Jon and Taryn Vanderford, Emmy Award-winning anchors, reporters and producers for KOLN/KGIN (10/11 News) in Lincoln, have supported ServeNebraska and its mission for many years. Their careers have revolved around showcasing the unique lifestyle and culture of our state, so partnering with an organization aimed toward preserving and growing the service-oriented aspects of Nebraska communities seemed like a perfect fit.
Jon and Taryn emceed ServeNebraska’s 20th anniversary event in 2014, and starting in 2018, they were invited to emcee the Step Forward Awards Luncheon for volunteerism. They did a tremendous job fulfilling the role of helping ServeNebraska and the Governor honor volunteers for their service to Nebraska.
Since then, they’ve emceed the awards whenever the event has been held in Lincoln and they tell us the experience is extremely rewarding because it gives them a chance to thank volunteers and shine a spotlight on the commitment to community service that makes Nebraska such a special place to live.
“Volunteers are the backbone of our Nebraska communities,” they said. “We’ve traveled to many parts of the state thanks to our program ‘Pure Nebraska’. Everywhere we go, we find volunteers putting in countless hours to make their communities better. Working to grow the culture of volunteerism in the state is so important to our communities, as it’s the framework of what helps make our towns and communities strong.”
The Vanderfords have supported ServeNebraska through their work at 10/11 as well. The station has dedicated airtime to encouraging Nebraskans to volunteer, learn about AmeriCorps and nominate volunteers from their community. They have provided assistance with the creation of videos to inform the public about the impacts of AmeriCorps programs and the awards, and on many occasions they welcomed ServeNebraska representatives to speak about the Step Forward Awards on Pure Nebraska.
In the next 30 years, they tell us that they hope to see the Commission continue fostering volunteerism in the state and providing recognition to those serving their community.
