FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jessica Dennes, SAVMATucson@gmail.com
For more information: icstucson.org, savma.org
Interfaith Community Services wins top volunteer awards
Tucson, Nov. 4— Interfaith Community Services is Southern Arizona’s Nonprofit Volunteer Program of the Year and one of its board members also earned top honors from the Southern Arizona Volunteer Management Association.
ICS — which aims to help people in need achieve stable, healthy and independent lives — and longtime volunteer Scott Summerford will be honored Jan. 16 at the Southern Arizona Volunteer Management Association Awards, which recognize all levels of volunteerism including individuals, nonprofits and corporations.
“Winning these awards for ICS is just an honor,” said Chief Executive Office Tom McKinney. “They come to us because of the work of so many different volunteers throughout our community that serve those that are in the most need. It really just reaffirms how people can come together and actually serve those that need help.”
SAVMA recognized ICS and Summerford for their impact on Tucson.
Whether it’s a family in desperate need of healthy food or someone who’s homebound needing a ride to the doctor or a single mother trying to better her life and that of her children by earning a higher education, ICS volunteers are there to help. This year, more than 1,000 trained volunteers donated nearly 65,000 hours of their time, all in the name of bettering our community — Summerford has been one of those dedicated volunteers for eight years.
Using his CFA and CPA backgrounds, Summerford has served important roles as board treasurer, vice chair and chair. Still, he finds ways to go above and beyond, working in the ICS food bank and getting the new single mother scholars program off the ground.
Additionally, Summerford led the charge that resulted in a four-star Charity Navigator rating for ICS nine years in a row and has been instrumental in ICS’s strategic plan.
“Winning this award is quite an honor to me,” said Summerford, an investment banker at Wells Fargo. “It’s very satisfying knowing that I had a role in helping make ICS stronger to serve more people.”
About Interfaith Community Services
- ICS was founded in 1985 by six faith communities and now works with 113 throughout Pima County.
- ICS offers aid through several programs including two food banks, meal delivery, home visits, employment and workforce development, emergency financial assistance, home repairs, rides to the doctor and pharmacy and a program to support single mothers pursing higher education.
About Southern Arizona Volunteer Management Association
- SAVMA was established in 1996 as a professional association for volunteer administrators. Its mission is to promote excellence in volunteer program management, provide educational programs, leadership, information and resources as well as networking opportunities and support Southern Arizona’s volunteer community.
- This is the second year for the SAVMA Awards. The 2020 awards will be held Jan. 16 at the Tucson Convention Center Ballroom.
To learn more about this year’s honorees and get updates on all things volunteer, visit savma.org.