Our Donors & Volunteers

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.

Nominate a Volunteer


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
United Way of America
Alexis de Tocqueville Society
(Gift of $10,000 and above)

 

Corporate & Business Leadership Giving

2021 Community pillars brochure for web