CABOT, Vt., Jan. 14, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- During the past four months, altruistic Americans from across the nation have earned rewards for logging their volunteer hours in Reward Volunteers 2.0. Cabot Creamery Cooperative – best known as the makers of the "World's Best Cheddar" – created the program in February of 2012 to reward volunteers for the work they do improving lives and communities. Over the course of the first and second rounds of Reward Volunteers, the dairy farm-family-owned cooperative has handed out tens of thousands of dollars in prizes, including: cash; vacations to Vermont bed and breakfasts and resorts; gift cards; and gift baskets. By logging activity through the Reward Volunteers iPhone app or web widget, Cabot hopes to bring well-earned recognition to hard working volunteers, and encourage others to give the gift of time.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120213/MM52737LOGO )

"On January 27, we will be awarding the Grand Prizes for Reward Volunteers 2.0," says Cabot Director of Marketing/Integrated Services, Jen Neary who worked with Chalo, Inc., a Vermont-based startup, to create the Reward Volunteers 2.0 iPhone app and web widget. "We have had such amazing participation since we launched the second phase in August, and I'm sure we're in for another huge round when we tally the hours logged on January 21. This will be our largest single month of prizes yet, with grand prizes including: $1500 to a non-profit organization; $1000 to a volunteer; a Liberty Hill Farm vacation; a Couture Farm Vacation; a Smugglers Notch vacation; Ski Vermont ski passes; and a whole lot more."

Even with the distraction of the holidays, December proved to be another strong month. 2,632 hours were logged from November 27 through December 27, benefitting 127 non-profit organizations across the United States. Since the program began in August, more than 13,000 hours have been logged by members of nearly 400 different non-profit groups.

Reward Volunteers uses Facebook Connect to enable participants to log their volunteer activity and share the volunteer experience with friends via Facebook, email, and the app itself. The more hours logged, the more 'likes' and 'comments' received, and emails opened, the more likely participants are to win prizes each month, now until January 27, 2013, the day the final grand prizes are awarded – all hours must be logged by January 21, 2013 in order to quality for the grand prizes. Reward Volunteers 2.0 is the second phase of the program; the first ran from February 14 though July 7, 2012.

The December winners have been selected, and will receive a variety of prizes from Reward Volunteers 2.0 co-sponsors.

"I love the RV app," says Christopher J., winner of this month's Liberty Hill Farm vacation winner. "Not only does the app spread the word about my own organization – Aspire, Inc. – and the other ones I give my time to, I have encouraged all my volunteers to use it as well, making it really easy to track when I have grants or reports for funders and newsletters!"

This month's winning organization, Beginnings, Inc., will receive a $1,000 donation from Cabot. "What a wonderful surprise to receive $1,000 from the Reward Volunteers Program," said Cathy McDonald, Fiscal Manager of Beginnings, Inc. "During this time of economic trouble, it is great to know that there are companies out there who are so generous to those nonprofits who are working hard to do more with less funding. Beginnings will be sure to recommend the Reward Volunteer app to all who receive our quarterly newsletter. The prize will be used to train volunteers in our Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Program. CASA trains volunteers to speak up in court for the best interest of abused and neglected children, give a voice to children living with the effects of abuse and neglect who have a right to be heard, become the link between where a child is and where a child wants to be, and help in finding safe, permanent, nurturing homes for children." 

Other winners include Reward Volunteers 2.0 users from across the nation who will receive: Cabot Cheddar gift basket; National Cooperative Grocers Association $100 Gift Card; Farm Families Basket; King Arthur Flour $100 Gift Card; copies of Sending Milk and Hope for Women Bracelets; and a vacation to Liberty Hill Farm in Rochester, Vermont. A full list of winners and prizes can be found below.

December Reward Volunteers 2.0 Winners
$1,000 Prize for Non-Profit Organization
Beginnings, Inc. – Pennsylvania

$500 Prize for Reward Volunteers User
Edward J., Maryland – Good Knight Child Empowerment Network

Liberty Hill Farm Vacation
Christopher J., Colorado – Colorado Coalition Against Sexual Assault

NCGA $100 Gift Card
Alexandra M., Florida – Habitat for Humanity of Pinellas County

King Arthur Flour $100 Gift Card
Kellie G., Florida – Speaking Out About Rape

Farm Families Basket (Freund Farm CowPots, Neighborly Farms of VT Cheese Variety Pack, Taylor Brothers Farm Maple Syrup)
Marie W., New Jersey – Antler Ridge Wildlife Sanctuary

$75 Cabot Cheese Gift Basket
Mike S., Florida – Troop 498

Sending Milk Books & Hope for Women Bracelets
Varda R., Texas – The Patient Institute
Donna R., New York – Hicksville Public Library
Eva S., New Jersey – The Palmyra Ambulance Association
Maria L. – Operation Connor Share

A complete list of the organizations benefiting from the Reward Volunteers can be accessed at: http://www.cabotcheese.coop/orgs.html

ABOUT CABOT CREAMERY COOPERATIVE
Cabot Creamery Cooperative has been in continuous operation in Vermont since 1919, and makes a full line of cheeses, yogurt, sour cream, cottage cheese and butter. Widely known as makers of "The World's Best Cheddar," Cabot is owned by the 1200 dairy farm families of Agri-Mark, the Northeast's premier dairy cooperative, with farms located throughout New England and upstate New York. For more information on Cabot, visit: http://www.cabotcheese.coop

Cabot Creamery Cooperative is the world's first cheese maker and dairy cooperative to achieve B Corporation Certification, a validation of its attention to environmental and social impacts on stakeholders.

Contact: Bob Schiers
(888) 214.9444 or bschiers@cabotcheese.coop

SOURCE Cabot Creamery Cooperative