Volunteer Appreciation Dinner 2026

On Thursday, April 23, volunteers, board members and ESNKY staff gathered at the Florence Nature Park Event Center for ESNKY’s annual Volunteer Appreciation Dinner.The event celebrated the dedicated individuals and organizations whose compassion, energy and time make ESNKY’s mission possible. Volunteer Coordinator Maya Mintu beautifully tied it all together with the theme, “You Make the Shelter Sweet—Thanks for Bee-ing You!”

“At ESNKY, we get to see the best of humanity every day – from the guests finding dignity, stability and housing, to the volunteers giving of their time, talent and treasure to make a difference in the lives of our neighbors,” said ESNKY Chief Executive Officer Kim M. Webb. “From serving meals to organizing donation drives, our volunteers directly impact the lives of our guests. We’re so pleased to set aside a night to honor their contributions.”

In the last fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, 977 volunteers gave nearly 12,000 hours of volunteer service to ESNKY totaling nearly $430,000 in value. From cooking and serving the evening meal, to organizing and passing out clothing in the donation room, to folding and sorting laundry and more, volunteers are critical to ensuring the shelter operates smoothly and with dignity. In 2025, college and high school students accounted for 38% of all volunteers, and more than 50 churches, companies, families, restaurants and food rescues donated healthy meals for the shelter guests.

ESNKY’s annual Volunteer Appreciation Awards include the Ralph Drees Impact Award, named for former Kenton County Judge-executive Ralph Drees and given to an individual or group that has had a lasting impact on ESNKY; the Beyond the Call of Duty Awards, which recognize individual volunteers who go above and beyond; and the Leroy Collins Award, which recognizes individuals who have experienced homelessness, and after working to overcome their own circumstances, choose to give back just as Leroy did

Ralph Drees Impact Award

Cavaliers Care Ministry from St. Joseph School with the Ralph Drees Impact Award for their continuous meal service, connecting students and their families with ESNKY’s mission, as well as their Christmas party initiative where students were able to greet and provide table service to the guests, providing a sense of normalcy during the holidays

Beyond the Call of Duty Award

The Beyond the Call of Duty Award went to Sam Phillips, Jamie Reaver, Derek and Linda Wendelken, and Bonnie Hugus for their dedication, generously contributing over 13,000 collective hours to the organization to ensure crucial tasks such as meal prep, laundry and donation organization were completed.

Sam Phillips

Jamie Reaver

Derek and Linda Wendelken

Bonnie Hugus

Leroy Collins Award Winner

Aleisha Loy, ESNKY Navigation Coordinator

Guests at the commemorative event also heard from Jill Puckett and Riley Smith, Ignite High School student interns (pictured below), and University of Kentucky College of Medicine students Armin Razavi and Kathryn Zalla, who provide services at ESNKY onsite clinic.

Additionally, Webb & ESNKY Board Chair Alexa Drees Walker honored outgoing board member Tricia Watts (pictured below) for her leadership, vision and dedication to the mission over the years

We are especially grateful to our ESNKY Board members for continuing the tradition of serving the meal to our volunteers, a simple yet powerful gesture that underscores their leadership, humility, and commitment to our mission. Pictured left to right Alexa Drees Walker, Leah Sheanshang, Steven Doan, Jimmy Beatrice, Kim Webb, Sarah Petracco, Stephen Simms, Mary Tignor and Tricia Watts.

The full photo gallery can be found here.