Kori Meredith named EmBe Volunteer of the Year

Impact. Dedication. Heart for service. These words describe Kori Meredith, EmBe’s 2018 Distinguished Volunteer of the Year. Kori, a third grade teacher at Spearfish Creekside Elementary, has organized Girls on the Run at her school since 2016.  Girls on the Run provides 3^rd-5^th grade girls with opportunities to learn about being their most joyful, healthy and best selves. None of it would be possible without Kori’s work to bring the programming to her community and sustain its impact.

Thanks to Kori’s vision, nearly 200 girls have gained important life skills in teamwork, conflict resolution, and cooperation. They have been guided by more than 75 adult mentors who have dedicated hundreds of hours to encouraging the girls through eight seasons of girls on the run. Kori doesn’t stop at just one team at Creekside – many times she has created two full teams each season, going far above and beyond EmBe’s expectations for teams. And what’s more, Kori has expanded programming by bringing Let Me Run, a similar program for boys, to Creekside. In the first Let Me Run season, 28 boys have been paired with motivating adult male mentors. “All because Kori saw a need and has a strong desire to make a difference in the lives of youth,” remarked Stacy Stahl, Executive Director of Youth Development at EmBe.

From the very beginning Kori has described her commitment to youth programming with an “all in” attitude. More than 1,000 volunteers dedicate 24,000+ volunteer hours to bringing EmBe programs to life across the state of South Dakota. It is an honor for EmBe to recognize Kori Meredith as the 2018 Distinguished Volunteer of the Year. Kori, we thank you for being ALL IN.