ARLINGTON – An Arlington advocate for senior citizens, the mentally ill and homeless has been honored as the Mayor’s volunteer of the month.

Anna Pritchard has volunteered in the community since 1988.

The honors were presented largely for her contributions at Arlington Health and Rehabilitation, a nursing home where she has helped weekly with bingo and updating bulletin boards to keep senior residents informed.

Pritchard is also a member of the Arlington Garden Club and has brought her extensive knowledge to engage residents at the nursing home.

“She has been a head of the group in the garden club, and has been going to the nursing home for three years now presenting monthly horticulture-related activities to the residents,” Mayor Barb Tolbert said.

Tolbert said the nursing home recently changed management, and the activity director and some of the nurses Pritchard has helped have left for other jobs, but she remains a familiar face.

Pritchard also helps vulnerable populations such as the mentally ill and the homeless. She is a past member of the Snohomish County Mental Health Advisory Committee and participates in the annual Point in Time homeless count to report the number of homeless in the community.

She has also served on a mission committee at Arlington United Church.

Want to nominate a volunteer in Arlington? Go to www.arlingtonwa.gov.