Give Volunteer Your Vote

Carol Hemsath of Rowley would appreciate your vote.

You see, Carol is up for 2009 American Volunteer for the Meals on Wheels Association of America. (See today's Ramblin' column in The Gazette.) She's the only Iowa contestant among 16. If she wins, when voting ends Aug. 15, Carol will win $1,000 for the Hawkeye Valley Area on Aging from Waterloo which nominated her and serves the Independence area.

Carol, 73, has been a Meals on Wheels volunteer for 25 years, but she's volunteered at the Buchanan County Senior Center in Independence even longer, starting in 1975.

Not one to toot her own horn, Carol talks about the importance of volunteering and sees her chance at winning this award as a vote of confidence to all of those other Independence and Iowa volunteers out there.

But, Carol sees a problem in garnering votes. First, she can't even vote for herself because she doesn't have a computer and that's the only way votes are registered. And, second, most of the people she helps don't have computer either, so they can't vote.

To give Carol your vote -- and to watch a video of Carol and her husband, Don, at work as volunteers --

click here. Carol is No. 7. Your vote would be appreciated.