CATS Honors
True service begins with a willingness to help others, rooted in humility and a genuine commitment to supporting those in need. While the deepest reward of volunteer service is found in the work itself, celebrating dedicated participation gives us a chance to acknowledge hard work and milestone achievements. Our awards highlight growth at every stage, from initial exploration to sustained leadership, honoring the steady contributions of our members. CATS will be honored to present the following awards at our annual celebration in the spring.
CATS Service Explorer Award
A fast start in the freshman year helps members explore CATS partners and chart their course with the organizations that resonate most. The CATS Service Explorer Award recognizes new members who serve at 3 or more CATS partners for a combined total of at least 15 CATS service hours in fall semester of their freshman year.
Candidates must have outstanding attendance to accepted invitations. Service logs must be verified by 12/31.
CATS Annual Service Awards
The CATS Annual Service Awards recognize CATS service hours from 1/1-12/31 at three tiers:
Outstanding: ≥30 CATS Service Hours
Superior: ≥40 CATS Service Hours
Premier: ≥50 CATS Service Hours
Candidates must have outstanding attendance to accepted invitations and be in good standing by 12/31. Service logs must be verified by 12/31.
CATS Emerging Leader Award
Consistent and reliable service from experienced volunteers lightens the load on charity staff and other volunteers, enabling them to direct their energy on serving the organization’s beneficiaries.
The Emerging Leader Award recognizes CATS members who have earned assignment of tasks that exceed those of entry level volunteers. Such advancement requires repeat service over time to learn the organization, build abilities, and demonstrate performance that earns the trust of supervisors. Recognition requires a minimum of 50 cumulative service hours with a single CATS partner and confirmation of advanced performance by the partner.
Candidates apply by submitting a brief response to a reflection prompt (CLICK HERE) between November 1 and December 31. Candidates must have outstanding attendance to accepted invitations and be in good standing by 12/31. Service logs must be verified by 12/31.
CATS Senior Service Cord
The CATS Senior Service Cord recognizes members with 80 hours verified by 2/28 of their senior year.
Donation hours and non-CATS hours are permitted based on the annual service hours requirements in effect for each year of a member's time with CATS. CATS donation hours are capped at 5 per year. Up to 5 non-CATS hours are permitted for each school year from August 2023–July 2026.
Therefore, for the Class of 2027, 65 of the 80 hours must be with CATS partners, with no more than 5 donation hours per year. Up to 15 hours can be from non-CATS philanthropies between 8/1/23–7/31/26.
Other CATS Awards
The CATS Board may issue additional awards, particularly to those who have exceeded the requirements of the Emerging Leader and embody the highest standards in service. A model, experienced CATS volunteer acts as a force multiplier whose skilled presence makes a meaningful impact in every shift. Far beyond just logging hours, they are the skilled and dependable leaders on whom our community partners rely. Their absence after graduation would leave a noticeable void were it not for their role in modeling the next generation of leaders.