Awards & Recognition

Awards & Recognition

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ONGWANADA

Awards & Recognition

Ongwanada is proud of its achievements and will post awards, recognition, and funding success stories on this page.

CONGRATULATIONS

Platinum Jubilee Award

On July 20, CEO Alastair Lamb was presented with the Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee award. This award was given to 40 upstanding citizens nominated for their community contributions.

Quarter Century Club

Long Serving Staff

Each year Ongwanada takes time to celebrate the many staff who make a difference daily in the lives of people we support and their co-workers. This year we welcome sixteen new members who have achieved Twenty-five Years of Service with the organization.

2022 Recipients 

25 Year Service Award recognized for twenty-five years of commitment to the organization

  • Daysi Acosta-Storring
  • Sonia Acosta-Farrell
  • Angela Bagyan
  • Tracy Farrell
  • Mike Guscott
  • Lyndsay Hartley
  • Cristina Hartwick
  • Nancy Hoople
  • Angela Martin
  • Yvette Roy
  • Donna Salter
  • Tammy Shelley
  • Paula Smith
  • Lorena Vanderveer
  • Yvonne Weese
  • Valerie Winter

30 Year Service Award

  • Tom Vyfvinkel

35 Year Service Award

  • Janice Kirkeby
  • Heather Storms

40 Year Service Award

  • Teresa Donoghue
  • Darlene Huntley
  • Sherry Noonan
  • Roy Smith, President- Board of Governors

2021 Recipients

30 Year Service Award recognized for thirty years of commitment to the organization

  • Amy Stanton

35 Year Service Award

  • Belinda Bancroft
  • Karen Spencer

2020 Recipients

25 Year Service Award

  • Penny Haughton
  • Darlene Ruttan
  • Charmaine Wood

30 Year Service Award

  • Julie Chandler- Tennant
  • Jayne Gibson
  • Karen Menzies
  • Patsy Skinner

35 Year Service Award

  • Sheryl Gates
  • Adam Pilszak

40 Year Service Award

  • Dwight Boyce- Board of Governors
  • Debbie Moore

Proud Of Our Volunteers

Volunteers

Each year during National Volunteer Week, Ongwanada stops to celebrate the many volunteers who make a difference. At the ceremony, awards are given for years of consistent volunteer commitment and going above and beyond.

2021 Recipients 

5 Year Service Awards – recognized for five years of consistent volunteer commitment or time period’s equivalent to

  • Karen Zeng – Best Buddy Volunteer
  • Sara Doyle – Musical / Religious & Spiritual Care Volunteer
  • Desiree Simpson – Befriending Volunteer
  • Cindy Weese – Yoga Fun Volunteer  

25 Year Service Award – recognized for 25 years of consistent volunteer commitment or time period’s equivalent to

  • Evelyn Parks – Volunteer Driver, Adult Protective Services

Volunteer Stars of the Year – recognized for going above and beyond 

  • Sierra Cosentino – Best Buddies
  • Greg Eriksen – Best Buddies
  • Sabrina Greco – Best Buddies
  • Michelle Mataj – Best Buddies
  • Austin McMillan – Best Buddies
  • Zoe Myers – Best Buddies
  • Taylor Seeley – Best Buddies 
  • Elizabeth Simzer – Best Buddies
  • Georgia Tkachuk – Best Buddies
  • Danielle Taray-Matheson – Best Buddies   

2020 Recipients

5 Year Service Awards – recognized for five years of consistent volunteer commitment or time period’s equivalent to

  • Jim Barnes – Befriending Volunteer
  • Judith Hennessey – Administrative Volunteer
  • Mary Ryan – Bowling Buddy Volunteer
  • Cynthia Bradley – Best Buddies & Annual Event Volunteer (*with us longer than five years, past summer volunteer for the first handful of years)

10 Year Service Award – recognized for ten years of consistent volunteer commitment or time period’s equivalent to

  • Joan Catto – Cafeteria

Volunteer Stars of the Year – recognized for going above and beyond

  • Lauren Sandrasagra – Best Buddies
  • Rika Wong – Best Buddies
  • Kiera Lee-Pii – Best Buddies
  • Noah Tregobov – Best Buddies
  • Emma Walker – Best Buddies
  • Mary Fay – Best Buddies
  • Adrian Iftene – Administrative Support, Clinical Records
  • Chris Zajner – Exercise Support, Group Support, and Hospital Companionship
  • Stephanie Saunders – Best Buddies
  • Alex Wyatt – Best Buddies

GARDENS

Kingston Blooms

The City of Kingston began hosting the annual Kingston Blooms Best-kept Garden Awards in 2003. Ongwanada first won the honour in 2004.

In 2006 work was finished on the construction of The Joseph Dominik Sensory Garden, which proved to be a popular candidate for the Kingston Blooms award, Receiving recognition yearly from 2007-2013. 

Find Out how You Can Help

Support Us

 There are many different ways to help the organization.

Have Questions?

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