County Volunteer Joe Davis Recognized for Counseling and Care

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors recognized 28 volunteers in a ceremony Wednesday morning, and amongst them was Joe Davis, a Santee man that lists comforting grieving families as one of his many volunteer efforts to help the community.

This was read to a packed room as Davis recieved his recognition at the ceremony on Wednesday:

Joe Davis was honored for the 14,500 hours he has contributed to the San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office for the past 11 years. He serves the staff who have everyday stress of dealing with sudden, unexpected and traumatic deaths. He assists the investigators and often notifies families of a death. He is also the executive director of the Bereavement Center at the office and provides free counseling, education, cremation assistance, pastoral care and referrals to families. He is also the family liaison for the San Diego Eye Bank, the San Diego County Tissue Bank and the U.C. Irvine Brain Research Program.

Additionally, he provides numerous presentations to the Juvenile Youth Offenders at the Detention Facilities about the potential consequences of drug use and the gang lifestyle.

The 28 volunteers have collectively donated a total of 79,000 hours and served more than 182 years. During the last fiscal year, 29,516 volunteers provided a value of over $33 million to the County.

Video of the recognition ceremony can be seen in the media box.

County volunteer work can be rewarding, enjoyable and often times can offer valuable job training. For volunteer opportunities, visit the County website at www.sdcounty.ca.gov/cob/volunteer/index.html.