A crowd gathered at the Jefferson Community Golf Course Clubhouse to celebrate an individual that received the top honor for a volunteer organization Thursday evening.

Nancy Rogers is the 2024 recipient of the Friend of the Year Award with the Jefferson Public Library. The honor is given by the Friends of the Jefferson Library as a person who gives of their time and talent to volunteering for the library in several different ways. During the ceremony Library Director Jane Millard talked about Rogers baking abilities and always challenged her to create a dessert that fit a theme the library was doing. Youth Services Librarian Bailey Mount described Rogers as a caring person who loved to read to the pre-kindergarteners at the Greene County Elementary School, along with buying each student their own book.

Rogers explained her favorite parts about being a volunteer at the library.

“It gives me a chance to help people, use my skills, my talents, the gifts that God has given me (including) hospitality, helping others, plan events, make them happy, (and) have a pleasant time. Baking, I like to bake that goes along with the events, those are things that I really enjoy doing, making things nice for people.”    

The Friends of the Jefferson Library have been selecting a Friend of the Year since 1997 and Rogers shared it felt to be one of those recipients.

“Well it is a pretty good list and a lot of good people. I didn’t know there was an award. It doesn’t change things for me. I’m pleased to have this recognition but I’m still going to continue volunteering, I love volunteering, and I will just continue doing it.”    

Millard added that after Nancy and her husband Dean retired from owning John 15 Vineyard and built their new home south of Jefferson, Nancy came into the library and said she wanted to make this her home as well and was inspired to be a volunteer about five years ago.