Luncheon Honors ScrippsAssists Volunteers

A luncheon hosted by Judith Muñoz, vice president of Human Resources for The Scripps Research Institute, honored California employees active in the volunteer club ScrippsAssists.

"There were more than 85 people who volunteered throughout the past year," said Muñoz at the October 30 event. "We'd like to recognize the volunteers who went 'above and beyond' in helping the San Diego community,"

ScrippsAssists—founded more than 14 years ago by Jan Hill, director of Counseling and Psychological Services at Scripps Research, and Betsy Penberth manager of Volunteer Services at Scripps Green Hospital—is one of the few organizations that still includes employees from across the research and hospital sides of the Scripps name. The group's mission is to create and sustain focused volunteer activities that build a stronger, more productive, and caring community and enhance employees' personal and professional growth.

To that end, the volunteer club sponsors a number of activities throughout the year, including:

• Daffodil Days, which raises money for the American Cancer Society by selling flower arrangements (project leader: Leslie Madden).
  
• Monthly trips to St. Vincent de Paul to feed the homeless (project leader: Seana Doughty)
  
• Monthly outings to Torrey Pines State Reserve to clean and maintain trails, reducing fire risk (project leader: Kelly Dryden)
  
• Holiday senior baskets (project leader: Helen Plutner).

"While the senior basket project is on hiatus this year while I recover from tendonitis," said Plutner, who is president of ScrippsAssists, "we are always open to suggestions for new activities."

Plutner and the other project leaders received loud applause for their efforts. In addition, individuals recognized for volunteering five or more times during the past year included: Mike Bobardt, Jan Bowden, Susan Czertak, Dee-Hua Huang, Kevin Koehntop, Beth Koehntop, Pam Maher, Holly Maier, Larry Peranich, Blair Szymczyna, and Gary Shapiro.

Those recognized for volunteering three or more times included: Kent Baker, Jess Demartino, Joie Garfunkle, Eric Gelbart, Janet Hightower, Thamara Janaratne, Ranjan Mannige, Kathleen McPhail, Betsy Penberth, Darlene Scarcella, and Toni Tishon. Shane Blade and Holly Wheeler also received special thanks.

Florida employees have launched a separate branch of ScrippsAssists, ScrippsAssists Florida, which has conducted activities in partnership with Habitat for Humanity.

For more information on ScrippsAssists, see http://www.scripps.edu/services/sa/.

Send comments to: mikaono[at]scripps.edu

Judith Muñoz, Helen Plutner, and Jan Hill (left to right) celebrate employees' efforts to help others.