JoseLuis Montalvo

JoseLuis has dedicated his technology skills to the Volunteer Center for 12 years. He absolutely loves computers. On his days off and on weekends, he gives his free time to ensure our computers, network, database and all technology are in working order. We estimate his annual contribution to us is approximately $50,000. It is an honor for him, he says, to work with us. He mentioned recently that: “Volunteering for the [Volunteer Center] has been an incredible experience. I am thankful to the Volunteer Center for giving me the opportunity to be part of the team.”

His highly valued tech savvy talents go far beyond computers. JoseLuis currently works at an adult school in Los Angeles sharing his knowledge of computers, mathematics, business and science.

The Volunteer Center salutes JoseLuis for sharing his skills, passion, and caring nature with us.

Wendy Williams

Wendy Williams has been working with the Moog Aircraft Group to organize various volunteer opportunities for years. She has logged many hours supporting Operation Teddy Bear and the Volunteer Center. She has led a team that built thousands of the clocks, organized packing backpacks, and led reading to the children. In addition to the work she has done with the Volunteer Center, she has contributed to the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life, the L.A. Food Bank and multiple beautification projects for the Salvation Army. She recently helped form Moog’s new community service team whose goal is to introduce new volunteer opportunities to employees and motivate them to make a difference in the community. She hopes that she can encourage others to volunteer their time to the causes and organizations that help give back to those in need.

Glenous Absmeier

Glenous Absmeier, also known as The Wonder Woman, is a volunteer extraordinaire! The Wonder Woman title denotes two parts of her life, first as the hostess for Wonder Bread and its Hostess Twinkies leading tours of the facilities and area, and secondly for amazing lifetime volunteer accomplishments.

Recent volunteer activities include president of the Associates of the PV Art Center, Assistance League (since 1985), Town and Gown at USC (season ticket holder since 1947), and Holy Trinity Married Couples Club (and she’s not Catholic!). She has also been a board member of Friends of the Library, P.V. Coordinating Council and Marymount Advisory Committee. She served as founding president of the Affinity Group, the support group for the Volunteer Center’s Operation Teddy Bear program.

Glenous, a former Citizen of the Year of the Palos Verdes Peninsula, says, “I love people and I love giving back.” She has always been a volunteer and is happy to continue volunteering well after celebrating her 92nd birthday on 11/11/11.

Carmen Gross

Like many potential volunteers, Carmen Gross came to the Volunteer Center for an overview of volunteer opportunities in the Long Beach community. She was in the process of retiring from McDonnell-Douglas where she was the first woman to become director of commercial contracts. We told her that we had the perfect opportunity that would allow her to use her negotiation and personnel skills and we could guarantee that she would never be bored.

We must have kept our promise because twenty-one years later, Carmen is still with us. She tackles every task with a smile but her main interest is still interviewing for the Court Referral Community Service program. “It’s working with people from all walks of life” that has kept her with the Volunteer Center. It’s her hope that she finds the best placement for the client so they realize the joy of volunteering and, perhaps, one of them will become a lifetime volunteer. The Volunteer Center salutes Carmen for sharing her skill, wisdom and caring nature with us.

Mike Friedman

Mike Friedman has been associated with the Volunteer Center since 1998 when he began serving on the Board of Directors. He was chairman of the Board from 2002-2005 and chaired the Personnel, By-Laws, and Finance Committees. He also served on the Operation Teddy Bear committee and held the Treasurer’s position for several years.

His community-mindedness is evident through his involvement in many nonprofit organizations including the Palos Verdes Community Arts Association where he served as president, chairman of the Board and treasurer. He was awarded the Medici Award in 2001. He co-chaired the Palos Verdes Concours d’Elegance, served as treasurer and president of the Community Helpline and was president of the Los Angeles Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Mike is president of the Myron A. Friedman & Company specializing in financial management consulting.

The Volunteer Center thanks Mike for all his years of outstanding leadership and expertise.

Pam Kenoyer

We are proud to honor Pam Kenoyer as the “Volunteer of the Month” for August 2011. Pam is an engineering computer systems specialist at Moog Inc. in Torrance.

Pam has been a promoter and supporter of the Volunteer Center for many years. She served on the Board of Directors for six years and currently serves as president of the Corporate Volunteer Council. This last June, Pam set up the Corporate Volunteer Council arts/crafts booth for the Special Olympics at the Toyota Village. Other community involvements include Adopt-A-School coordinator for Moog since 1996, AAUW Torrance Branch Tech Trek Science Camp for Girls coordinator since 1999, Torrance Relay for Life Team captain (six years) and was chosen a Switzer Center’s Woman of the Year in 2000. The list goes on and on. Pam is always on hand to help and puts her all into the activity!

Aleena Virani

Aleena Virani, the 2010-2011 Volunteer Center Youth Coalition president, is our volunteer of the month for July. Aleena committed 248 hours of service this year, making her the member who volunteered the most. Throughout the three years that Aleena has been a VCYC member, she has committed a total of over 400 hours of service to our community.

Aleena epitomizes the potential that each individual has to make a difference in the community, no matter how young. She has inspired many youth volunteers with her dedication, enthusiasm and humility, and her leadership has helped VCYC to grow into a coalition of active teenagers committed to making the world a better place. We wish her the best of luck as she embarks on her college career at Boston University where she is enrolled in Arts & Sciences.

Sharon Ryan

Sharon Ryan is our volunteer of the month of May and the woman of the century as far as volunteering goes! Scores and scores of nonprofit organizations benefit from her leadership talent and abundant energy. The Volunteer Center recognizes her for her dedication to the nonprofit sector and we especially thank her for all she has done for the Center. Her latest success was chairing the Affinity Group‘s Legends Event. Sharon Ryan is owner of An Uncommon Journey travel agency located in the RE/MAX Palos Verdes building in Malaga Cove Plaza in Palos Verdes Estates.