Office of the Governor: NINE VIRGINIANS RECEIVE GOVERNOR’S CAREGIVER RECOGNITION AWARD
- Awards program is in its third year

FROM THE OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR

April 21, 2008

Contact:                 Gordon Hickey
Phone:                   (804) 225-4260
Cell Phone:           (804) 291-8977
Internet:                www.governor.virginia.gov

Carla Harris, DSS
(804) 726-7107
http://www.dss.state.va.us

RICHMOND – Nine outstanding caregivers from throughout the Commonwealth will receive the Governor’s Caregiver Recognition Award in a special ceremony on April 23 in Virginia Beach. The annual awards program, in its third year, is sponsored by the Virginia Council on the Status of Women and is designed to honor the more than one million unpaid caregivers in Virginia.

            “The Caregiver Award symbolically thanks all of the caregivers in the Commonwealth who lovingly take care of family and friends day after day,” Governor Kaine said. “Although the award is only given to a few caregivers, it serves as a reminder of the tremendous contributions all caregivers within Virginia make.”

            These caregivers are part of a growing trend across the country and the Commonwealth. Last year nearly 700,000 people in Virginia served as family caregivers.

            This year’s recipients include the following caregivers who have devoted their lives to providing comfort and care for family members:

Charles Anderson of Richmond;
Sue Clark of Wise County;
Beverly Dunnavant of Farmville;
Brett Leake of Maidens;
Lucy Peak of Bedford County;
Al Pendleton of Suffolk;
Venida Shields of Church Road;
Linda Smith of Bedford County;
Ella Skeeter-Webster of Newport News.

            It is estimated that there are more than 44 million volunteer caregivers nationwide. The need for such individuals is expected to increase during the next 25 years as the population grows and ages.

            For more information, please visit: http://www.dss.virginia.gov/community/council_women/caregiver.html.