Each year, thanks to a generous 20-year grant from the Robert Brownlee Foundation, we honor two of our amazing volunteers for “outstanding volunteer service to the EV that impacts the youth in our community directly or strongly facilitates the organization’s ability to impact the youth in our community.” Annual award recipients have their names engraved on a plaque, which will hang in the EV EcoCenter, and receive a stipend to be applied to fun and fascinating continuing education that supports their EV volunteer service. This year’s recipients are Sally Tomlinson and Helena Wee, both of whom represent the best of what being a volunteer is all about.
Sally Tomlinson
We are thrilled to honor someone whose dedication and spirit have shaped our organization for more than three decades! Sally joined us in 1991, and has truly done it all. Not only has she been a long-time volunteer for our school programs, EcoCenter programs, and tabling — she has also been a devoted leader and has played a role in some of our biggest projects.
(To name just a few) Sally has supported the Curriculum and Research Committees, served for years on our Development Committee, and has long been one of our strongest fundraising champions. From helping recruit table hosts for our first Wake Up to Nature fundraising event in 2013 to serving now as a co-chair, she helped make the 2024 event the most successful in EV’s history. She was also instrumental in helping make our 50th anniversary celebration in 2022 a huge success. As if that was not enough, she is now actively helping EV rise to the Million Dollar challenge!
Not only has she committed her time in BIG ways, but she is gracious, generous, and sends the most heartfelt emails and thank you notes to staff after any activity or event. Last year, during a period of major transition, Sally was a calm and steady presence for both staff and volunteers. Her wisdom and support helped guide us through change while making space for new energy to grow. Even after years of supporting EV, she brings fresh ideas and a seemingly limitless amount of energy that is so infectious.
Sally is one of our finest ambassadors—an inspiration, a role model, and a pillar of this organization. We are deeply grateful for her leadership, her generosity, and her unwavering dedication.
Helena Wee
We are proud to honor a volunteer whose impact has been felt deeply since she joined us in the Fall of 2022. In just a short time, she has participated in over 100 school programs, community programs, and special projects. She even jumped in to help with the slightly chaotic re-organization of our EcoCenter in the summer of 2024, bringing calm, positivity, and a willingness to do whatever was needed.
She consistently participates without complaint, without fanfare, and often without being asked. She simply steps in and gets to work. When she’s delivering school programs, her enthusiasm shines. She is always smiling, laughing, and fully engaged with the students—bringing joy, curiosity, and focus to every classroom she enters. She also helps to support our programs in ways that most people never see, and always with a smile.
Her commitment to service and education is unmistakable. She models what it means to be a dedicated and passionate volunteer—kind, welcoming, collaborative, and steady. She steps in and steps up, even when she’s already overcommitted, always choosing to support the team and the students we serve.
Her fellow volunteers consistently describe her as a delight to work with. Seeing her name on a service brings many a sense of relief and joy—everyone knows the program will run smoothly, the students will be supported, and the whole team will feel uplifted. She has a remarkable ability to hold students’ attention in a way that is both warm and supportive, and she brings out the best in everyone.
Her dedication, reliability, and spirit has been a blessing for EV. We are so grateful for all she brings to our organization and our community!