Celebrating Volunteers in Greater Cleveland’s Health and Social Services Community
MTV AWARD GENERAL BACKGROUND & IMPACT
The MTV: Most Treasured Volunteer Awards were established in 1984 as a means to recognize—as part of the annual Human Services Institute—the invaluable contribution of volunteers in health and social service organizations serving Greater Cleveland. Since its establishment, more than 1,000 volunteers representing nearly 150 nonprofit organizations have been publicly lauded for their outstanding dedication to helping others.
Unlike most volunteer recognition programs, the MTV Awards presented by The Center for Community Solutions are not focused on the organization’s own volunteers. In fact, in its history, only a very few people with any connection to Community Solutions have been recognized with an MTV Award. Rather, the MTV Awards focus attention on the community’s volunteers, people representing all facets of age (from as young as 12 to as old as 97), gender, race and ethnicity, socio-economic condition, and sexual preference. They volunteer for organizations that provide a range of services spanning pre-conception to death to survivor support; a couple have even honored for just being “helpful neighbors,” as described through the formal nomination process.
Impact
The MTV Awards serve three key purposes: (1) They recognize local individuals for their unselfish dedication to others. For some, this is the only time their work is publicly recognized. The impact on individuals is noted by the fact that some families choose to include the award in obituaries. (2) They showcase the importance of volunteerism and volunteers in providing services that organizations might not otherwise have the human or financial resources to provide. (3) They raise awareness and recognition of critical human issues and the community organizations that are working to resolve them.
You can read about past MTV winners here: