Gary Silver Receives 35th SYDA Foundation Community Service Award

Since 1986 the SYDA Foundation has sponsored this annual award to recognize and honor local citizens for outstanding community service. The selection committee, comprised of past award recipients and local civic leaders, chose Silver to receive this year’s award in recognition of his many years of service to the community of Sullivan County. Gary's’s primary service focus is leading projects to support the basic requirements of those in need, including addressing food insecurity; participating on humanitarian missions to provide clean-water filtration systems; and supporting organizations that coordinate and deliver emergency local and global disaster relief.

For many years Gary has been an active member of the Liberty Rotary Club and has served in various roles, including as President and Director of the club. When the COVID-19 crisis hit Sullivan County, Silver took on a leadership role in overseeing and coordinating volunteers for Operation Feed, a win-win endeavor that engaged with and supported over 14 local restaurants to provide food for essential workers. He guided Operation Feed as it pivoted to address food insecurity for people suffering from the pandemic’s economic effects. By partnering with Single Bite, an organization that prepares healthy meals for those in need, Operation Feed has successfully delivered tens of thousands of healthy meals over the last few months here in Sullivan County. Gary is currently working with Operation Feed and Single Bite to develop a program to provide healthy meals to schoolchildren and their families.

Gary serves as the Village of Liberty Attorney and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Sullivan County Partnership for Economic Development.

Liberty Rotary Club could not be more proud of that Gary is one of us and brings his caring, energy, humor and kindness to all the work we do. Congratulations Mr. Silver, you are truly desrving of this honor.

To view Gary's acceptance speech, click the link below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGIZR3RHkW