Printpack Inc., and the First United Methodist Church of Marietta are this year’s recipients of the Dr. Karl Steinichen Award for Volunteer Service. Ms. Lisa Crossman of Cobb & Douglas County Public Health received the Dr. Judith A. Hoyt Award for Community Leadership. The recipients were honored at private ceremonies earlier this month.
Every year, The Extension gives out two awards to people or organizations in the community who exemplify the heart of their mission. The Extension temporarily shut both their campuses down to volunteer groups due to COVID restrictions and could only accept meal drop-offs for their residents. Printpack, Inc., and First United Methodist Church stepped up to provide thousands of meals to the residents over the past year. The pandemic also brought new emergency policies and procedures to keep everyone safe and healthy. Ms. Crossman helped The Extension’s staff navigate and successfully implement these strategies.
Mr. James Tate, representing Printpack, stated, “We know our business is not just to meet the needs of our customers. A better world and a better community is a shared responsibility that we take very seriously. Our company has supported our service at The Extension. When we heard that the pandemic caused some groups to forego providing dinner, we knew we had to step up and do more. We are proud of our affiliation with The Extension and are honored to serve the community we call home.”
Mr. Forrest Cates commented on behalf of First United Methodist Church, “We are bound to The Extension by a shared mission. Our service comes from an undeniable compulsion at the heart of our faith. We come to serve those who have come to be served, but realize at the point of contact there is no difference—we all serve and are served. The Extension describes itself as a “God thing.” I would say that’s very true. In this case, the God thing is connected. I meet Jesus every time I go there.”
Ms. Crossman stated, “The Extension is one of our premier non-profit organizations whose staff works 24/7 to help those in need. I know the pandemic has been so challenging for them. On top of their ongoing heroic efforts each day, the staff also had to put very strict COVID-19 prevention practices in place and find ways to get staff and clients tested, isolated, and quarantined when needed. Our public health staff and partners were happy to help them develop their protocols and assist with on-site testing. Tyler worked so hard to protect his clients and staff. Seriously, I’m glad to help. It’s times like these when we all need each other.”
The Extension would like to recognize, honor, and humbly thank Printpack, First United Methodist Church, and Ms. Lisa Crossman for their outstanding dedication and service to The Extension and the Cobb community.
Find out more about PrintPack www.printpack.com, First United Methodist Church of Marietta www.mariettafumc.org, and Cobb & Douglas Public Health www.cobbanddouglaspublichealth.org, and The Extension www.theextension.org.
