A 12-year-old who is already an avid volunteer has been named the first Volunteer of the Month by Volunteer Airdrie.  

Callie Wallace, a student from C.W. Perry School who already volunteers with a number of Airdrie organizations, was chosen in a random draw.  Chair Dave Maffitt says they received three nominations for the inaugural award and Wallace is very deserving of the honour.  

"I first met Callie a year or two ago.  She is a member of the Airdrie Board of Youth Affairs which is a student council that the City of Airdrie supports to get youth input into youth issues in the community.  Great group.  I know she also volunteers at the Airdrie Festival of Lights because her mom, Kristin Wallace,  is the Volunteer Coordinator there and I know she's very involved.  She's a recent graduate of our LEAD Youth Leadership and Volunteer Development Program here in December."

That's only the start of Wallace's volunteering though.  Maffitt explains, "I know she volunteered at least 20 hours, if not more, at places like Soap for Hope and the Defeat Depression campaign back in the fall."

Maffitt is excited that the first-ever Volunteer of the Month is a young person.  He says most youths have everything they need to be a volunteer.

"We know that youth want to be involved and we're just trying to open doors for them.  That's usually the biggest impediment.  The enthusiasm's there, the energy's there, they've got great ideas but sometimes there are barriers to entry, so to speak.  So we're happy to help facilitate that, open doors and encourage them whenever we can."

Wallace wins a $100 gift card from Cross Iron Mills Mall and a $25 gift card from Save-On-Foods as Volunteer of the Month.

Each month Volunteer Airdrie will award the Volunteer of the Month as a way of providing regular, ongoing recognition for its many volunteers.  The deadline to submit nominations is the 21st of each month.  

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