Wolfe County teen is region’s top volunteer
November 2, 2013 by clackey
John Henson (front) accepted the PRIDE Volunteer of the Month Award, and he was congratulated by his grandmother, Eula Gibson, Wolfe County Judge-Executive Dennis Brooks, Wolfe County Solid Waste Coordinator Ashley Bowman, and PRIDE’s Mark Davis.
Wolfe County’s John Henson has earned southern and eastern Kentucky’s PRIDE Volunteer of the Month Award.
Henson, who is 18 years old, has volunteered to pick up litter in Wolfe County for years. Most recently, he volunteered for PRIDE Spring Cleanup Month in April 2013.
Henson also became involved with the Wolfe County Recycling Hub during his senior year at Wolfe County High School. Through a job-training program, he worked at the hub after school each day and then worked longer hours after he graduated in May. He continued helping at the hub as a volunteer until he began classes this fall at Lees College Campus of Hazard Community and Technical College.
Henson explained his volunteerism by saying, “I want to help out my community and make it a better place for everybody.”
“I know John has been very active in clubs at school and in his community, and I want to thank him for making the environment one of his priorities,” said PRIDE Field Representative Mark Davis, who surprised Henson with an award presentation on Oct. 29.
“When a young person shows such dedication to good stewardship, it’s a great sign for our region’s future,” Davis added.
“John has done a lot for Wolfe County for years now, and I’m so glad to see him honored like this,” Judge Brooks said. “If all our citizens had a heart like John, our whole county would be cleaner.”
“John is an enterprising young man, and he helps keep our community clean,” said Solid Waste Coordinator and Recycling Coordinator Ashley Bowman, who nominated Henson for the award.
The PRIDE Volunteer of the Month program recognizes hard work and dedication to the PRIDE initiative, which promotes environmental education and cleanup efforts in a 42-county region. With corporate sponsorship from TECO Coal, WYMT-TV airs commercials about each PRIDE Volunteer of the Month.
###
