Montgomery Serves Awards 2024

Catherine Leggett

Catherine Leggett, an attorney and former first lady of Montgomery County has dedicated her career and volunteer work to supporting several causes. Mrs. Leggett has been instrumental in promoting the arts and humanities and helping organizations actualize their mission to serve underrepresented communities.

Joyce Seigel

Joyce Seigel, a community leader and activist, has shown deep commitment to volunteer service in Montgomery County with a focus on equal rights and fair housing. She founded the West Fernwood Civic Association and played a significant role in revitalizing Montgomery County's Scotland Community. Joyce worked tirelessly to improve living conditions and access to affordable housing for the historically poor Scotland community. 

W. Gregory Wims

Greg Wims is a current member of the House of Delegates for the 39th district, former Upcounty Regional Services Center Director, and a sixth-generation County Resident. Greg has faithfully served as a voice for the community through his work and volunteer service. He founded the Victims' Rights Foundation, an organization focused on providing volunteer support services for victims of violent crimes. 

Bruce Adams

Bruce Adams, former Montgomery County Councilmember and former director of the Office of Community Partnerships, has served the Montgomery County community for over five decades. Inspired by public servants Neal Potter and John Gardener, he has strived to make a difference in Montgomery County by volunteering on several government advisory boards and commissions, nonprofit boards, and special committees. As an advocate for positive youth development and leadership, Bruce taught leadership to students at Montgomery County High Schools and co-founded the Bethesda Community Base Ball Club to improve youth fields in Montgomery County and the surrounding area. 
 

Mary Canapary

Mary Canapary has dedicated a lifetime of extraordinary service as the volunteer director of The Lord's Table in Gaithersburg. As the longest-serving volunteer, Mary has served over 500,000 hot meals, recruited and managed approximately 400 volunteers, and led a team of specialized volunteers to provide individualized and targeted resources for housing, addiction counseling, access to health care, and more. Mary's service is an inspiration to many of the Lord's Table volunteers. 

Wendy Kent

Volunteer of the Year

Wendy Kent has been actively involved with improving access to food and other essential items in the Greater Takoma Park and Silver Spring community for over 10 years. She co-founded Tommy's Pantry to help alleviate food security by providing shelf stable food items along with health, hygiene, and household cleaning products not covered by SNAP-EBT benefits. Tommy's Pantry initially served an average of 20 families per month and grew to serve over 400 families a month during the COVID-19 public health crisis. Wendy leads with compassion and respect and has gained the trust of many community members giving them peace of mind. 

Tejusvi Vijay

Youth Volunteer of the Year

Tejusvi Vijay is a junior in the Science, Math and Computer Science Magnet Program at Montgomery Blair High School. Tejusvi has commited to promoting diversity and inclusivity in STEM through her volunteer Service. She has served as a volunteer coach and a mentor for girls and launched the Lego Club for English Language Learners at Blair High School. Tejusvi also serves on Councilmember Sayles youth advisory council.
 

AARP Foundation Tax- Aide Montgomery County, MD

Volunteer Group of the Year

The AARP Tax-Aide program of Montgomery County has offered free tax preparation services to Montgomery County residents for over five decades. The program is fully volunteer-led and operated. In 2023 volunteers prepared 3,780 returns resulting in a total of $3,530,262 in refunds. 

The Monitor Group LLC

Volunteer Business of the Year

The Monitor Group, a Rockville-based, family-operated financial services business, maintains a quarterly volunteer campaign supporting local nonprofits such as the Personal Care Foundation, So What Else?, and the Montgomery County Family Justice Center Foundation. The staff at The Monitor Group is dedicated to contributing to a positive and transformative impact in the communities they serve. Their volunteer service has provided support to survivors of domestic abuse, backpacks for students, and encouraged collaborative partnerships to strengthen nonprofits' community reach and impact.