Joni DeNeef, winner of the 2011 Creative Dining Services' Volunteer Service Award, along with her manager, Stephanie Zdun, of Cook Servery at Hope College in Holland, Michigan.

For nearly a decade now, Creative Dining Services has been recognizing team members who make a difference through their volunteer service.  The recipient of this year’s Creative Dining Volunteer Service Award is Joni DeNeef from Cook Dining Hall at Hope College in Holland, Michigan.  Joni has done extensive volunteer work – providing over 1,000 volunteer hours to many worthy causes.  Her volunteer activities include:

• Open Doors for International Friendship in Christ, an exchange program throughMeijiGakuinHigashimurayamaHigh SchoolinTokyo,Japan(1999 – Present).  Joni’s family has had the privilege of sharing Christ’s love with 9 Japanese girls since 1999.  They have hosted these girls one at a time during the summer for 4 ½ weeks.
• PTO Treasurer and Secretary atSandyviewElementary School(1999-2005).
• Parent Volunteer at Hamilton Middle and High School (Aug. 1995 – Present).
• High School Youth Group Leader (August 2006 – Present).  Joni attends monthly leaders’ meetings, weekly youth group meetings, overnight retreats, summer mission trips, summer day activities, and is a mentor.
• Cub Scout Leader (August 2007 – present).  Joni participates in monthly leaders’ meetings and pack meetings as well as den meetings twice per month.  She arranged all of the pack activities for the past two years and is doing so again this year.  She is the Assistant Popcorn Kernel and has quadrupled sales since she started helping out two years ago.  Her son alone had over $3,000 in sales last year!  She has been on various committees for projects like the Pinewood Derby and has attended Cub Scout Camp atCampGerber.

As a youth group leader, Joni has gone on numerous mission trips to a variety of places, including:

• South Africa (2005) working at an orphanage in Cape Town, where they painted the whole interior, repaired plumbing and electrical systems, purchased a hot water heater, painted and repaired playground equipment, showed the children how to use chalk, gave them toys and traveled to Umtata to work with the locals.
• VestVirginia(2007) working at a kids’ camp inCharlestonfor one week.
• New York City(2008) working at an inner-city church to prepare for a summer Bible camp called TASC (Taking a Stand for Christ).  The kitchen was so overrun with bugs that they were told to turn the lights on for a while before going into the kitchen so the bugs would scurry away!
• South Dakota(2009) working at a juvenile detention center on the Rosebud Indian Reservation.
• Alaska(2011) working at Sutton Alaska Eagle Crest Ministries.  The group did various outreach ministries for the community.  Joni did such a tremendous job that the director of the camp asked if she could stay for the rest of the summer!  She would have loved to, but she had to get back to her 10-year-old son at home.  The director would like her to return next summer and has offered her a position.  It is unpaid and as a family they are praying for God’s guidance in this matter.  She would love to do it!

When asked about her volunteer efforts, Joni stated “God tells us to go out into the world and share His word with others.  We feel that by opening our hearts and home, we can show Christ’s love and the love that we have for Him.”

Congratulations, Joni, and a huge thank-you for all the work you do in the community!  CDS is proud to have you as an employee!