This story was produced by My UP News Correspondent Jessica Goska, find the original story here.
At the Governor’s Service Awards ceremony November 14 in Detroit, Lois Westman of Ishpeming received the National Service Impact Award for her more than 20 years of volunteer service helping veterans at the Michigan Veteran Homes D.J. Jacobetti in Marquette.
Westman has accrued more than 3,500 lifetime service hours organizing special events for the home’s residents and performing for them with her voice, keyboard and guitar. She is self-taught on both instruments.
“I love doing music,” said Westman. “Music awakens people…so, you try to learn the songs they [the D.J. Jacobetti residents] like, and if they have a special request, you try to learn it for them.”
Of the 38 Michigan individuals, businesses and non-profit organizations recognized with Governor’s Service Awards this year, Westman was the only recipient from the U.P.
She encourages others in the Upper Peninsula community to volunteer and says that through her service to veterans, she gets back more than she could ever give.
“The biggest part about volunteering is what you get back. You get back so much more than you can ever give,” said Westman. “I can never give back to the world what I’ve gotten from it.”
The Governor’s Service Awards have been presented since 1994 to those committed to volunteerism, service or philanthropy. The National Service Impact Award is given to those who have served the country through the military or AmeriCorps or who Support AmeriCorps members or veterans through volunteerism.
In addition to her service at the D.J. Jacobetti, Westman belongs to the Retired & Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP). It was through the RSVP that she and her sister formed a team that raised more than $32,000 for the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life Walk.
Westman is a regular member of the American Legion Auxiliary Unit #114 and a lifetime member of the AMVETS Auxiliary Post 122. She credits her brother David, a Marine veteran, for involving her with those organizations.
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