Each year, the governor of North Carolina singles out some very special people, but it’s up to the public to let the governor know which selfless volunteer deserves to be honored.

The state is now seeking nominations for the 2019 Governor’s Volunteer Service Award. Those in the running are people who have an “outstanding commitment to volunteerism and to the agency or organization they served,” some outstanding accomplishments in their volunteering resumes and have impacted the community by meeting critical needs.

“Each county selects up to 10 individuals, businesses, groups/teams and one paid director of volunteers to be recognized for their outstanding contributions to their communities,” said Lisa Woolard, executive director of Beaufort-Hyde Partnership for Children and Volunteer Service Award nomination coordinator in Beaufort County. One of those county nominees will be move on to be nominated for the Governor’s Medallion Award, which is given to the top 20 volunteers in North Carolina, she added.

• Winners — or those who’ve gone above and beyond their call to volunteerism — are invited to an award ceremony at the Governor’s Mansion in Raleigh.
• Nominations are weighed on the following criteria:
• Nominees must have been engaged in volunteer activities for a minimum of one year in North Carolina and benefited a community or communities in the state in a substantial, important or unique way.  Volunteer service performed outside the state will not be considered.
• Students receiving course credits for their volunteer activities are ineligible unless the nomination is based on volunteer service that extends beyond the course requirements, in which case it must be clearly indicated in the nomination statement.
• National Service volunteers must be nominated for service above and beyond that which is required of them in their national service program.  Volunteer time recorded in a national service program will not be eligible.
• Previous award recipients from within the past 10 years are ineligible.
• Nominees are ineligible if they receive compensation for their service.
• Nomination cannot be based upon court-mandated community service.
• Nomination cannot be based upon serving as a “loaned executive.”
• Self-nominations are not allowable.
• Family members may not nominate another family member for an award.
• Group/team and corporate volunteerism nominations must be made by those external to the group/team or corporation/business.
• All nomination submission requirements must be met.

Director of Volunteers who are paid for their service must be nominated in the non-volunteer service category.

According to Woolard, the program is an opportunity to recognize an outstanding volunteer — one that may be found just by looking at friends and family.

The deadline for nominations is next Tuesday. The nomination form is posted on the BHPC website at www.bhckids.org and should be sent to Woolard at lisa@bhckids.org. The nomination form can also be filled out online at www.nc.gov/agencies/volunteer/volunteer-awards.