Houston Daily

First Lady Cecilia Abbott has announced the recipients of the 41st Annual Governor’s Volunteer Awards, in partnership with OneStar Foundation. The awards recognize individuals, groups, and organizations for their volunteer work in Texas communities over the past year.

"I am honored to celebrate these 17 incredible awardees whose passion and dedication uplifts communities all across Texas," said First Lady Abbott. "Their stories remind us that the true heart of Texas lies in the generosity and kindness of its people, and we are excited to share their inspiring examples of service and leadership."

Chris Bugbee, President and CEO of OneStar Foundation, stated: "These remarkable stories showcase the power of service to transform lives and strengthen our communities. By highlighting these outstanding individuals and organizations, we hope to ignite a spark in others to step forward, make a difference, and continue the tradition of giving back that defines the Texas spirit."

The awards will be presented during National Volunteer Month in April at a reception at the Texas Governor’s Mansion.

Among this year's honorees is Ruth Jordan from San Angelo who received the Governor's Lifetime Achievement Award for her advocacy work with San Angelo State Park. Wayne R. Maynard from Dallas also received this award for his contributions as a volunteer pilot with Angel Flight South Central.

Hannah Ho from Fort Worth was awarded First Lady's Rising Star Award for co-founding Address Teen Stress (ATS), focusing on mental health among teens. Miriam Khan from Spring received similar recognition for her initiative Art4All which provides art supplies to classrooms.

Shreya Poladia from Texas Hill Country founded Art for a Cause to support community needs through art fundraising efforts. Samir Becic from Houston was named Volunteer of the Year for promoting health through his foundation activities.

Eric A. Duvoe from Round Rock was recognized as Volunteer of the Year for his chaplaincy work supporting law enforcement agencies. The Aghili-Jacquier family received Volunteer Family of the Year Award for their animal rescue efforts with Jack Jack's Pack.

Corporate Champion Awards went to Professional Compounding Centers of America (Fort Bend), ServiceMaster of Wichita Falls (Wichita Falls), and Thrivent (Statewide) for their community engagement initiatives.

Texas Health Community Hope (North Texas) was honored as Community Champion alongside Town of Addison (Addison) and Universal City Volunteer Corps (San Antonio).

San Jacinto College in Pasadena earned Education Champion Award while Jasper Newton Long-Term Recovery Group was recognized with Rebuild Texas Disaster Impact Award.

Ashley Harris-Land from Houston received AmeriCorps Legacy of Service Award for expanding AmeriCorps programs at Legacy Community Health.

For further details about these awards, visit onestarfoundation.org/governors-volunteer-awards.