CLEARFIELD – Donna Buck, a volunteer with the Clearfield County Area Agency on Aging, Inc., received the “Outstanding Volunteer of the Year Award” from the Pennsylvania Department of Aging for her services with the local APPRISE program. Donna was presented the award by Deputy Secretary of Aging Ray Prushnok on May 5 in Clarion at a special APPRISE Recognition Luncheon hosted by the PDA to honor volunteers in the northwest region of the state.
This luncheon was one of five being held by PDA to honor the more than 500 volunteers in the state for their service in helping older adults and Medicare beneficiaries understand their health benefits and related issues.
The highly trained APPRISE volunteers provide free health insurance information through the state’s 52 Area Agencies on Aging. They assist anyone on Medicare Parts A, B, C, and D and assist them with their choices about Medicare Coverage, the appeals process, and provide information on financial assistance among other areas.
Donna has volunteered with the APPRISE program for over 7 years. This past year she volunteered over 835 hours and served over 386 beneficiaries answering the APPRISE hotline. She has helped with Open Enrollment and Town Hall meetings and has attended over 6 training sessions this past year.
Donna lives in Grampian and with her husband Jim. They have two daughters, Laurie and Wendy, and four grandchildren. Donna is also very active in her community, church, and
RSVP of Clearfield County. She has been a volunteer tutor at Penn Grampian School, entertained at Ridgeview Elder Care, and served as coordinator for the food bank at St. Bonaventure Church and Home Mission Fund. Donna loves reading, quilting, crafting, and storytelling and uses her passion for these hobbies to help others.
In addition to Donna’s award, Pat Adams, Donna DuFour, Donna Buck, Scott Mills, and Ann Reid also received pins for five years or more of service to the APPRISE program. Ann Reid received a special award for the most service hours given to the program in her county.
Programs and services of the Clearfield County Area Agency on Aging, Inc. are funded in part by the Pennsylvania Department of Aging, the Clearfield County Area Agency on Aging, Inc., Mature Resources Foundation, and local and client contributions.