Viola Majors selected as Yorba Linda’s 2009 Citizen of the Year
Mayor Mark Schwing announced today the selection of Viola Majors as the City’s 2009 Citizen of the Year. This City-sponsored award is designed to recognize Yorba Linda residents whose local volunteer work has had a significant and recognizable impact on the quality of life in Yorba Linda.
“I can’t think of a more deserving person than Viola to receive this award,” said Schwing. “Ever since Viola and her husband moved to Yorba Linda 49 years ago, she has been working to help our community become an even better place for everyone to live and work.”
Since moving to Yorba Linda in 1960, Mrs. Majors has been significantly involved with the community by volunteering in several ways. To start, shortly after moving to Yorba Linda Viola noticed there was a need for toy donations at Christmas time to the poor children in the area. Santa Claus Incorporated was an organization that performed such as task, but there was no branch in Yorba Linda. Viola then promply started a branch in Yorba Linda and donated toys to children through this organization for several years.
Additionally, Mrs. Majors has been very active in the United Methodist Women group for the Yorba Linda United Methodist Church since the early 1960’s. She served as President of this group for over 30 years, leading annual fundraisers that directly assisted Project Dignity, a nonprofit organization that provides gifts to impoverished children living in motels. She sang in the church’s choir for years and continues to volunteer at the church on a weekly basis, currently collecting care baskets for distribution to needy families on Thanksgiving.
Viola has also been a member of the Yorba Linda Chapter VG of the Philanthropic Education Organization (PEO) since its founding in 1981, serving as the President for two terms. In fact, the chapter was formed in Viola’s honor and in recognition of her extraordinary service of long-standing with other PEO chapters. She has volunteered on a monthly basis with PEO and has held fundraisers for scholarships given to disadvantaged women throughout the state of California. 2010 will mark Viola’s 50th year in the PEO.
Earlier in the decade, Mrs. Majors volunteered as a congregational representative to the Interfaith Council of North Orange County. For over four years, she attended monthly meetings and assisted with the coordination and outreach for educational and/or worship events in Yorba Linda. Some of these events included a forum on the Middle East, multi-cultural celebrations, and an annual candle light program commemorating the September 11, 2001 tragedy.
More recently, Viola played a significant part in the development of the Yorba Linda Veteran’s Memorial that was just completed this past year. For the past four years she was a frequent volunteer in the fundraising and outreach efforts.
The greater community has also benefited from Viola’s participation over the years in Meals on Wheels, Girl Scouts, Third World Gifts and Handarts and collection drives that sent supplies to the Hopi and Navajo Nations in Northern Arizona as well as parts of Mexico.
The Citizen of the Year is selected by a Mayor’s Blue Ribbon Committee based on nominations submitted by the public. Five nominees were considered this year. Review criteria include the selflessness of the work, the variety of community work performed, the length of time the nominee has been involved in community service and the nominee’s current volunteer efforts.
Mrs. Majors will receive the 2009 Citizen of the Year Award at the City Council Meeting on Tuesday, November 17, 2009 at 6:30 pm. The meeting will be held at the City Council Chambers, which is located at 4845 Casa Loma Avenue, Yorba Linda, CA 92886.
Written by Loren Nason
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