Volunteer Award Winners

Every Island Connections volunteer plays a vital role in our work, whether they provide one ride a month or several rides each week. The Volunteer of the Year Award this year goes to someone who goes above and beyond, not only by giving his time, but by thinking holistically about the needs of the organization and helping ensure that even the most challenging rides are covered.

Despite spending nearly four months of the year out of the country, this year's recipient still completed the sixth-highest number of rides among all volunteers. His dedication knows no borders: on one occasion, he signed up for a wheelchair van ride while still in Europe, scheduled for just hours after his return to the U.S., simply because he saw the need.

His thoughtfulness extends to every interaction. When he once had to step back from a few scheduled rides, he wrote to staff expressing concern about creating extra work and made a donation to support the organization, sharing his desire to help reduce the stress of filling rides.

This volunteer is also a natural problem-solver. He regularly finds ways to combine rides efficiently, calculates revised pickup times, and proactively shares those details with staff. On one particularly impressive day, he drove a Neighbor to an appointment in Bangor, returned to complete a Meals on Wheels route, and then provided another ride later that afternoon.

When he is in town, his presence is felt immediately-and deeply appreciated. We are honored to recognize Scot Bowen as our Volunteer of the Year, and we thank him for his exceptional dedication, generosity, and commitment to Island Connections.

At Island Connections, we see every day how acts of care and generosity strengthen our community. While transportation is at the heart of our mission, our work is equally about fostering relationships and meaningful connections. The Heart Forward Award honors a volunteer who truly embodies this spirit-someone who consistently puts people first and brings the "connections" to Island Connections.

This year's Heart Forward Award winner is a dedicated driver for two of our beloved Neighbors. A "dedicated driver" is a volunteer who commits to driving the same Neighbor to a recurring appointment each week. After becoming a dedicated driver for one of them, it quickly became clear that a special bond had formed. Over time, another Neighbor joined their weekly grocery trips, again reflecting this volunteer's willingness to step up where help was most needed.

What truly sets this volunteer apart is the compassion and adaptability he demonstrated as these Neighbors faced increasing health and mobility challenges. Rather than focusing on his own errands, he stayed alongside one Neighbor to assist her while shopping. When mobility needs made riding together difficult, he adjusted his schedule to transport them separately, back-to-back. When one Neighbor could no longer shop independently, he began shopping on her behalf, keeping staff informed and helping us coordinate additional support.

His care extended beyond rides. When one Neighbor underwent a major medical procedure, staff reached out to update him on his recovery, only to find that he was the one to update us. He then said to us, "I just can't wait to get back to our normal routine."

Congratulations to the recipient of the Heart Forward Award, Neil Needleman, for his extraordinary kindness, commitment, and heart-forward service.