USM Acknowledges and Celebrates the Volunteers of 2011-2012!
December is the time of year when loved ones come together to celebrate the blessings of the Holiday Season. Here at USM, we celebrate the Holiday Season by hosting an Appreciation Luncheon for all of the volunteers. This is a wonderful opportunity for USM to show our gratitude to the volunteers for their generous gift of loving service and to gather as a community in joyful celebration during this special time of year.
During the December weekends of First Year, Second Year, and Consciousness, Health, and Healing, the downstairs classroom was transformed into a beautiful dining room complete with an abundance of beautiful red poinsettias and the warm glow of candlelights. Everyone feasted on a delicious traditional turkey dinner and topped it off with fresh baked pie! As the honorees were enjoying their desserts, the Luncheon Angels passed out exquisitely wrapped red packages to everyone. Joy was in the air when it was discovered that inside the red box was a USM journal created especially for them! Inside the journal were pages of photos of volunteers, Ron and Mary, and USM Staff and Faculty.
Drs. Ron and Mary Hulnick took a few moments to share their deep gratitude with the honorees for their dedication, impeccable service, and loving support of the University, year after year. Dr. Ron Hulnick shared that as the University grows, so does the core of volunteers. In fact, with the Consciousness, Health, and Healing class having a record number of students, the Loyalty to Your Soul events, and the events to support the Online Programs, there have been over 500 volunteers supporting USM this past year! USM Graduates are volunteering in record numbers! The USM graduate community is truly unique in the abundant way that it supports the University's Mission and are wayshowers who embody the Principles and Practices of Spiritual Psychology as a way a life.
Jane Tucker, Director of Volunteers, shared her heartfelt appreciation and love for the volunteers. She added how honored and blessed she feels to be part of such an exemplary community and the joy she feels when working with the volunteers.
This was the first Holiday Luncheon for USM's new Reading Program Director, Sohini Sinha. She shared that her heart was filled with love, gratitude, and appreciation for the volunteer community and that she feels fully supported as she embraces the duties of her new job.
As 2011 comes to a close, we look back at all the blessings from this past year and give thanks for our volunteer community and all of their contributions to the University. As we look ahead to 2012, we are filled with joyous anticipation for the blessings to be revealed in the coming year! We are deeply grateful for our volunteer community, which endlessly shares their wealth of Loving with the students, faculty, and staff. Whether you're a new or long-time volunteer, we deeply appreciate your service and look forward to your participation for years to come!