Leadership Giving Donors
& Community Volunteers
Joy Vaughn
2023 Klamath Country Volunteer of the Year
Joy Vaughn, Volunteer of the Year 2023
Grandma Joy has been a Foster Grandparent volunteer for over ten years. Joy lives her life “heart forward.” She has overcome incredible challenges and is a walking example of resilience. Joy has served around 5000 hours as a Foster Grandparent. She began at Sage Community School and volunteered at Chiloquin Elementary, where she tutored and mentored children with unique or exceptional needs. Joy moved into Klamath after losing her husband and served at Peterson Elementary. During the pandemic, Joy underwent significant physical changes as her mobility declined rapidly. She has experienced several falls that have limited her ability to leave the house. However, this did not stop her from continuing to mentor children.
She learned to embrace technology and has become a virtual volunteer with Falcon Heights Online Academy through the Klamath Falls County School District. Joy has become a Zoomer. Joy is the first Foster Grandparent volunteer to serve solely online. This year she read online with children in kindergarten and first grade. Joy’s gratitude and positive outlook enabled her to build trust with older adults through her service, and she has recruited several volunteers for the Foster Grandparent Program.
Joy is retiring from the Foster Grandparents program this year and is relocating out of the area to be closer to her family.
The finalists for the 2023 Klamath Country Volunteer of the Year included Daren Jordre, Mona & Jerry Johnson, Julia & Robert Malcomb, Joyce Van Buren, Sally-Ann Palcovich, Lorie Calmes, LeOna Santos, Abby Cook, Nicole Sundet and the Sky Lakes Volunteers.
The Klamath Country Volunteer of the Year event is presented each year by the United Way of the Klamath Basin in financial partnership with The KMSB Foundation. Our thanks also to the media judges who read and score all of the nominations each year: Rob Siems, Basin Mediactive; Bob Wynne, Wynne Broadcasting; Gene Warnick, Herald and News; and Tammy Wanzer, KOTI-TV.
The Klamath Country Volunteer of the Year is selected
from the finalists within each of the five divisions.
(Youth, Adults, Seniors, Education and Public Safety/Public Service).
The 2024 Klamath Country Volunteer of the Year nomination entry forms will be available coming in 2024.
United Way Leadership Giving KEY Club
Mike & Laila Griffith
2022 Key Club Chairpersons
The KEY Club is designed to recognize the extraordinary contribution by individuals to the United Way Community Campaign. In 2021, 108 members donated a total of $212,400 representing an average gift of $1,968. Sky Lakes Medical Center lead the way with 12 KEY Club donors and Klamath Falls Toyota had nine members. The following is a current roster of our 2021 members. While every gift is important, KEY Club gifts are vital to our overall success. The 2022 Leadership Giving KEY Club chairs are Mike & Laila Griffith. Every gift matters and is greatly appreciated
Bronze KEY
(Gift of $1,000 to $1,499)
| Cec Amuchastegui |
| Eric & Alison Andrews |
| Chris Armstrong |
| Janice Arnold |
| Paul Arnold |
| Tim & Kris Bailey |
| Vanessa Baumgart |
| Dan Bridgeman |
| Jeff Bullock |
| Leroy & Nora Cabral |
| George & Janice Calvert |
| Gene & Sharon Chappell |
| Ashley Couey |
| Levi Durighello |
| Anna Felder |
| Mel & Renée Ferguson |
| Erin Foley |
| Sheri Hargrave |
| Patricia E. Henderson |
| Molly & Lauren Jespersen |
| Marc Kane |
| Avis & Bruce Kielsmeier |
| Faith Koepke |
| Edward Kotz |
| Loren Lawrie |
| Carolyn Lotspeich |
| Allen & Leslie Lowe |
| Shirley Malaby |
| Amber McGirr |
| Steve Meng |
| John & Ann Novak |
| Lenora Reinhard |
| Elizabeth Rineer |
| Jeanette Rutherford |
| Joan Staunton |
| Rob & Jamie Siems |
| Jeffrey & Lindsay Smith |
| Simon Smith |
| Matt Snipes |
| Sid & Tamara Staunton |
| Ron & Sandy Steinbeck |
| Mitch & Tammy Stokes |
| Greg & Janet Thede |
| Brent Thomas |
| Bud Wakefield |
| Cheryl Westbrook |
| Michael Westbrook |
| Johyn & Donna Wetter |
| Dorothy L. Winters |
| Carolyn Woods |
| Fred & Merlaine Zwartverwer |
| * Three anonymous donors |
Silver Key
(Gift of $1,500 to $1,999)
| Todd & Mindi Andres |
| James Baxter |
| Jessica Chastain |
| Mike Cheeseman |
| Annette Cole |
| Nicholas Ealy |
| Frank Ganong |
| Mike & Laila Griffith |
| Danette Mason |
| Mike & Donna Romtvedt |
| Rob & Jamie Siems |
| *Two anonymous donors |
Gold Key
(Gift of $2,000 to $3,499)
| Dr. Beverly Bauman |
| John & Kendall Bell |
| Marcella Bell |
| Timothy Boozer |
| Andy Brandsness |
| John & Nancy Dey |
| Nicholas Ealy |
| Gerald & Susan Freschi |
| Frank & Renee Hernandez |
| Christopher Hinklin |
| Tanner Krag |
| Dr. Raul & Karri Mirande |
| Chris & Linda Moudry |
| Drs. Nagi & Katuri Naganathan |
| Stan Neitling |
| Stuart Nelson |
| Kent & Linda Pederson |
| Tom Powley & Vonnie Powley |
| Lenora Reinhard |
| Erwin, Carol Ritter & Family |
| Tom & Sue Schiess |
| Jay Schindler & Ruth Olsen |
| Thomas J. & Barbara Shaw |
| Matt Snipes |
| Joan Staunton |
| Tim & Gloria Steiner |
| Barbara Thom |
| Anne Weaver |
| Nancy J. Wendt |
| Don & Mary Young |
| * Four anonymous donors |
Platinum KEY
(Gift of $3,500 to $4,999)
| Tim Boozer |
| Drew & Betsy Honzel |
| Rick & Susan Kreizenbeck |
| Dick & Chris Ledgerwood |
| Juan Maldonado |
| Don & Kwanda McDonald |
Emerald KEY
(Gift of $5,000 to $ 7,499)
| Dan & Ann Cavanaugh |
| Glenn & Ursula Gailis |
| Chris & Susan Kandra |
| Bill & John Walker |
| * One anonymous donor |
Diamond KEY
(Gift of $7,500 to $9,999)
| Matthew & Denise Howard |