Birmingham Resident Wins Award for Volunteer Work

Birmingham resident Julie T. Richie has been named one of four recipients of the 2011 Senior Impact Award winners from Priority Health.

The annual program honors volunteers, age 63 years and older, for their community service work. Priority Health works with United Way and Volunteers Centers of Michigan to identify senior volunteers, collect nominations and select winners. As part of the recognition, the health plan awards $1,000 to each honoree’s organization. Julia’s winnings will benefit the YES Foundation.

Julia has been dedicated to community service for decades, but she really hit her stride in 1992. That is when the 64-year-old founded the non-profit YES Foundation, which runs early education literacy programs and helps high school students identify their skills and prepare for job interviews.

Julia, a professional volunteer, tirelessly puts in 40-hour weeks; she’s volunteered 4,160 hours in the last two years, during which she created a framework and application process for a K-8 charter school, and built relationships with other supporting organizations.