Public kudos are a nice new chapter for volunteers

These folks are definitely worth checking out.

The Richland County Public Library has named its top volunteers for 2007. They were recognized formally last week during an event at the main branch.

Clyde Dornbusch was named the Adult Volunteer of the Year. Dornbusch has volunteered at the library since 1993 and contributed more than 950 hours. He has worked as a patron assistant and regularly attends library programs.

Maria Piroli, was named Teen Volunteer of the Year. The A.C. Flora High School student has volunteered more than 35 hours in the past year at the Southeast Regional Branch, shelving and sorting materials and organizing the teen area. Piroli has worked with library programs such as Children’s Day, the Southeast’s annual bilingual event and the Summer Reading Wrap-Up Party for families.

Morgan Osborne was named Junior Volunteer of the Year. A student at St. John Neumann Catholic School, Osborne has been a volunteer at the Sandhills branch. Since 2005, she has spent more than 100 hours sorting newspapers and magazines, processing paperbacks, cutting name tags and assisting with children’s programs. She also was named a library Spotlight Volunteer in 2006 for her contributions at the Sandhills branch.

Six other volunteers received the President’s Volunteer Service Award — an initiative of the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation — for their work with the library.

They included Catherine Cox, Gwen Decillis, Barbara DeHamer, Paul Denman, Nicole Monchamp and Srikala Vinnakota.

The Richland County Public Library relies on adult and junior volunteers to maximize its resources and better serve library users’ needs. Last year, more than 830 adults, teens and children volunteered at RCPL, contributing nearly 13,000 hours valued at a little more than $206,000.

To volunteer or get more information, call (803) 929-3436.

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The American Cancer Society is seeking volunteer drivers for its Road to Recovery program.

The service provides cancer patients transportation to and from their scheduled medical appointments.

Drivers donate their time, gas and use of their personal vehicles to help ensure cancer patients get needed treatments.

A volunteer must possess a good driving record and a serviceable vehicle and be able to transport patients to and from scheduled treatment appointments.

Lack of transportation often leaves some cancer patients with few options for completing their treatments.

For more information about the program or about becoming a volunteer driver, call Lang Hunt at the American Cancer Society, (803) 750-1693.