MARYSVILLE — Marysville Mayor Jon Nehring named Ruth Cantley as the community’s Volunteer of the Month for February, for her more than 30 years volunteering at food banks, hospitals and nursing care centers.

“Ruth is volunteering in ways that help improve the lives of some of our most vulnerable residents, while contributing to the betterment of our community,” Nehring said during an award presentation at a recent Marysville City Council meeting.

Cantley is a longtime member of Catholic Community Services’ Retired Senior Volunteer Program, or RSVP. She has logged more than 6,000 hours of volunteering over the past three decades. Nehring put those numbers into perspective by pointing out that her volunteer hours are equal to almost three years of 40-hour work weeks.

For that level of giving back selflessly to her community, Cantley has already been honored as the Volunteer of the Year for Washington state by Gov. Gregoire a year ago, and as a recipient of the President’s Volunteer Lifetime Service Award in 2010, which came with a “Call to Service” pin and an official letter from President Obama.

Nehring reported that those who know and work with Cantley characterize her as someone who embodies the spirit of giving through her dedicated, tireless and enthusiastic volunteering.

Since enrolling in the RSVP program in 1996, Cantley has served in local food banks, as well as in the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society for more than a dozen years, volunteering in their thrift shop as a knitter and supporting their “Baby’s First Seabag” program.

According to Nehring, as the economy revives, volunteer service will continue to play a vital role in addressing national and local challenges, and will remain an effective strategy to help unite communities while addressing critical unmet needs.

“Ruth sets a shining example of volunteerism, and is an inspiration to others,” Nehring said.