At the CommunityAction Board Community Services Award Program last week, County Executive Isiah Leggett honored individuals and organizations for their service.

“Our community is a better place to live because of individuals and organizations that get involved,” Leggett was quoted as saying in a county news release. “It is an honor to recognize them for their contributions to our community.”

Among those honored were Caroline Quinn, of Sandy Spring, who received the Marcia Plater Community Action Award for Individual Service for her years as a volunteer mentor with the Housing Opportunities Commission; Mike Burns, who received an honorable mention for 16 years helping Housing Opportunities Commission families in the Family Self-Sufficiency program; Kris Borcherding, a service learning coordinator at Montgomery College’s Germantown campus, who received an honorable mention for placing and supporting 80 students as interns in two of HOC’s homework clubs in the upcounty area; and Elizabeth Rosenberg, an intern with Maryland Hunger Solutions, who received an honorable mention for her leadership with the Food Supplement Program in partnership with Volunteer Income Tax Assistance.

Other honorees included:

Sixty volunteers who assisted in the delivery of free tax services for 1,505 low- to moderate-income families at sites throughout the county;

five attorneys volunteering with the Takoma East Silver Spring Center through the Pro Bono program, along with TESS volunteers and community partners, who provide services ranging from interpretation and case management, to “adopting” families in crisis, to addressing needs for school supplies, holiday gifts and food;

Maryland Hunger Solutions, which received the Henry L. Dixon Community Action Award for Organizational Service for their Food Supplement Program at Community Action’s VITA sites in Takoma Park and in Wheaton;

Cedarbrook Church, of Clarksburg, which received an honorable mention for its volunteer efforts helping upcounty area Housing Opportunities Commission residents with computer, resume and employment classes. Volunteers also teach GED classes, tutor, and sponsor a reading program with a beginner’s book club.

kalexander@gazette.net