Volunteer of the Year

Congratulations, Melanie & Mike Mailand

(Via NBC26) Married for 34 years, Mike and Mel Mailand have been volunteering together for just as long, much of their time being spent at Pillars, a homeless shelter in the Fox Valley.

“I don’t think we keep track of the hours,” said Mike. “We just do what needs to be done when it needs to be done.”

Their effort and dedication to helping others stood out. That’s why they were chosen for the 2021 Volunteer of the Year Award sponsored by Amcor.

“Holy cats,” Mel exclaimed during a surprise Zoom interview.

It’s not just giving back that brings them joy, it’s doing it together and learning a few more things about each other along the way.

They share a few of those sentiments in the video here:

While they volunteer for a few other places, they’re at Pillars on average 15 times a month. If you’re interested in learning more about that organization, click here.
The Mailands have split their $5,000 award among three nonprofits they are passionate about: $3,000 will go to Pillars, $1,000 to Community Clothes Closet, and $1,000 to Bay Lakes Council, Boy Scouts of America (BSA)

Thanks to our Celebrating Volunteers partners, the Post-Crescent and NBC 26, who are featuring our winners. Here is the Post-Crescent story on Mike and Mel.

Here is the video of their surprise “reveal” that they had won the award: