When Anne Marie Chuckrey, Director of the Springs Learning Center, first got the letter from The Archdiocese of Hartford she really wasn’t sure what to expect.
What she learned was that her parish priest, Father Jose Mercado, noticed her heart for service and nominated her for an award.
As the letter from the Archdiocese read, she would be receiving the Twenty-Fifth Annual St. Joseph Archdiocesan Medal of Appreciation this year.

And so it went that on March 15, she gathered with her family to receive the special medal at the Cathedral of St. Joseph in Hartford, Connecticut, presented by Archbishop Christopher J. Coyne.
For Anne Marie, volunteering at Connecticut parishes is something she has always been drawn to. At St. John XXIII, she serves as a Eucharistic minister, a sacristan, a lector, a money counter, and helps with events. (She’s there to help wherever she is needed!) "Learning that I was going to receive the medal was an honor and a surprise. I’ve always had great faith and have wanted to do anything that is needed for the Church. It is rewarding to know there is an appreciation for my efforts.”
Anne Marie says she’ll keep on volunteering too. “God has been good to me…I believe that volunteering is one way I can give back to the parish community - and it helps me give thanks for what I have been given.”Anne Marie also volunteers her time as a tutor at the Springs Center, in addition to her job as its director.  It was tutoring that drew her to the Springs and was her first association with the Center.
“I hope my life as a volunteer might influence others to give of their time. Volunteering usually only takes a couple of hours of commitment a week --- and the reward is always great.”
The Springs Learning Center is always looking for volunteer tutors to help its learners succeed. To read more about the rewards of volunteering and to get involved at the Springs Learning Center, please click here.