Lagasse Honored

Lagasse Honored
Sharon Lagasse of Burlington was recently recognized for the countless hours she has dedicated to volunteer efforts over the past 17 years.


Burlington - Trying to catch Sharon Lagasse for a minute during an ARAMARK Building Community Volunteer Day was difficult at best. The Burlington resident is in constant movement, touching base with a group of volunteers building a garden bench over here, picking some cardboard boxes for recycling over there, and checking in with more volunteers back by the new mural at East End House community center in Cambridge last month.



"I love working with people and teams," said Lagasse, the company's director of operational excellence and New England volunteer captain. "And I get so much more from community service than I give. If I'm not doing it, I'm not good - I'm in trouble."



Lagasse's outstanding commitment to community service was recognized this past summer by her employer and the Jefferson Awards for Public Service. She was nominated for the honor given by ARAMARK for the Jefferson Awards Champions program, which promotes and supports employee volunteer efforts.



"I'm honored to receive an award that sheds light on the importance of giving our time and skills to those that need it most," said Lagasse.



Her dedication to volunteering became a daily practice when, as a young adult, she went through some difficult times herself.



"I was the recipient of so many random acts of kindness. I knew I just needed to share that kindness with others. It's now part of my daily life; I wake up each day asking myself, 'How can I be part of the solution, and not part of the problem?'"



Lagasse currently serves on the board of the Elizabeth Peabody House, a full-service community center in Somerville. Lagasse got to know them through her volunteer work with ARAMARK, where she's served on the volunteer organizing committee for 17 years.



Through ARAMARK Building Community, Lagasse has lead local employee volunteers to transform the places that help families thrive, which is so critical with today's economic challenges. She has organized hundreds of employees to paint, landscape, and enhance community center facilities in day-long volunteer events and gathered a team to put together enough Thanksgiving baskets full of food to feed 1,250 people.



"It's so simple - to see the smile on a kid's face, to know you have helped make things better. It's so cool to be able to give," she says, looking at the busy volunteers around her. "I'm filled with gratitude that ARAMARK provides us with the opportunity to support our communities this way. My heart is so full right now it's bursting."



October 14, 2009


 
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