Clarksburg VA recognizes volunteers with award ceremony

BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. (WBOY) — To honor and thank those who donate their time to veterans, the Louis A. Johnson VA Medical Center held an award ceremony on Wednesday at the 4T Arena in Bridgeport.

More than 150 VA volunteers were recognized with a variety of awards that honored their efforts in assisting veterans. These included the 2024 Special Recognition Award, which was granted to Dortha Parsons for 47 years of service as a VA volunteer, achieving 35,000 hours.

Robert Yoak was also awarded the 2024 Driver of the Year award for his 21 years of service, as he’s driven approximately 3,221 veterans over 334,810 miles.

Barbara Brown was also awarded VA Secretary’s Excellence in Customer Service for 2023, granting her with a special recognition letter and a challenge coin.

“Volunteers are here because they choose to be here. They’re not required, there’s no expectation for them to provide this level of service to our veterans, their families, caregivers, and survivors. Our volunteers really deserve to be valued in this form of fashion,” Chief of the Center of Development in Civic Engagement Michael White said.

The Louis A. Johnson VA Medical Center is always in need of more volunteers, even if availability is limited. You can learn more about volunteer opportunities by calling the VA at 304-623-7621 or emailing Michael White at Gary.White1@VA.gov.

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