Merritt island resident Marilyn galli worked

for decades in a career as a librarian at the

Brookhaven national Laboratory, a

Department of energy facility on Long island,

new York.

And, she will tell you that while that was very

fulfilling, some of the most rewarding times of

her life came when she was volunteering her

time, receiving no remuneration. what she did

receive for her service in the Brevard County

Criminal Justice services (BCJs) was a

Jefferson Award, presented to her by the Board

of County Commissioners.

the Jefferson Awards are a prestigious

national recognition system honoring community

and public service in America. the awards

are presented on two levels: national and local.

they began in 1972 to create a nobel prize for

public service. today, their primary purpose is

to serve as a “Call to Action for Volunteers” in

local communities.

galli answered her call to service by logging

in thousands of hours in BCJs, assisting those

reporting directly from court and those leaving

incarceration. she served from 1997 until

2010, working one or two days a week in the

Cocoa office.

“when men or women are released from a

court appearance or from serving time in jail,

they need someone to explain to them what is

required of them,” galli said. “things like how

to pay fines and about being on probation, how

to report and how to serve in the community.”

galli said her love for volunteering began

when she was 18. she has volunteered for the

American Heart Association, the Cancer

Association, local hospitals and churches.

galli said she was very honored to be

nominated for the Jefferson Award by a

supervisor in the department and felt appreciated

when she accepted her award at the

county commission meeting.

“Volunteers are usually treated very well

and i have a need to be with people. i have

hobbies like stained glass and playing bridge. i

have loved playing tennis and quilting and i

even ran marathon races until i was in my

70s,” she said. “i’ve taken some time off from

volunteering because of a health issue, but now

am considering what i will be doing next.”