Humane Society volunteer wins Florida Volunteer of the Year award

Palm Coast Observer
Your Town

A Flagler County Humane Society volunteer has won the Florida Animal Control Association’s Volunteer of the Year award.

Manny Confusione was honored with the award on Saturday, Feb. 25, at the association’s educational conference. He was one of the top three nominees honored at the banquet. The team at the Flagler Humane Society celebrated his win with a reception at the shelter on Feb. 28.

Confusione has volunteered at the Humane Society for 12 years. At 25 hours a week, he has logged over 16,000 volunteer hours as a greeter, FHS Executive Director Amy Wade-Carotenuto said.

“Manny’s smile has kept us out of so much trouble,” she said. “His smile lights up the room.”

Confusione’s team at the Humane Society, along with family and friends, all showed up to the reception. Sheriff Rick Staly and a few of his deputies even showed up — because Confusione volunteers there, too.

Confusione said he was surprised when they called his name, announcing he had won the award out of all of the nominees.

“It feels good,” he said.

Working with animals is his passion, he said, and he hopes more animals get adopted out from the Humane Society.

Carotenuto is the one who nominated Confusione, calling him “the face of the Humane Society” in her application. He has a medical condition and may use a wheelchair, she wrote, but that doesn’t stop him from having a positive outlook.

“Life may not have been easy for Manny, but this young man is an inspiration to everyone,” Carotenuto wrote in her nomination. “We should all be more like Manny.”