On Tuesday, November 27, the Cobb Collaborative (CC) hosted its 25th Annual Human Services Award Luncheon. The lunch and awards ceremony took place at the Mansour Conference Center in Marietta and recognized nominees from local Cobb County businesses and nonprofit organizations. Milton J. Little, Jr., President and CEO of United Way of Greater Atlanta, delivered the keynote address, highlighting the need to remember and serve all children and their families for the good of the community.
Nominees were recognized for their dedication to working with or volunteering with those less fortunate in our community, professionalism within the community, collaboration with others and involvement in the community. The Collaborative awarded Rev. Harden Perry of the Harmony House with the volunteer award and Tara Riddle with Cobb Legal Aid with the professional award. The William E. “Bill” Hanson Collaboration Award was presented to Rev. Roger Vest, Lead Pastor with Powder Springs First United Methodist Church.
The nine nominees in the volunteer category included:
- Monica Delancy, nominated by We Thrive in Riverside Renters Association
- Leroy “Tre” Hutchins, nominated by Bryant Elementary School PTA
- Barbara and Lance LoRusso, nominated by SafePath Children’s Advocacy Center
- Tedd Mendelsohn, nominated by WorkSource Cobb/CobbWorks
- Natalie Moore, nominated by Habitat for Humanity of Northwest Metro Atlanta
- Rev. Harden Perry, nominated by Harmony House
- Mallory Price, nominated by Rescuing Hope
- Shelby Torbert, nominated by Cobb Senior Services
Professional nominees included:
- Shayla Jones, nominated by Communities in Schools of Georgia in Marietta/Cobb County
- Tara Riddle, nominated by Cobb Legal Aid
- Danine Walker, nominated by Habitat for Humanity of Northwest Metro Atlanta
- Camilla Worrell, nominated by Family Promise Cobb County
“We are thrilled that so many individuals were recognized this year for their commitment and dedication to the great citizens of Cobb County,” stated Cobb Collaborative Executive Director Irene Barton. “The nominating organizations are representative of the enormous role that nonprofits play in creating the caring community that is Cobb County.”
The Jack Vaughan, Jr. Human Services Award was established in 1994 in memory of his unselfish dedication to public service. Jack Vaughan, Jr. was a state representative and member of the Cobb Collaborative who strongly advocated for those less fortunate in our community. In memory of Jack’s service, the Collaborative honors a volunteer and a professional who have gone above and beyond to serve those in need. Otis Brumby stated, “Vaughan always gave his best and what remains is the memory of an earnest young man eager to serve – one whose motto was selflessness, not selfishness.”
The William E. (Bill) Hanson Collaboration Award was established in 2008 to honor Bill Hanson for his more than 25 years of service to Cobb County. He is recognized for his collaborative spirit and bringing the Cobb non-profit organizations together to tackle issues and concerns. Bill was one of the founders of the Cobb Human Services Coalition, a forerunner of the Cobb Collaborative and served in a variety of leadership positions with the CC. Each year the CC identifies a person or organization that represents the true meaning of collaboration. Powder Springs First United Methodist Church celebrated its 180th anniversary earlier this year and has a long-standing tradition of partnering with various community-based partners to improve the lives of all citizens. Most recently, Rev. Vest is leading the effort to establish Ferst Readers in Cobb County, a program to increase access to books for young children.
The Cobb Collaborative is a membership of non-profit organizations, local government, businesses, faith-based organizations, educational institutions, professional organizations, associations, and citizens who share ideas, expertise, and resources to meet the needs of Cobb County and its citizens.
