María José Sabaté, Vedruna Laywoman, has been elected volunteer of the year by the National Organization of the Spanish Blind (ONCE) in Zaragoza.
The president of ONCE Aragón, José Luis Catalán, and the territorial delegate, Raquel López, were in charge of presenting the awards to workers and volunteers who have stood out throughout the year, in an event that is traditionally held in Zaragoza to coincide with the feast of Saint Lucia.
This year’s volunteer of the year award went to María José Sabaté, Vedruna Laywoman and former educator and director at the Nuestra Señora del Carmen school in Zaragoza, who, after retiring, has increased her dedication to volunteering at ONCE.
The Vedruna community has had close ties with this organization through Sister Carmen Acha, the person through whom María José Sabaté began her volunteer work, which consisted of accompanying blind people to carry out all kinds of tasks or to support them in their daily needs. Volunteers also act as “agents” of ONCE, when they detect any barrier on the public road that must be removed by the Administration, difficulties of any kind for the integration of people with disabilities, or when promoting this type of volunteering, such as said María José Sabaté herself..
The award ceremony was well attended by half a thousand people, and was preceded by a Mass in the Basilica of Pilar.