Press Release, Granville County Government

Granville County student Yosselin Baylon Alvarez was recognized with a proclamation for volunteer service at the May 6 meeting of the Granville County Board of Commissioners. The twelve-year-old was honored for her assistance to staff and other volunteers of the Granville County Animal Shelter during a spay/neuter event held in a targeted Butner area.

According to Animal Management Director Matthew Katz, Yosselin’s efforts were instrumental to the success of the project as she voluntarily offered Translation and transcription services in communicating with Spanish-speaking residents, helping to share information about the recent spay/neuter event. The bilingual sixth-grader also acted as a community liaison, encouraging resident participation while translating information and helping answer questions for those who struggled with the English language.

Yosselin Alvarez receives a congratulatory hug from Granville County Commissioner Sue Hinman while Animal Shelter staff members and volunteers look on. (Photo courtesy Granville Co. Government)

On March 8, the day of the scheduled event, Yosselin was excused from school to continue her volunteer service by helping gather animals from residents who needed additional assistance. As a result of her work, 24 animals in the targeted area were successfully spayed/neutered. Yosselin continued to be a contact between the community and the Granville County Animal Shelter over the next few weeks, proving to be a vital link in every facet of the spay/neuter event.

“Yosselin invested many hours to assist volunteers in canvassing, follow-up and completing all the required paperwork,” the proclamation reads. “This level of participation from the community could not have been achieved without Yosselin bridging the different cultures and acting as an advocate for the event.”

Yosselin was accompanied by her family to Monday night’s Commissioners meeting and says she has dreams of becoming a medical doctor after completing her education. She is currently a student at Butner-Stem Middle School.