Planned Parenthood Honors Outstanding Affiliates and Volunteers with Annual Excellence Awards

Los Angeles, CA — Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) recognized exceptional volunteers and affiliates and their staffs for their significant contributions in women's health care and reproductive rights at the annual Affiliate and Volunteer Excellence Awards reception held on March 30, 2007.

The ceremony, held at the Sheraton Universal City in California, also featured several other grants and innovation awards. "Today, we pay tribute to Planned Parenthood staff and volunteers, who work every day for health, family, and freedom," said PPFA President Cecile Richards. "Their courage, determination, and innovation to help women, teens and families access vital health care make this federation what it is today and what it will be tomorrow." The awards presented during the ceremony included the following:

• Albert Soto Award for Excellence in Diversity went to Planned Parenthood of Southwestern Oregon for striving to meet its growing responsibilities to provide services to a large and diverse client base.
• Affiliate Excellence Award for Board Development went to Planned Parenthood of Greater Cleveland, Planned Parenthood of Mahoning Valley, Planned Parenthood of North Central Ohio, Planned Parenthood of Stark County and Planned Parenthood of Summit, Portage and Medina Counties for their commitment to governance responsibilities and a clear vision for the future.
• Affiliate Excellence Award for Clinical and Social Research went to Planned Parenthood of Indiana for working to improve the state of sexuality education in state schools through research and collaboration with educators and policymakers.
• Affiliate Excellence Award for Clinical Service Expansion and Outreach went to Planned Parenthood Mar Monte for its innovative Satellite Services program that helps expand access to high-risk, special-needs and other target populations that do not have easy access to fixed-site health centers.
• Affiliate Excellence Award for Clinical Training went to Planned Parenthood of Southern Arizona for its Residency Training program that helps develop medical professionals who will support the Planned Parenthood mission of ensuring access to safe, high-quality abortion services.
• Affiliate Excellence Award for Community Education went to Planned Parenthood Association of Bucks County for its Rainbow Room program, which provides an accepting, empowering, secure, supportive, and safe environment for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning (LGBTQ) youth and their allies.
• Affiliate Excellence Award for Marketing and Advertising went to Planned Parenthood of New York City for the "Planning is Power" campaign.
• Affiliate Excellence Award for Media and Public Relations went to Planned Parenthood of Western Washington for developing the "Speaking of Sex" podcast, an innovative, front-line venture in electronic media that speaks in real language about the most fundamental Planned Parenthood issues: medical services, education and advocacy.
• Affiliate Excellence Award for Professional Education and Training went to Planned Parenthood of Arkansas and Eastern Oklahoma for reaching underserved populations - Native American communities, seniors, at-risk teens, and developmentally disabled individuals - and the providers who serve them.
• Affiliate Excellence Award for Public Affairs went to Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota for its commitment to ensuring that women and families have affordable, accessible, reproductive health care.
• Ruth Mott Rawlings Mott Award for International Excellence went to Planned Parenthood of Connecticut for its innovative college programs designed to develop advocates for international reproductive health care.
• Shannon Lowney/Lee Ann Nichols Award for Innovative Medical Service went to Mt. Baker Planned Parenthood for being the first Planned Parenthood affiliate to make the transition from manual record keeping to an electronic health record (EHR) system.
• Affiliate Excellence Award for Special Efforts Serving Teens went to Planned Parenthood of Southern New Jersey for its Teens on Track program that works with young men to educate them about preventing sexually transmitted infections and unintended pregnancy.
• Affiliate Excellence Award for Volunteer Excellence went to Planned Parenthood Southeastern Pennsylvania, which has implemented a cutting-edge screening program for meaningfully engaging volunteers more efficiently and utilizing their skills to advance the Planned Parenthood mission.
• Winston E. Forrest Jr. Award for Excellence in Private Fundraising went to Planned Parenthood of North Texas, which has created a phenomenal private fundraising campaign to raise funds from the north Texas community to support general operations and specific special projects of the affiliate.
• Fund for the Future Grants for Advocacy went to Planned Parenthood of Western Washington; BetterHealth Consortium; Planned Parenthood Association of Bucks County; and Planned Parenthood Affiliates of Ohio.
• Fund for the Future Grants for Service and Education went to Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota; Planned Parenthood of Georgia; Planned Parenthood of Central North Carolina; Planned Parenthood Mohawk Hudson; Planned Parenthood of Indiana; Planned Parenthood of Mid-Hudson Valley; Planned Parenthood of Central Pennsylvania; and Planned Parenthood of Southwestern Oregon.
• The Pamela G. Veerhusen Awards went to PPFA staff Jankie Beharry and Domarys Quiñones for demonstrating outstanding service and commitment to Planned Parenthood's mission and goals.
• PPNOVA Scholarship Award for Excellence went to Lauren Lambrugo of Planned Parenthood Southeastern Pennsylvania for working to expand its volunteer program, formalizing policies and procedures, and changing the thinking about how volunteers can best serve the organization and its mission.
• The Robyn Menin Grant: Promoting Ingenuity in Risk and Quality Management went to Planned Parenthood of Northern New England for developing an "Electronic E-Mail Archive Project," and Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota for developing a "Risk and Quality Management Distance Learning Project."
• PPFA Volunteer of the Year Award went to Planned Parenthood of Central Pennsylvania's Margaret "Peggy" Rubin, who, since 1986, has served as its board member, board chair, chair of an abortion task force, and chair of a strategic planning committee, and on the national level as a member of the PPFA Cultural Diversity Steering Committee, member of the PPFA National Nominating Committee, and chair of the Planned Parenthood Alumni Association.
• PPFA Co-Young Volunteer of the Year Award went to Nicholas (Nick) Goldberg, board member of Planned Parenthood of Rhode Island. Nick built a networking group called "United for Choice, Building the Movement," successfully moving the affiliate toward its goal of bringing more young people into the Planned Parenthood fold.
• PPFA Co-Young Volunteer of the Year Award went to Katie Rider of Planned Parenthood of Western Washington. Katie has created and chaired the Planned Parenthood Young Professionals Group, which has raised money for the affiliate and engaged and activated new volunteers 21-35 years old.