<strong>From staff reports</strong>

Hopeful Horizons held its “V-Oscars” Dec. 10 to honor the organization’s volunteers for outstanding service.

“Volunteers are critical to Hopeful Horizons,” Hopeful Horizons CEO Kristin Dubrowski said in a release. “I wish to congratulate all of the award winners and thank each and every volunteer for their service.”

Hopeful Horizons is a children's advocacy, domestic violence and rape crisis center that works to create safer communities by changing the culture of violence and offering a path to healing.

<strong>The 2020 Awards were presented via Zoom to:</strong>

Marilyn Mueller, outstanding service to the Charles St. office;

Lary Jones of Bluffton, outstanding service to the Bluffton and Okatie offices;

Carol McGarth, outstanding service to the emergency domestic violence shelter;

Jennifer Palmer of Hilton Head, outstanding service as a hospital advocate;

Beth Young of Beaufort, Race4Love Chairwoman, outstanding service with fundraising;

Helen Tallone, outstanding service with the Strengthening Families Program;

Gail Temple, outstanding service in community education.

The Hopeful Horizons Volunteer of The Year Award was given to Dr. Mary Helen Niemeyer for her generous gift of her time, talent, and dedication over the past year.

A special award, the Hopeful Horizons Award, was given to rape crisis volunteer Cinda Seamon of Hilton Head for her more than three decades of services to Hopeful Horizons.

“Hopeful Horizons volunteers are compassionate and dedicated ambassadors for the victims of trauma we serve,” Hopeful Horizons volunteer coordinator CJ Akins said. “They work alongside our staff members with victims of trauma as well as with our prevention programs to make sure we are creating a violence-free community.”

Volunteers support a number of critical functions for Hopeful Horizons, including providing a welcoming environment for children who have been abused, providing support to victims of sexual assault and domestic violence during hospital exams, and assisting with the day-to-day activities of the domestic violence shelter and other office locations.

Hopeful Horizons provides safety, hope and healing to survivors through evidence-based practices, outreach, prevention and education. The organization serves Beaufort, Allendale, Colleton, Hampton and Jasper counties. For more information, visit www.hopefulhorizons.org.

<em>Above: Cinda Seamon of Hilton Head received a special award for her more than three decades of services to Hopeful Horizons</em>.