Photo by David Dickey
Spotlighting National Philanthropy Day and the 2018 Recipient of the Volunteer of the Year Award
First held in 1986, National Philanthropy Day is a day that is set aside to recognize the great contributions of philanthropy and those in our community who sacrifice their time and resources to helping others.
The Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) is responsible for generating support toward local philanthropy and has been the standard-bearer for professionalism in fundraising. This past November, the AFP of Greater Polk County hosted its annual National Philanthropy Day breakfast where attendees were able to reflect on the meaning of giving, celebrate what has been accomplished in our community from giving, and motivate others to continue giving their time to the work that is still to be done.
The AFP of Greater Polk County also honors the outstanding achievements of many individuals, foundations, and corporations by highlighting the many ways they invested their time, talents, and resources toward making a difference in the local community. Specific awards that were given out included Philanthropist of the Year, Spirit of Philanthropy, Philanthropic Small Business of the Year, Philanthropic Corporation of the Year, and Youth in Philanthropy.
Also among these awards was the Volunteer of the Year award. The recipient of this year’s award was Lisa Moseley after she was nominated by Peace River Center for her dedication and hard work put into this organization throughout the years.
Peace River Center is a local nonprofit that advocates for mental health in the community. Founded in the late 1940s, Peace River Center was a response to the concerns raised by the community in regards to the emotional and psychological well-being of children. It has since become a resource for so many more in the community. Peace River Center’s programs focus on reducing incidences of sexual and domestic violence, as well as promoting safety and a higher quality of life through their shelter services, supportive programming, counseling, advocacy, education, and outreach.
“She’s passionate about helping others and just wants to create a better community.”
Moseley has been supporting Peace River Center for several years. She was impressed with the services offered by the organization and the effort toward providing adequate mental-health resources to those who would have otherwise not been able to afford it.
Moseley’s involvement has evolved throughout the years. She initially started out simply referring families to Peace River Center to then helping at domestic violence shelters. She would then chair the organization’s annual Full Moon Howl fundraising event and make significant strides in fundraising for the organization.
“She truly believes in our mission,” says Peace River Center’s Director of Development & Community Relations Ileana Kniss in a video used to nominate Moseley for the Volunteer of the Year Award. “She’s passionate about helping others and just wants to create a better community.”
Through Moseley’s leadership, she has been able to make significant improvements to the Full Moon Howl annual fundraising event, raising even more money for Peace River Center. Her leadership and passion for Peace River Center have helped continue to shine a light on mental illness and work toward removing the stigmas surrounding it.
Peace River Center
1835 Gilmore Avenue
Lakeland, FL 33805
863.248.3311
peacerivercenter.org