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RUMFORD — Rumford Hospital junior volunteer Colby Volkernick was named Maine’s 2017 Youth Volunteer of the Year. Colby was honored in a ceremony at the State House in Augusta on Monday, April 24 as part of the Governor’s Awards for Service and Volunteerism.
Colby, 14, was inspired to volunteer at Rumford Hospital after being a patient there following a skiing accident in which he suffered severe injuries. During his hospital stay he decided he wanted to pursue a career as a family nurse practitioner and has dedicated his school and summer vacations to helping out at Rumford Hospital in any way he can. Colby is the son of Kelly and Jeremy Volkernick, of Rumford.
Colby assists the Environmental Services team with keeping the hospital clean and orderly. From folding bedding to sweeping and dusting the stairwells there is nothing that he won’t do, hospital officials said.
“(Colby) was such a big help that when he had to go back to school I thought, ‘Now who is going to do everything he has been doing?’ He has been missed since he returned to school; not just because of all the work he was doing but also because he is a part of our team,” said Tracey Milledge, environmental services supervisor.
Since starting as a volunteer in the spring of 2016, Colby has volunteered 320 hours of his time and is one of the first Junior Volunteers to break the 100 hour mark. In his time at Rumford Hospital, he has earned the admiration and respect of everyone he interacts with from patients to staff.
“Colby is someone who will put others first. He’s always holding doors or the elevators open for anyone. He’s the type of person who if someone else needs help, he’ll drop what he is doing to help them and then return to his task,” said Pam Wilkins, environmental services aide.
“His attitude is very contagious and there isn’t a doubt in my mind that whatever he decides to do in his life he will do with a can-do spirit,” Wilkins said.
Outside of school and volunteering Colby is active in golf, alpine skiing, and soccer. He is a member of the Mountain Valley Middle School Student Council and plans to take cooking classes after school to learn more about nutrition.
“He is truly a young man with superb customer service qualities and we all respect him for that,” said Susan Hedrich, director of volunteer services at Central Maine Healthcare in her letter nominating Colby.
