Hands on Birmingham to honor volunteers with IGNITE Awards

Hands On Birmingham --  the volunteer arm of the United Way of Central Alabama -- will host its second annual IGNITE Awards Ceremony, designed to honor unsung community volunteers deserving of greater public attention, at The Club, on Tuesday, April 17.

HOB received 48 nominations for the 2018 IGNITE Awards before its January deadline.

The awards are given in seven categories -- Hands on Birmingham Volunteer of the Year, as well as volunteers of the year in the  Corporate/Company, Government/Community, Nonprofit, Student, Small Business and Faith-Based categories

HOB connects volunteers with nearly 200 schools and nonprofits in Jefferson, St. Clair, Walker, Shelby and Blount counties,

“I think people are thirsty for connection, a sense of community and a sense of purpose greater than just doing a job,” HOB Executive Director Benga Harrison told Iron City Ink. ”Volunteering helps to meet those desires.”

There were about 300 attendees at the first IGNITE Awards Ceremony in April 2017, a event with an “uplifting and positive” energy, Harrison said.

“The buzz was about all the great work that was going on in the community and the need to let others know how powerful the volunteers’ testimonies were,” she said.

Every year, the IGNITE celebration is spearheaded by two co-chairs.

The co-chairs for 2018 are Alex McCrary, an Alabama Power corporate affairs director, and Vanessa Vargas, a bilingual manager at Latino News LLC.

And volunteering is important to both of them.

“I have a strong desire to give back and make Birmingham a better place to live, work and play,” McCrary said in a news release.

“Every citizen has a vested interest in their community whether they realize it or not,” he said.

“I truly believe that you give back no matter how big or small, the blessing will return twice as big,” Vargas said in the release.

However, she said she does not volunteer just to receive a blessing.

“It is the feeling of warmth and fullness that comes with it that I am addicted to,” she said.

Both co-chairs think that the IGNITE ceremony serves an important purpose in recognizing volunteers in the city.

“Too often those that go above and beyond to give back to their communities go unnoticed,” McCrary said.

“IGNITE is needed to not only show appreciation to these amazing, selfless people, but also to inspire others to give back,” he added.

Vargas likes the fact that the IGNITE ceremony celebrates volunteers of “of all backgrounds,” including minorities.

“It gives a sense of inclusion,” she said. “Generally, I always see the same individuals being awarded and it feels that minorities don't have a strong chance in being recognized.”

For more information, go to uwca.org/ignite.