Every year the Corporation for National and Community service (CNCS), together with the President of the United States, presents the President’s Volunteer Service Lifetime Achievement Award to deeply invested community volunteers. These are Americans who find time in their busy lives to make giving back a priority and for whom a very special thanks is in order.
This year, Linda Wunderlich, Owner, Publisher & CEO of The Valley Business Journal and long-time area resident, was recognized with this prestigious award. Wunderlich has a long history of community service and has been recognized as ‘Business of the Year’ by both the Temecula and Murrieta Chambers of Commerce. In 2008, the newspaper was also recognized with a California Small Business Administration award for community service. The Valley Business Journal has been the face of business in Southwest Riverside County for 28 years.
Wunderlich, who previously served as Publisher of The Californian, was surprised at the honor, which includes a certificate signed by the President and a commemorative medallion. Wunderlich was astonished by both the significance and honor of the award.
“You don’t get involved in your community to receive awards, you do it because you love your community, you enjoy what you do, and it’s the right thing to do. I wouldn’t trade this community for any place on earth.”
According to the CNCS, service helps make our nation stronger, smarter, and healthier. The agency’s mission is to “support the American culture of citizenship, service, and responsibility”. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates the value of volunteer time to be $23.56 per hour, and through their service, Americans invest billions in their local communities—to say nothing of the immeasurable impact volunteers have on others and the character of their communities.
To thank the volunteers making the biggest impact, CNCS partners with Certifying Organizations to provide Presidential honors for deeply invested volunteers. Their annual President’s Volunteer Service Award is the premier volunteer awards program, encouraging citizens to live a life of service through presidential gratitude and national recognition.
This year one of those special recognitions was extended to local volunteer, Linda Wunderlich.