Each year, members and staff nominate volunteers whose service goes above and beyond. We are delighted to announce that volunteer Morgan Gopnik has been named our 2023 Volunteer of the Year!
There’s a very good chance you’ve had a chance to get to know Morgan through one of her many roles at NNV. While serving as board president and vice president, Morgan has kept active with our members, helping with nearly 300 volunteer services during her leadership tenure. Not only has Morgan provided crucial rides to medical appointments, NNV events, and social outings, she's watered plants, provided tech support, taken members to the grocery store, shared holiday meals, and hosted lunches in the community – offering caring support and interesting conversations along the way.
Morgan is often the first to raise her hand to help with hard-to-fill requests like rides downtown. She's braved the Medstar Georgetown campus gauntlet a myriad of times, and we are rather certain that the concierges at the Barlow Building, 5530 Connecticut, and Foxhall know her car! Always eager to meet our members’ needs, Morgan was a phone buddy to several members during the pandemic, often dropping off favorite treats, or helping with other important errands during the initial shutdown.
Morgan has done it all! Morgan’s commitment to our organization’s viability is invaluable. She has actively participated in the creation of not one, but two strategic plans. Morgan played an integral role in establishing NNV’s volunteer and member-led Working Groups, which are essential to our Village’s ability to do more for more older adults in our community. Morgan is very involved in NNV’s work to become a more inclusive and diverse organization as an active member of the DEI Working Group, engaged participant in NNV’s Racial Equity Book Club, and a regular participant in educational opportunities on equity focused topics.
Morgan’s reach extends beyond our local community. Morgan has volunteered hundreds of hours of her personal time to create and support the newly established DC Villages Collaborative (DCVC).As the inaugural chair of the DCVC Collaboration Council, Morgan is bringing her strengths as a compassionate leader to help strengthen existing Villages and expand Village services to unserved areas of our city. It’s safe to say that Morgan’s volunteer service will have a lasting impact on the lives of older adults in our community and citywide.
Volunteers are the key to NNV’s success. We hope you will join us in thanking Morgan, and all of our volunteers, for their commitment to building a generous, inclusive, and supportive community where all older adults can age well.