Shaun Kenney -Rancocas Valley Regional High School

 

Corrine Walker - Willingboro High School

 

Abigaile Wiker - Shawnee High School

 

Kimberly Brown - Lenape High School

  

"Recognizing Outstanding Student Community Service"

 

 Supported by:

The Haines Family Foundation, The Laufer Family  

and Volunteer Center of Burlington County  

 

 

 

Ralph Shrom, Volunteer Center Board Member and Burlington County Library Commission Member, welcomes  Penny Laufer and sons Kristopher and Kurt.  

 

 

 

 

 

Holly Haines, The Haines Family Foundations, offers gracious and generous comments concerning the significance of Joe Laufer Scholarship and the accomplishments of the deserving recipients.  

 

 

 

 

 

Kimberly Brown -- Young people who participate in Quixote Quest, a community-based teen service organization, are always outstanding, and Kimberly is no exception. Through this club she has worked with disadvantaged children from Camden, senior citizens suffering from dementia, and abandoned animals. Her leadership was demonstrated through her creation of an Individualized Recreation Plan for each of the residents at Marlton Crossing assisted-living center. During her high school years she volunteered more than 1,000 hours and received special recognition from the President of the United States in each of those four years. People who know her have repeatedly used the words caring, compassionate, intelligent, highly motivated and dedicated to describe her. And we agree.

 

 

 

 

Abigaile Wiker -- Abigaile is a well-rounded individual with an incredible list of community service accomplishments. These range from activities with Habitat for Humanity to People-to-People International to the Girl Scouts to the Disney-based "give Kids the World" program for children with terminal illness. She is an active participant in many activities in her town of Medford Lakes, including canned food drives, Lion's Club gift drives, and a local MS Walk. We were also struck by her ability to use her favorite pastime - dancing - to serve as choreographer for an elementary school musical production, teaching young students the dance routines for the show "Oklahoma." In her essay, Abigaile wrote, "Sitting in the audience for the first night I felt like a proud parent." Today, we feel the same about her.

  

  

 

 

Corrine Walker -- In the case of Corrine, it's not just what she has accomplished, it's the things that have inspired her. Five women in her family combatted breast cancer, and four of them did not survive. When Corrine's maternal grandmother passed, she decided to do something about it. And so, she initiated a Breast Cancer Awareness Rally in Willingboro High School, and she raised hundreds of dollars that went to two local Breast Cancer Foundations in Burlington County. But that's just a part of her story. As her minister at the Tabernacle Baptist Church has reported, she has served in the Youth Ministry, the choir, usher board, and junior missionaries. She has helped on the soup kitchen line, mentored other youth at-risk, and continues to serve in the Strengthening Families program. She is a sensitive, caring young woman with leadership qualities that will take her far.

 

 

 

Shaun Patrick Kenney - You can't help but be impressed with Shaun's record of community service, and in particular, his leadership abilities. When a good friend of his committed suicide, Shaun created and organized a recurring 5K fundraiser in his friend's name, raising more than $17,000 while promoting teen suicide awareness. An Eagle Scout, Shaun has been an active participant in a service organization known as Venture Crew. Through this affiliation, he has purchased and wrapped gifts for needy children, served in a soup kitchen, and collected baby supplies and school supplies for families who needed them. He participated in the Buddy Walk, a fundraiser for Down syndrome research, participated in local food drives, and volunteered at many community events. He is academically solid and forward thinking. The Superintendent of Rancocas Valley High School wrote us that Shaun will "bring great credit to Mr. Laufer and the scholarship that bears his name." So true, so true.

 

 

 

(l. to r.) 2014 award recipients Abigaile Wiker, Corrine Walker, Kimberly Brown and Shaun Kenney with Penny Laufer, Kristopher Laufer, Holly Haines - Haines Family Foundation and Kim Mattson - Volunteer Center President.