8 Honored for Their Work as Volunteers

You could say the people behind one charitable organization in Burbank have been touched by angels. In fact, the group exists solely to recognize “angels” in the Burbank, North Hollywood, Toluca Lake and Universal City communities for their volunteer work.

The latest set of eight angels, honored in a ceremony Thursday in North Hollywood, included a college student active in the American Red Cross, an entire class of volunteer-friendly adult education students in the Foothill Area Community Transition program and a retired theatrical prop designer who works at a clinic serving low-income families.

“It speaks well of our fellow human beings because we hear so much about the negative in society and how it’s so much about ‘me,’ ” said Michael Stern, owner of Dana Drugstore in Burbank and a founder of the awards, which are sponsored by local business owners and individuals.

“In this case, we have people spending a big part of their life engaging in the welfare of their fellow human beings.”

T’ara Delgado, 23, of Burbank, devotes 40 to 50 hours a month to the American Red Cross Los Angeles chapter, in addition to serving as an on-call volunteer for the Red Cross in Burbank.

She helps locate and search for family members separated due to war or natural disaster as part of the Red Cross International Tracing Service.

“I just get a lot of enjoyment out of it,” Delgado said of the work. “It’s just really been an important part of my life.”

Others honored were Barbara Sykes and Elizabeth Shapiro, who work with the Boys & Girls Club of Burbank; Jean Kostoff, a Joslyn Adult Center volunteer; Robert Schutrum, who helps at the Valley Community Clinic in North Hollywood; the FACTS adult education class of the Burbank Unified School District, and the husband-and-wife team of Jennison and Jeannette Varnum, who support the Burbank Temporary Aid Center.

David Potell, who was active with the Universal City-North Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, was honored posthumously.

Checks will be awarded to the organizations the volunteers work for in their names, Stern said.