MEMPHIS, Tenn. – May 20, 2021 – Nearly six months after the first vaccination site opened in Memphis, Volunteer Memphis, Shelby County, and the City of Memphis formally recognized and offered tokens of appreciation to COVID-19 volunteers for their tireless and selfless efforts to help suppress COVID-19 in Memphis and Shelby County today at the Pipkin Building. After the presentation ceremony, Volunteer Memphis volunteers delivered official and formal thank you letters from city and county leaders, care packages from International Paper, donuts from Gibson’s Donuts, and other gifts to Pipkin Building workers and volunteers at 10 other vaccination sites around Shelby County. 

“Volunteers have been an invaluable part of the Mid-South’s response to COVID-19, and we wanted to make sure they knew that their work over the last year has not only been instrumental in our mission to return to normal in the Mid-South but also appreciated,” said Reggie Crenshaw, President and CEO of Leadership Memphis and Volunteer Memphis, “Thank you to city and county leaders as well as International Paper for joining us in celebrating the necessary and selfless work of our ever-giving Mid-South volunteer pool.”

Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris, City of Memphis Chief Operating Officer Doug McGowen, and City of Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland all joined Crenshaw to thank volunteers for their efforts. The group presented formal signed thank you letters to volunteers at the ceremony, with copies of the letter being distributed to volunteers at vaccination sites across Memphis.

“From early testing efforts to now manning our vaccination sites, volunteers have made an incredible impact on the Mid-South during the pandemic,” said Mayor Strickland, “Their selfless work is part of what makes Memphis special and these volunteers deserve all the recognition in the world.”

Along with the thank you letters, volunteers received PPE kits provided by International Paper containing: Band-Aids, alcohol wipes, gloves, face masks, and other first-aid materials. Leaders emphasized that the success of the vaccination effort would never have been possible without volunteers.

“These volunteers have put in countless hours to make their communities safer, not only for themselves, but for their neighbors,” added Mayor Harris, “We all owe them a debt of gratitude and today was about recognizing their hard work.”

In addition to the care packages and treats volunteers received today, Volunteer Memphis will be recognizing all COVID-19 volunteers with a special thank you during the Volunteer Memphis Awards on June 24.

“The Volunteer Memphis Awards are about celebrating exceptional volunteers across the Mid-South, and nobody fits that bill better than our communities’ COVID-19 volunteers,” said Crenshaw.

Volunteer Memphis partners with more than 300 nonprofits to engage volunteers across 16 counties and impact their communities. This year’s Volunteer Memphis Awards are virtual and free to anyone that would like to attend. Anyone interested can learn more about the event on the Volunteer Memphis website at volunteermemphis.org.

About Volunteer Memphis:

Volunteer Memphis builds capacity for effective volunteering and connecting people with opportunities to serve throughout Memphis and Shelby County. The organization helps individuals, families, corporate teams, and community groups strengthen Memphis and the Mid-South through service at more than 300 nonprofit organizations and schools. Our volunteers are at work every day of the year, tutoring and mentoring children, helping individuals and families make pathways out of poverty, improving our Memphis and Shelby County environment, and more. Volunteer Memphis is an affiliate of the Hands-On Network, an association of 250 volunteer service organizations across 16 countries and an action Initiative of Leadership Memphis. For more information, please visit VolunteerMemphis.org.

About Leadership Memphis:

Leadership Memphis is a non-profit, community leadership development organization. Its mission is to prepare and mobilize leaders to work together for the good of the whole community. Originally founded in 1979 as The Memphis Institute of Public Responsibility, Leadership Memphis has graduated more than 3,900 leaders from its programs. For more information, please visit LeadershipMemphis.org.

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