Volunteer Awards

The Volunteer Recognition Awards celebrate volunteers whose unselfish and dedicated service have made a significant impact on the City of St. Catharines. Review each of the award categories and learn how to submit a nomination.

Nominations

Nominations are closed.

Awards

Community Impact Award

The Community Impact Award is given to individuals who have shown selfless dedication to an organization and/or has made a significant difference in the community.

The Mayor's Volunteer of the Year Award

The Mayor's Volunteer of the Year Award is given to an individual who represents volunteerism at its finest. The recipient will:

Display leadership
Embody compassion, optimism and momentum
Create a future of opportunity for everyone

The Mayor’s Lifetime Volunteer Service Award

The Mayor's Lifetime Volunteer Service Award honors an individual who has dedicated 20 or more years to volunteerism, making a lasting impact on their community through selfless service. Their unwavering commitment, leadership, and passion have enriched the lives of others, strengthened local organizations, and inspired those around them. This recognition celebrates their extraordinary contributions, recognizing them as a pillar of generosity and compassion in the community.

Margaret and Robin MacLennan Youth Volunteer of the Year Award

This award is given to an exemplary volunteer, aged 24 and under, who has helped create a better community.

This individual will:

Have volunteered for at least one year or 100 hours with one or more organizations
Demonstrate a sincere commitment to community service
Be both a reliable and enthusiastic volunteer

For more information about the Margaret and Robin MacLennan Community Fund and previous winners since 2003, please visit robinandmargaret.ca.

Equity and Inclusion Champion Award

This award honours an individual who demonstrates a deep commitment to making St. Catharines a more welcoming, inclusive, and equitable community. They amplify underrepresented voices, celebrate diversity, and help create accessible and inclusive spaces where everyone feels seen, valued, and supported.

Spirit of Sport Award

This award recognizes a volunteer whose dedication, mentorship, and passion uplift local sports in St. Catharines. It's intended to celebrate those who encourage participation, nurture talent, and strengthen community pride through sport.

The Spirit of Sport Award will be presented by SCORE.

Eligibility Criteria

All submissions must use the official Volunteer Recognition Awards Application Form and include full contact information for both nominator and nominee.
A nominee’s volunteer work must take place in St. Catharines.
Nominations must include a detailed explanation of the achievement/contribution, impact, and level of commitment.
Nominations may include letters of support, media clippings and other supporting documentation but are not necessary.
Individuals cannot nominate themselves.
Nominees may qualify for more than one category provided they meet the specific criteria.
Nominators may submit a maximum of three nominees per organization annually.
Individuals who received a Community Impact Award last year are not eligible to be nominated by the same organization this year.

How to submit a nomination

Review Award Descriptions and Eligibility Criteria

Begin preparing your nomination by reviewing award descriptions and eligibility criteria to ensure the individual meets all requirements. Collect any letters of support, media clippings, images and other supporting documents to submit.

A couple of key points to remember:

Volunteer work must take place in St. Catharines
Self-nominations will not be accepted
Nominators may submit a maximum of three nominees per organization annually.
Individuals who received Community Impact Awards last year are not eligible to be nominated by the same organization this year
Nominees that meet eligibility criteria will be invited to the Volunteer Recognition Awards reception
Honourees and award recipients are selected from the pool of eligible nominations.

Choose the Appropriate Award Category

Choose the award category that best reflects your nominee’s contributions:

Mayor’s Volunteer of the Year
Margaret and Robin McLennan Youth Volunteer of the Year
Mayor’s Lifetime Volunteer Service Award
Equity and Inclusion Champion
Spirit of Sport Award

Be sure the nominee’s contributions align with the intent of the selected category. Nominees may qualify for more than one category provided they meet the specific criteria.

Write your Nomination

Each nomination must include a detailed explanation of the achievement/contribution, impact, and level of commitment. A strong nomination should:

Clearly describe what the nominee has done
Explain how their actions have positively impacted others
Provide specific examples
Demonstrate the scope and significance of their contributions

While note required, additional documents, including letters of support and media clippings, may be attached to the nomination.

Complete and Submit the Nomination Form

Complete the online nomination form and upload the any additional documents.

All nominations must be submitted by March 9 at 11:59 p.m.

Late or incomplete submissions will not be considered.

What Happens Next?

Nominations will be reviewed based on the established eligibility and selection criteria.

Selected nominees will be invited to attend Volunteer Recognition Night on April 21, where Community Impact certificates and gifts will be presented. Award recipients will be announced during the celebration.

Award Recipients

It is our volunteers who help make our community the vibrant and compassionate space that it is today. Join us in celebrating our award winners who have given so much.

2026

Community Impact Award

The 2026 Community Impact Award recipients are:

2026 Community Impact Award Recipients
Craig Adams Community Volunteer Rick Agnew First Ontario Performing Arts Centre Amblessed Ajomiwe God's Family Outreach Logan Apfelbeck Brock Niagara Penguins Ahmed Baaba Bridges Niagara Hank Braun Morningstar Mill Patrick Burke Kristen French Child Advocacy Centre Niagara Kristine Casement First Ontario Performing Arts Centre Nikki Chubaty St. Catharines CYO Minor Hockey Jim and Loretta Davis Brock Niagara Penguins Andrew Dermatas District School Board of Niagara Cheryl DiMercurio Hospice Niagara Brandon Disimine St. John Ambulance Nadine Dobro Humane Society of Greater Niagara Melodi Doiron Lincoln and Welland Regiment Association Tim Dumont St. Catharines Rowing Club Eman Elrshid Ali Elrshid Bridges Niagara Tina Falk Community Crew, Harbour Church Marie France-Marcie Community Care, Hospice Niagara, Niagara Health, Delta Bingo, Linhaven Emma Gagne Pathstone Mental Health Ryan Gallagher Pathstone Mental Health Kelly George Port Dalhousie Bicentennial Committee	Karla Gilmore Alzheimer Society of Niagara Lynda Greer First Ontario Performing Arts Centre Owen Guite Grantham Optimist Club Yulia Izvekova parkrun Shirley Jeffery Grantham Lions Club Liliana Jimenez Delgado Yaguars Sports and Social Club Paul Kemp Pathstone Mental Health Bruce Krushelnicki Habitat for Humanity and The RAFT Sue Kudreikis St. Catharines CYO Minor Hockey Edwin Leung Community Addictions Services of Niagara, Birchway Niagara Nancy Lindsay Autism Ontario Barbara Luszczyk Hospital Auxiliary at Niagara Health - Marotta Family Hospital in St. Catharines Henry Mackay St. Catharines CYO Minor Hockey Captain Kelly McGrath Helen McKechnie Goodwill Niagara Hudson McQuillan-Douglas Community Care Sheila Molnar FACS Niagara Grant Myers Grantham Lions Club Molly Nullmeyer Hospice Niagara Bernard Nwapa St. John Ambulance Cecilia Olong Distress Center, Humane Society of Greater Niagara, Birchway Marisa Oloroso Filipino-Canadian Association of Niagara Trish ONeill St. Catharines Female Hockey Association, St. Catharines CYO Minor Hockey Donald Panicale Start Me Up Niagara Kelly Papineau Start Me Up Niagara Brian and Sheila Pasche Community Care Nadima Popal Zai Bridges Niagara	Ruth Pratt Precious Angels Niagara Veronica Quintin Filipino-Canadian Association of Niagara Laurie Rahn Alzheimer Society of Niagara Matteo Ramoso Cathedral of St. Catherine of Alexandria, BLD (OSG) Community of St. Catharines Suzanne Richards St. John Ambulance Neil Rideout Goodwill Niagara Terry Rotella CFUW St. Catharines Tim Sabourin St. Catharines Female Hockey Association, St. Catharines CYO Minor Hockey Marilyn Scott Happy In My Home Michael Selvig Quest Community Health Centre, St. Georges Breakfast Program Maureen Shantz CFUW St. Catharines James Smith Garden City Lions Club Sharon Stewart Niagara Olympic Club Lucy Teminski Brock Niagara Penguins William Torres Positive Living Niagara Diana Tracey The Brown Homestead Jo-Annne Trousdale Niagara Peninsula Branch Ontario Genealogical Society Michael Verberne St. John Ambulance Mika Vervoort and Dick Stuive YWCA Niagara Region Kelly Wallace District School Board of Niagara Debbie White Start Me Up Niagara Boguslaw 'Bogdan' Wilk Royal Canadian Legion PolishVeterans Branch 418 Jaloleddin 'Jay' Zaman Alzheimer Society of Niagara

The Mayor's Volunteer of the Year Award

Bruce Krushelnicki is a volunteer with Habitat for Humanity Niagara serving in a number of capacities. He is part of the kitchen salvage crew, helping to salvage more than 100 kitchens, works in the ReStore and is a member of its board of directors.

