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Community Corner

Rainbow Village Honors Volunteer Cathe Reams

Volunteer of the Year for 2011 infuses professional resources with personal passion.

Cathe Reams, director of Marketing for Siemens One, was stunned and humbled when she was announced as Rainbow Village’s 2011 Volunteer of the Year before a room full of volunteers, residents, board and staff members. Rainbow Village is a transitional housing community for homeless families with children based in Duluth.

“I’m not sure Cathe fully grasps the depth and breadth of her impact at Rainbow Village,” said Rainbow Village CEO Nancy Yancey. "She has inspired us to think big and try exciting new things. Cathe has a servant heart and giving is just part of her DNA. She lives a life of great influence and inspires so many around her to engage and leave this world better than they found it.”

Reams has volunteered with Rainbow Village for more than four years, sharing her many talents giving, teaching, mentoring and advocating. Each year her involvement has grown and she’s brought more and more of herself and her resources to the table. She’s managed to infuse her professional resources with her personal passion to make significant contributions to the residents at Rainbow Village.

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Here are just some of the highlights of what Cathe Reams has done at Rainbow Village:

  • Organized and led multiple days of service
  • Secured more than $10,000 in foundation grants
  • Inspired hundreds of others to volunteer their time and talents
  • Enabled Rainbow Village staff members to attend the Disney Institute
  • Donated more than 20 bikes to Rainbow Village children
  • Sponsored Rainbow Village’s annual Golf Classic
  • Adopted Rainbow Village families for the holidays
  • Taught Life Skills courses on personal branding to residents
  • Defined an exemplary Mentoring Program that will guide and inspire residents for years to come

Sondra Blue, volunteer coordinator for Rainbow Village, added: “Cathe has contributed hundreds of hours to our mission and truly understands the importance of breaking the cycles of homelessness, poverty and domestic violence. She has introduced friends, colleagues, clients and family members to Rainbow Village and has personally challenged them to engage in exciting ways. Cathe is always full of exciting new ideas and is constantly watching for opportunities for us to work collaboratively with her company and others in the community to further our mission. She’s a true blessing to our organization.”

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“I was very lucky to be raised by parents that required us to volunteer and give back,” Reams said as she accepted her award May 21. “It’s just a part of who I am and how I live. I’m also blessed that I’ve got a great job with a company that allows me to give so much of myself to others. It's the Siemens Community Excellence Awards that make giving local grants like this possible."

"I love that here at Rainbow Village I’m helping real people that one day could be my neighbors, my customers, and my colleagues. They have asked for help and are willing to do their part to build a new life for themselves. I am a part of their path, and it has changed the way I see the world. Volunteering at Rainbow Village is incredibly rewarding and I’m blessed to be partnering with these families on their journey,” Reams said.

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