Malad volunteers recognized for community contributions

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: April 28, 2023
Media Contact: Renee.Bade@labor.idaho.gov

Photo: Gov. Brad Little , Patti Jones and Mark Jones, Farhana Hibbert.

Gov. Brad Little presented Idaho’s Brightest Star award to a pair of volunteers from Malad. Pictured left to right are the two honorees, Patti Jones and Mark Jones, Serve Idaho Commissioner Farhana Hibbert.and Gov. Little.

Two volunteers from Malad were honored for their service as part of the Idaho Capital for a Day event hosted by Gov. Brad Little Thursday.

Serve Idaho, the Governor’s Commission on Service and Volunteerism, recognized Patti and Mark Jones of Malad with the Idaho’s Brightest Star Award for their exemplary volunteer service. The couple serves at multiple organizations including the Malad Senior Center, Heritage Square, Red Cross, the Idaho Farm Bureau and their church. The Oneida Crisis Center nominated the couple for the extensive work they do in supporting Carol’s Pantry, a local food pantry providing much needed relief for residents of the area.

The Oneida Crisis Center is a nonprofit whose mission is to educate and promote safe and heathy individuals, families, housing and a prosperous community by working to ensure peaceful family relationships and providing support to victims of abuse.

Photo: Patti and Mark Jones

Patti and Mark Jones volunteering at Carol’s Pantry.

According to Marcia Stocks with the Oneida Crisis Center, Patti and Mark “are an outstanding example of what charity is all about. Oneida County is a more prosperous community by the generosity and willingness of those like Patti and Mark to reach out and include others no matter what their age, gender or race is.” Without their support local nonprofits such as the Oneida Crisis could not function. We are grateful for their contributionsand tireless efforts in supporting Malad.”

Idaho’s Brightest Star Award recognizes outstanding volunteers from across the state and is a partnership between Gov. Little’s office, Serve Idaho and the Idaho Nonprofit Center.

In 2021, Idahoans contributed more than 38 million hours of service through organizations, with an estimated value of $990.9 million in support of the over 9,000 nonprofit organizations across the state. To learn more about how you can give back in your community as a volunteer visit https://serve.idaho.gov/ 

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In 2022, AmeriCorps committed more than $5.7 million to support Idaho communities through AmeriCorps initiatives. This federal investment leveraged more than $1.5 million in other resources to strengthen community impact, build local support and increase return on taxpayer dollars.

Serve Idaho is a division of the Idaho Department of Labor. The commission administers Idaho’s AmeriCorps programs. Serve Idaho is funded in part by the federal agency AmeriCorps and the Idaho Department of Labor.

More information about Serve Idaho and AmeriCorps service opportunities is at serveidaho.gov

Serve Idaho is supported by AmeriCorps. A total of $4,519,228, or 61%, of the program is financed with federal funds, and $2,893,430, or 39%, is funded by local support.