Bruce also serves as the chair of RAFT, which operates a youth homeless shelter and provides a number of programs for youth in Niagara. Bruce has also worked in the cooperative housing sector as a board member of several co-op housing developments.

The Mayor’s Lifetime Volunteer Service Award

Marie France-Marcie is celebrating 25 years of dedicated volunteer service with Community Care of St. Catharines and Thorold, supporting programs and clients with special attention for children and families.

Marie also volunteers with Hospice Niagara and Marotta Family Hospital and supports charity efforts through Delta Bingo, participates in senior home visits, assists at the Linhaven long-term care home and spends personal time knitting for newborn babies in hospital.

Margaret and Robin MacLennan Youth Volunteer of the Year Award

Molly Nullmeyer joined Hospice Niagara just under a year ago and has already dedicated more than 160 hours and has become an integral part of a program that brings together individuals living with progressive, life‑limiting illnesses to share meaningful time and space with one another. Molly helps nurture strong relationships with those in the group and has also taken a lead role in data collection for evaluation, which has been invaluable in helping the program continue to evolve.

At 15-years-old, Michael Selvig is already making a difference in the community. Rather than receiving birthday gifts, Michael dedicates his birthday month to support residents experiencing food insecurity by collecting donations for the Niagara Regional Native Centre food pantry, the Quest Community Health Centre community pantry and the breakfast program at St. George's Anglican Church. Michael has volunteered with the Out of the Cold and volunteers to coach and train young baseball players.

Equity and Inclusion Champion Award

For 20 years, Jim and Loretta Davis have been the heart and driving force behind the Brock Niagara Penguins, a local parasport club dedicated to creating inclusive sport opportunities for youth and adults in Niagara.

As founding volunteers, their vision and tireless commitment have helped shape the Penguins into a thriving, respected community-focused organization offering multiple parasport programs, fostering confidence, teamwork, and independence for athletes of all abilities.

Spirit of Sport Award

Tim Sabourin is in his 19th season with CYO minor hockey. He is currently a parish leader, timekeeper, scheduler, and a non-parent coach for the U18 IC Canadians and is always willing to lend a helping hand.

Tim is a strong mentor to other coaches throughout the organization and takes pride in volunteering with a focus on the development of young players on and off the ice. His dedication creates a future of opportunity for both players and coaches throughout the organization.

2025

Mayor’s Lifetime Volunteer Service Award

The 2025 Mayor's Lifetime Volunteer Service Award was presented to Brenda Zadoroznij.

Zadoroznij has volunteered twice a week for the past 36 years at the St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre where she assists with inventory, artifact organization, object searches, and labelling and entering information into databases and spreadsheets in the museum’s collection section.

Mayor's Volunteer of the Year Award winner

The 2025 Mayor's Volunteer of the Year Award was presented to Abbas Faramarz for his work at Bridges Niagara Immigrant and Refugee Services.

Faramarz supports Bridges’ staff as a dedicated volunteer interpreter for Farsi-speaking clients, helps seniors gain essential technology skills in the Digital Skills for Seniors Program, and provides guidance and mentorship to youth as they navigate their personal and academic challenges as part of the Youth Services program.

Margaret and Robin MacLennan Youth Volunteer of the Year Award winners

The Margaret and Robin MacLennan Youth Volunteer of the Year Award was presented to two recipients in 2025 – Brianna Troy for her work with Positive Living Niagara, and Quinn Harley for his work with Community Care St. Catharines and Thorold.

