For the past 36 years, the Dr. Nan S. Hutchison Broward Senior Hall of Fame has recognized seniors, age 60 and older, for their volunteer excellence, for five or more years, in Broward County. Since its inception over four hundred seniors have been elected or the prestigious honor. The new group of nominees will be recognized at the 36th Annual Nan S. Hutchison Broward Senior Hall of Fame Breakfast on May 10th during Older Americans Month.
Two months ago, the 2019 Hall of Fame Election Committee, chaired by Mayor Mark Bogen, met at the Aging & Disability Resource Center to elect the Hall of Fame newest members. The ten new Hall of Famers join the other volunteer elders for a total of 419 elected since 1978 including Barbara (Bobbi) Arnold of Hollywood.
Barbara “Bobbi” Arnold is known in the community for her volunteer efforts with Meals on Wheels (MOW). The long-servingMOW volunteer discovered along with other volunteers that many seniors were feeding their beloved four-legged companions before feeding themselves. In order to prevent this, home-bound and disabled senior pet owners needed assistance with pet provisions. So, in 1999, The Meals for Companion Pets (MFCP) Program was created.
Two years later, the vivacious now 78-year-old, took matters into her own hands and started a pet food drive in her backyard. She also went on to recruit, promote, and share the program with others so that more individuals could help deliver the donated pet food to clients struggling to care for their pets. The demand for the program grew steadily and today, there is a team of 80 volunteers, sorting and delivering pet food each month to more than 114 pets in 75 homes across the MOW service area of Broward County.
“Bobbi Arnold is a super star here and I am so pleased she is being recognized. She is amazing. We have worked together on the VCA Hollywood Pet Food Drive now for seven years and brought in thousands and thousands of pounds of food. As importantly, we have connected the community in this effort and Meals on Wheels of South Florida’s Companion Pet Program has really grown,” exclaimed Linda Ream, VCA Hollywood Animal Hospital Communications Coordinator. “Bobbi is involved in all of our community events now and her role as our Client Care Coordinator has had one of the biggest single impacts on our client care services then any of our other efforts to date. She is just pretty awesome and a real partner for us in pet and community care.”
The names of the special seniors will be inscribed on a commemorative plaque, which hangs in the lobby of the Broward County Government Center. The event will commence at 9 a.m. at the Renaissance Hotel in Plantation.