January 2021 By Leslie Thompson, Argus Observer
ONTARIO
In the absence of the Ontario Area Chamber of Commerce Distinguished Citizens of the Year awards, which have been celebrated annually since 1972, the Argus Observer aimed to help fill the gap created by the pandemic and offer the community the chance to nominate a citizen of the year.
Nominations for the Argus Observer Citizen of the Year for 2020 were open Jan. 1-8, and the community’s responses came pouring in for people throughout the Western Treasure Valley.
A unifying theme in all of these nominations was people who put their community’s needs before their own.
The person who garnered the most nominations for this inaugural award was Ron Verini, president and chairman of the board for Veteran Advocates of Ore-Ida, a nonprofit dedicated to serving veterans. Trailing not far behind, but neck-in-neck, were Malheur County Health Department Director Sarah Poe, who is currently leading the local fight against COVID-19, and Jennifer Tolman, a pharmacist at Malheur Drug in Vale who, according to nominations is a vital part of groups that give back to the community.
Verini mentioned all the work these people do (and there isn’t room to list it all — it is extensive), which includes myriad services, such as running the nonprofit’s food bank, connecting vets with local services, finding housing, hosting a website and Facebook page, sitting and talking with local vets, building ramps, home renovations, setting up a station for the visually impaired to read books and putting together a military museum.
Motivating volunteers
Along with others in the community who nominated Verini, many people from his core group of volunteers say they believe Verini deserves the award.
Haines said Verini is the initiator and motivator behind the nonprofit, which consists solely of volunteers.
“It takes a special gift and desire to motivate and inspire others to do the same,” said Haines. “This year has been unique. Ron has more than passed the test.”
When asked how he keeps inspiring volunteers, Verini had the following to say.
“I stay focused on the mission, and you treat people like you want to be treated,” he said. “I think it’s so important that folks understand that we are all in this together, truly. There is something about the human nature that comes to the surface on a positive level when people are treated with respect.”
Some of the volunteers have their own challenges, Verini said, including in some cases severe physical or mental challenges.
![[This is a picture of what was] in my fridge when I first started the project. You see [there's] hardly anything in there? And see how small the fridge is?](https://www.research.va.gov/images/research-currents/feb22/mini-fridge-sm.jpg)
![We have the G.I. Bill, the Hazelwood Act, and the 'Voca Rehab' [Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment], but right now, I'm just using the G.I. Bill. It's the money from the G.I. Bill that helps us pay bills and stuff.](https://www.research.va.gov/images/research-currents/feb22/GI-bill-sm.jpg)