Troy has dedicated more than 200 volunteer hours to Positive Living Niagara while completing her Honours Critical Criminology degree. She has led key events, including a French Language Service Provider Breakfast for 45 people and the World AIDS Day Vigil with 88 attendees.

When COVID struck and Harley heard about people losing their jobs and not having enough to eat, he asked his loved ones to donate to people in need rather than give him gifts – and Fill the Bin for Quinn was born. Harley has been an ambassador with Community Care St. Catharines and Thorold since he was six. Harley's program continues to provide families in need with non-perishables, as well as fresh fruits and vegetables, meal kits, emergency supplies, hygiene and toiletry products and baby items, such as diapers, food and formula.

Community Impact Award winners

The 2025 Community Impact Award winners are:

Kermesha Granger, Alzheimer Society of Niagara Region
Rene O'Brien, Alzheimer Society of Niagara Region
Angela Wheaton, Autism Ontario
Alexander Azzam, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Niagara
Zahra Ahmadi, Bridges Niagara Immigrant and Refugee Services
Linda Beyer, Bridges Niagara Immigrant and Refugee Services
Abbas Faramarz, Bridges Niagara Immigrant and Refugee Services
Phyllis Shortt, Bridges Niagara Immigrant and Refugee Services
Alexander Leone, Brock University, Niagara Health (St. Catharines site), Canadian Blood Services and Let's Talk Science
Christine Marks, CFUW St. Catharines
Jim Richardson, City's Recreation Master Plan Advisory Committee
Quinn Harley, Community Care St. Catharines and Thorold
William (Bill) McAvoy, Community Care St. Catharines and Thorold
Mike Lavallee, Education Foundation of Niagara
Dennis C. Bustos, Filipino-Canadian Association of Niagara
Henry P. Bustos, Filipino-Canadian Association of Niagara
Elvie Damiano, Filipino-Canadian Association of Niagara
Crisanto Manalo, Filipino-Canadian Association of NiagaraAlicia Howe, GCMHA Falcons
Lori Gava, Hospice Niagara
Glenn Hallett, Humane Society of Greater Niagara
Phil McDonald, Humane Society of Greater Niagara
Jamie Mereweather, Humane Society of Greater Niagara
Jeff Hasim, Kiwanis Hockey
Bruce Merritt, Morningstar Mill - City of St. Catharines
Avah Horton, New Hope Church
Robert Barber, Niagara Region Métis Council
Madeline Berardi, Pathstone Mental Health
Alexa Paquette, Pathstone Mental Health
Connor Pinkernelle, Pathstone Mental Health
Calla Smith, Pathstone Mental HealthSophie Spelier, Pathstone Mental Health
Yildiz Ighani, Pathstone Mental Health Youth Advisory Committee
Harmonie King, Pathstone Mental Health Youth Advisory Committee
Isabella Berardi, Pathstone Mental Health Youth Advisory Committee
Phoenix Christensen, Pathstone Mental Health Youth Advisory Committee
Katherine Dodge, Positive Living Niagara
Brianna Troy, Positive Living Niagara
Kim Colangeli, Precious Angels Niagara
Enzo De Devitiis, Pride Niagara
Kelly George, Royal Canadian Legion Branch 350
Fred Bowering, Safe Streets
Amanda Cote, Slo Pitch Niagara
Christine Holt, St. Catharines Ladies Softball League
Francie McGlynn, St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre
Brenda Zadoroznij, St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre
Phoenix Young Lazo, St. Catharines Boxing Club
Karl Bowley, St. Catharines Rowing Club
Mark Chapman, St. Catharines Rowing Club
Liz Ianizzi, St. Catharines Rowing Club
Carl MacCulloch, St. Catharines Rowing Club
John Mirynech, St. Catharines Rowing Club
Erin Sharpe, St. Catharines Rowing Club
Wendy Wiebe, St. Catharines Rowing Club
Kim Luciani, St. Vincent De Paul Society Store, and Ozanam Soup Kitchen at Knights of Columbus building
Molly Lacey, Suitcase in Point
Sofia Marchenko, Ukrainian First Baptist Church
Amy Wilson, Wellspring Niagara and Niagara Peninsula Foundation for Children
Susie Turner, Wellspring Niagara and Niagara Peninsula Foundation for Children