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1049 State Ave. * Marysville, Washington 98270 * (360) 363-8000 * web: marysvillewa.gov Office of the Mayor News Release Contact: Doug Buell, Community Information Officer Office: (360) 363-8086 Cell: (425) 754-3641 Email: [EMAIL REDACTED] March 22, 2012 Mayor honors inspirational, much-hailed Marysville senior as Volunteer of the Month MARYSVILLE – Mayor Jon Nehring is pleased to announce Ruth Cantley as community Volunteer of the Month for February for more than 30 years volunteering at food banks, hospitals and nursing care centers. “Ruth is volunteering in ways that help improve the lives of some of our most vulnerable residents, while contributing to the betterment of our community,” said Mayor Jon Nehring during an award presentation at a recent City Council meeting. Cantley is a longtime member of Catholic Community Services’ Retired Senior Volunteer Program, or RSVP. She has logged more than 6,000 hours volunteering over the past three decades. To put those numbers in another perspective, said Nehring, her volunteer hours are equal to almost three years of 40-hour work weeks. For that level of giving back selflessly to her community, Cantley was been honored previously as: Volunteer of the Year in Washington State by the Governor a year ago, and A recipient of President Obama’s President’s Volunteer Lifetime Service Award in 2010, which came with a Call to Service pin and official letter. Nehring said that people who know and work with Cantley say that she embodies the spirit of giving through her dedicated, tireless and enthusiastic volunteering. Since enrolling in the RSVP program in 1996, Ruth has served in local food banks, the Navy- Marine Corps Relief Society for more than a dozen years, and volunteered in their Thrift Shop and as a knitter, supporting the Society's Baby's First Seabag program. Nehring said that as the economy revives, volunteer service plays a vital role in addressing national and local challenges, and is an effective strategy to help unite communities while addressing critical unmet needs. “Ruth sets a shining example of volunteerism, and is an inspiration to others,” he said.