Dot Foods, Inc., the largest food industry redistributor in North America, today named Industrial Retail Customer Development Representative Chris Brierton from Versailles, Illinois, as the 2018 Volunteer of the Year. The annual award program is part of the Dot Foods' Teaming with Local Charities (TLC) program, part of the company's charitable initiative and a core component of its culture.
As part of the program, Dot Foods awarded Brierton, shown left in the above image, a $1,000 donation to the charity of her choice, which she directed to the Mt. Sterling YMCA. Dot Foods will also send Brierton on a celebratory vacation at RT'S Cove, Dot Foods' private resort in Osage Beach, Missouri.
"We are so thrilled to name our 2018 Volunteer of the Year," said Mt. Sterling TLC Director Elly Passmore. "Her passion for helping others is inspiring, and she is very deserving of this honor. Chris has shared with me the positive impact volunteering has made in her life, and I am excited she will be reminded of the impact she continues to have on others."
Brierton, who works at the Dot Foods headquarters in Mt. Sterling, Illinois, has worked at the company for 14 years. She is currently an industrial retail customer development representative. Brierton volunteers with the Mt. Sterling YMCA and helps with the organization's after school and summer camp programs, coordinating a community garden activity, and chairing an annual fundraising campaign. She also volunteers at the Senior Center and with local schools.
"There is no shortage in the ways Chris has made an impact in our community," said Kendra Shoopman, industrial sales manager at Dot Foods and Brierton's manager. "We often hear people say, 'I don't have time,' but Chris has found a way to prioritize and balance family, faith, career, and community."
In 2018, Brierton volunteered nearly 75 hours. Overall, more than 300 Dot Foods employees from the Mt. Sterling location, along with those in St. Louis, Missouri, and Burley, Idaho, volunteered for a combined 3,800 hours in 2018 as part of the TLC program.
In addition, employees donated nearly $25,000 to local charity organizations via employee program incentives. The Mt. Sterling TLC group reaches into 11 West Central Illinois counties to volunteer with 40 organizations including the Central Illinois Food Bank, the YMCA, the United Way, the Area Agency on Aging, as well as many local schools and community leadership programs.
"Dot Foods is dedicated to helping improve the lives of people who live in the communities where we operate," said Passmore. "Today's event gave us a chance to recognize our employees who go above and beyond, and I'm honored to be here to recognize all of them."
The award announcement comes during TLC's National Volunteer Week activities, which includes volunteering at a Dot Foods-sponsored mobile food pantry in Mt. Sterling as well as various other volunteer opportunities with the YMCA, Senior Center, and local schools.
At the ceremony, Dot Foods recognized the other nine 2018 Volunteer of the Year finalists and awarded a $250 donation to each to be given to the charity of their choice. A panel interviewed each finalist to learn more about their motivation to volunteer, level of involvement at charitable groups, and dedication to inspiring others to give back. During the reception, Dot Foods also recognized employees who hit a 100-hour cumulative volunteer milestone.
The other nine Volunteer of the Year finalists for 2018 are:
Employee Name |
Job Title |
Town |
Donation Organization |
Joshua Stuckman |
Parcel Lead |
Golden, IL |
Meals Plus Seniors |
Toni Hillyer |
Office Support Services Manager |
Rushville, IL |
Brown County Senior Center |
Lora Decker |
Quality Database Specialist |
Mt. Sterling, IL |
St. Mary's School |
Leslie Easley |
Garage Parts Clerk |
Timewell, IL |
St. Mary's School |
Samantha Morrow |
Assistant Transportation Manager |
Rushville, IL |
Rushville Food Pantry |
Nathaniel O'Bear |
AR Supervisor |
Macomb, IL |
McDonough Food Pantry |
Michele Behymer |
HR Benefits/Payroll Coordinator |
Mt. Sterling, IL |
Brown County Elementary: Ashley Behymer's Class |
Michelle Roberts |
Customer Service Specialist |
Timewell, IL |
Camp Callahan |
Halie Brinkman |
CSR Trainer |
Coatsburg, IL |
Camp Callahan |