain some real-world interpreting experience, I had no idea how quickly it would begin to feel like home. Though the cases we handle can be heartbreaking, the staff and other volunteers retain their empathy and optimism, forming a close-knit but welcoming group that makes all the difference in our clients’ lives, and in my decision to keep coming back to the Center.”