Volunteers…The Heart of the Gateway Community Gateway Rehab Honors its Volunteers at Annual Banquet
PITTSBURGH– With a total of more than 6,600 hours of service for 2007, Gateway Rehabilitation Center’s volunteers were recently honored at a banquet at the Marriott Pittsburgh Airport. The theme of the evening was “Volunteers…The Heart of the Community.”

The 2007 Volunteer of the Year award was presented to Randall Ruskin, volunteer for Gateway’s Moffett House, a 25-bed halfway house established in 1997 and now located in Beaver Falls, PA.  "It was a big surprise winning this award. I don't go to the Moffett House to be recognized.  It's just my way to give back," said Ruskin.

"Randall supports the staff and the patients at the Moffett House in so many ways.  He is always willing to do whatever is asked of him--leading recovery groups, driving patients to 12-step meetings, and even grocery shopping.  Randall has a great sense of peace and humility. His volunteer efforts have become such an important part of our Moffett House mission of health and recovery.  We are so fortunate to have him in our halfway house family," said Jill Perry, who as director of Gateway Rehab’s Extended Care Division presented the award to Ruskin. Ron Cichowicz, Gateway Rehab’s vice president of corporate advancement was the keynote speaker for the event while Frank Salotti, regional director of Gateway Rehab, served as emcee.

Volunteer opportunities are available at all Gateway Rehab locations throughout Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Erie, Washington, and Westmoreland counties.  Volunteers at Gateway perform such assignments as orienting new patients to treatment, leading discussion groups, working with families, and performing various clerical assignments. For more information, contact the Volunteer Office at 412-766-8700, ext. 1234. Gateway was founded in 1972 by Dr. Abraham J. Twerski, an internationally recognized authority in the field of chemical dependency treatment, psychiatrist, frequent lecturer, and author of more than 50 self-help related books. More than 100,000 individuals have received treatment within the Gateway system, which reaches from Erie, PA to Washington, PA, and Columbus, OH.