East Windsor Township honors senior citizen volunteers with awards for exceptional service.
East Windsor Township, NJ (Mercer) – Sydelle Norris and Marc Platizky, two dedicated and generous individuals, were presented with the 2022/2023 “Sylvia Weiss Senior Citizen Award for Outstanding Service as a Volunteer” at the East Windsor Township Senior Center on May 16, 2023. The award ceremony was presided over by Mayor Janice S. Mironov, who praised the honorees for their sustained and significant contributions to the community.
Sydelle Norris, a 56-year resident of East Windsor Township, has volunteered for over 25 years and been a member and Chair of the Township Commission on Aging for the past five years. The commission, which provides recommendations to the Township Mayor and Council on matters involving senior citizens in the Township, advocates for older adults and also supports the Senior Center. For five years, Sydelle has been volunteering as a Medicare Counselor at the Township Senior Center, providing one-on-one Medicare counseling to over 300 people and screening individuals’ eligibility for State programs that financially assist residents in paying premiums, deductibles, and co-pays. Sydelle expressed gratitude for the opportunity to volunteer at the East Windsor Township Senior Center and for the satisfaction that comes from helping others.
Marc Platizky, a tireless volunteer, has served in various capacities, including as a past President and currently as Vice President of the Twin Rivers Trust Board of Directors, as a member of the East Windsor Municipal Utilities Authority, and as a Board member of the Wheaton Pointe board of Directors. He also volunteers for the Joshua Harr Shane Foundation, a local charity offering assistance to critically ill persons, special needs individuals, and military personnel. Marc volunteers at the Senior Center, teaching computer literacy and smart phone use to seniors and helping anyone needing assistance. He encourages everyone to volunteer and give back to the community, even if it’s just a little time.
The Sylvia Weiss Senior Citizen Award for Outstanding Service as a Volunteer is presented annually to recognize a senior citizen who has exhibited outstanding service through volunteerism to the community through schools, religious institutions, service organizations, or directly to the public. Sylvia Weiss, a former East Windsor Township Council member, past Council Senior citizen advisor, and chairperson of the Commission on Aging, was instrumental in the original formation of the senior citizen program.
Mayor Mironov praised the award recipients for their devotion to many hours and personal efforts in support of the senior community. Their extensive knowledge and skills highlighted Sydelle Norris’s and Marc Platizky’s significant contributions to East Windsor Township. Sydelle Norris’s generosity, kindness, and willingness to go above and beyond, and Marc Platizky’s enthusiasm and willingness to share his time, skills, and interests, set a wonderful example for everyone to get involved in the community.
The award ceremony ended with the presentation of the “Sylvia Weiss Senior Citizen Award for Outstanding Service as a Volunteer” plaque by Mayor Mironov and Council Members Denise Daniels and John Zoller to Sydelle Norris and Marc Platizky. The photographs capture this historic event when two inspiring individuals, motivated only by their passion for service, were recognized and celebrated.
