A Toowoomba volunteer, Sheryl Weston, has been officially recognised as a community volunteer after being presented with The Ron Martin and The Paul Harris Fellow awards by Toowoomba East Rotary Club.
Mrs Weston first started her volunteering stint at Inner Wheel Club while still working, and she has continue in retirement.
She devoted much of her time to various areas of the community including for Angel Flight Australia where she works as a volunteer driver, transporting bush people in need to medical appointments.
Since starting at Angel Flight in 2017, Mrs Weston has undertaken 102 missions, driving passengers all over Queensland, from Roma to Cunnamulla, Dirranbandi, Blackall, into Toowoomba for specialist medical appointments.
Angel Flight Australia CEO, Marjorie Pajani said Mrs Weston goes above and beyond for their organisation.
"Not only driving passengers to their medical appointments but also helping them with essential shopping and representing our organisation at regional events like Farm Fest," Ms Pajani said.
Mrs Weston said she was firstly inspired to volunteer as a driver with Angel Flight after attending an Inner Wheels meeting.
"I was struck by the need for patients living in the bush with medical issues to access vital medical care,"Mrs Weston.
"Knowing that I am making another person's day a little better and taking some of their stress away by being friendly, compassionate and helpful is very rewarding experience."
Mrs Weston reflects on a particularly memorable mission where she transported a couple which consisted of a wheelchair bound man and his wife who were living on a property near Blackall.
She, with the help of their son drove them from Charleville to Yuleba and onto Toowoomba.
"To see the relief on the couple's faces and the gratitude from the son, that we came up with a solution, made the long journey worth more than I can say," she said.
Mrs Weston received the awards from the Rotary Club when she was dropping into the office on behalf of Angel Flight to collect a donated cheque.
"I am both humbled and proud to be acknowledged for her work with the community and that there are many more deserving people out there," she said.
Aside from her volunteer role with Angel Flight, Mrs Weston is a current and active member of Inner Wheel Club of Toowoomba, President of St Andrew's Toowoomba Hospital Auxiliary and a casual volunteer in office of St James Anglican Church Toowoomba.
Formerly, she volunteered with Meals on Wheels, and transported students of a local boarding college to their medical appointments.
The Ron Martin Award remembers the significant involvement of this gentleman in the formation of the Rotary Club if Toowoomba East and is presented to an outstanding individual who has rendered conspicuous service through a worthy community organisation.
The Paul Harris Fellow recognition acknowledges individuals who contribute or have contributions made in their name of $1000 or more to The Rotary Foundation.
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Helen Walker
Helen is the Toowoomba-based journalist who loves nothing better than covering anything horse sport related, however she covers all commodities and personality yarns. Over the years she has lived in Brisbane, Rockhampton, Longreach and Roma filing stories for the 'bible of the bush'. Contact 0459 827414.
Helen is the Toowoomba-based journalist who loves nothing better than covering anything horse sport related, however she covers all commodities and personality yarns. Over the years she has lived in Brisbane, Rockhampton, Longreach and Roma filing stories for the 'bible of the bush'. Contact 0459 827414.
