November 3, 2014 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Erika Zaborny, 717-273-8144,
Cell: 717-202-5889
RE: LOCAL UNITED WAY VOLUNTEER CHOSEN TO RECEIVE AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING SERVICE AT 36TH ANNUAL JEFFERSON AWARDS
Elizabethtown, PA – On Thursday, November 6, 2014, Dan Reese from Palmyra will be presented a prestigious award for his outstanding public service in Lebanon County during the past year at the 36th Annual Jefferson Awards. The event will take place at Elizabethtown College from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. and is being organized and sponsored by WGAL8, PSECU and United Way. WGAL8 evening news anchor, Kim Lemon, will host the event. Reese was one of seven volunteers nominated from Lebanon County and will be recognized alongside seven other award winners from multiple counties in Central Pennsylvania.
Reese began volunteering with the United Way of Lebanon County in the fall of 2013 by offering to share his inspirational story of being helped by a United Way-funded agency with hundreds of employees around the County. As a child, Reese had fallen victim to various forms of abuse, and developed schizophrenia and hallucinations as a teenager. For years, Reese struggled to hold down jobs and was hospitalized a total of 42 times. It wasn’t until Reese discovered the life-changing mental health recovery services offered by the Halcyon Activity Center – a United Way-funded agency in Lebanon County – that his life took a turn for the best.
Now actively managing his mental illness, Reese lives a normal, productive life and is working full- time as a Peer Support Counselor at Philhaven Hospital. Reese gives back to the community and the organizations that helped him heal through a full schedule of dedicated volunteerism and advocacy. In the last year, Reese has put in over 500 hours of volunteer service with not only the United Way, but also with the Halcyon Activity Center, Philhaven before he was hired as a counselor and several other community projects. Reese is a member of Lebanon County’s Community Support Program Committee and is assisting in the start-up of a “Hearing Voices Network Support Group” for Lebanon County.
When asked why volunteering is so important to him, Reese said, “I want others to know what United Way has done for me and without United Way and Halcyon [Activity Center], I would not be where I am today. They’re giving people a so called ‘second chance’ at life.”
A short video vignette will be created for each volunteer, showcasing each winner’s specific work in his or her community. All videos will be aired on WGAL8’s evening news programs beginning after the event date on Thursday, November 6th. Visit www.WGAL.com for an airing schedule for each winner’s video.
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