As National Volunteer Month comes to end, we want to thank each of our 3,000+ volunteers for the heartfelt support they’ve shown to those struggling with hearing loss.
In honor of these amazing men and women who so graciously give their time to help others, Cochlear employees wrote messages of gratitude and took fun photos to recognize and applaud their tireless efforts. Read what a few employees had to say, see some of the kooky photos and find out which volunteers are being recognized locally as “Community HearO” award winners.
Throughout the month of April, the Cochlear community came together to support a very worthy event—National Volunteer Month. Although there is nothing we could ever do or say to truly express how grateful we are to our volunteers, we wanted to show our thanks by celebrating them in style at our headquarters near Denver.
We hosted two events on our corporate campus during Volunteer Appreciation Week—morning muffins and an afternoon popcorn break—where we reminisced about all the great stories of volunteerism that surround us every day. Employees also wrote messages of gratitude and took fun “thank you” photos to recognize and applaud the 3,000+ volunteers who inspire them day in and day out. Here’s what a few of them had to say:
Cochlear Volunteers are dedicated and passionate about their mission to help others through their hearing loss journey. Making these connections, showing compassion and support sets Cochlear apart. Thank you to all of our great volunteers, we appreciate all that you do each and every day!
– Meridith Hinman, Search Marketing & Analytics Manager
I have never worked for a company where there is such a tremendous community of people who willingly give their time to support and help others. Our volunteers operate with such selfless caring, patience and kind hearts. It is hard not to smile and love your job when working with the Cochlear Volunteers!
– Sarah Hutt, Associate Integrated Marketing Manager2017
When someone with hearing loss needs courage, hope, education, a friend to lean on—Cochlear Volunteers are there. Each and everything you do to help others along the hearing journey is appreciated. Thank you for sharing your time and passion with us and the thousands of people you impact every day.
– Carrie Kufta, Global Head of Volunteer Engagement
2017 “Community HearO” Winners
In the spirit of celebrating our volunteers, we annually recognize our “HearO of the Year” award winner, which honors a volunteer or volunteer family that contributes to Cochlear’s local and/or national community outreach and engagement efforts throughout the calendar year. This is always a very difficult decision as we have countless volunteers throughout the country who meet these criteria and contribute significantly to the overall support and success of our volunteer program.
This year, we expanded our recognition to a more local level by creating the “Community HearO” awards. We are excited to announce the 2017 “Community HearO” territory winners below:
Northeast Territory
Kassey G. – Queensbury, NY
Nancy R. – West Hartford, CT
Atlantic Territory
David H. – Lexington, SC
Diane W. – Phoenix, MD
Southeast Territory
Rusty C. – Madisonville, TN
Denise B. – New Albany, MS
Florida/Georgia Territory
Richard P. – Osprey, FL
John W. – Watkinsville, GA
Great Lakes Territory
Pat V. – Columbus, OH
Norman K. – Harrisburg, PA
Central Territory
Don E. – Rochester, MN
Jerry & Maureen F. – Pleasant Prairie, WI
TX/OK/Mid-Central TerritoryHarold G. – San Antonio, TX
Don D. – Lawrence, KS
California/Nevada Territory
Shane C. – San Diego, CA
Richard “DIck” S. – Rancho Cordova, CA
West Territory
Kathleen M. – Albuquerque, NM
Karen W. – McMinnville, OR
John B. – Golden, CO
Congratulations to our 2017 winners! We will announce the national “HearO
of the Year” award winner in May. Thank you for choosing to pay it forward by helping others Hear now. And Always. We couldn’t do it without you!
Looking for ideas on how to give back? Here are four easy ways you can make a difference in your community:
- Donate your old hearing aids
- Donate your old glasses
- Donate a coat
- Donate school supplies – research schools near you to find out what they need or speak to staff at your child’s school.
Interested in volunteering with Cochlear? Visit the Volunteer Hub located in your Cochlear Family account to learn more.
Are you a hearing implant candidate looking to connect with a mentor? Visit Cochlear Connections
