Former NFL player recognized for decades of service to children, families and his community

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Oct. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — When Don Silvestri  flew to Washington, D.C. to accept the President’s Volunteer Service Award – Lifetime Achievement , he wasn’t just representing Debt.com  as its president. He was also representing the NFL.

Silvestri is the president of the nation’s leading debt-solutions company, and also the president of the NFL Players Association South Florida Chapter. In both roles, he has dedicated thousands of hours to volunteer efforts. 

That’s no exaggeration, because the President’s Volunteer Service Award’s Lifetime Achievement level requires a minimum of 4,000 hours.

“Each honoree brings valuable experience, insight, and dedication that can help strengthen community initiatives and inspire new directions. We are grateful for your commitment to community engagement and for your desire to raise awareness of how we can work together to rebuild and uplift our communities,” said Dr. Beverly L. Kee, the awards presenter.

Silvestri and his wife Alissa have been vocal supporters of foster children – fostering 14 on their own and adopting four. Silvestri launched Debt.com Cares, and among the causes he has supported, he has personally delivered toys and gifts to SOS Children’s Village in South Florida during the holidays.

Within days of the tragic school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 2018, Silvestri was one of the founding board members of Parkland Cares, which raised over $1 million for mental health counseling for anyone in the community who needed it. 

As an NFL player in the 1990s, Silvestri embraced the NFL Charities concept. After playing football at the University of Pittsburgh, Silvestri was a placekicker with the New York Jets, Buffalo Bills, and Seattle Seahawks. When he retired, he continued supporting NFL causes, and today he is president of the South Florida chapter of the NFL Players Association, which represents former players in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties. Public service is a big part of the chapter’s mission.

“It was a tremendous honor to receive this award, especially when you look at the people who have received it in the past and the thousands of hours they have devoted to serving others,” Silvestri says. “To be included among that group is pretty humbling.”

Past winners include many NFL stars like Junior Seau, Derrick Brooks, and Doug Williams.  

“Sitting there in Washington, D.C., with people like Will Shields, Charlie Batch, and so many others who have spent years giving back really put the recognition into perspective,” Silvestri says. “Having Ben Williams present the award to me made it even more special. Ben is a former teammate, a fellow NFLPA chapter president, and a previous recipient of the award himself, so having him be the one to hand it to me meant a lot personally.”

President George W. Bush created these awards in 2003, as part of the USA Freedom Corps initiative. The inaugural committee included U.S. Senators Bob Dole and John Glenn. The Lifetime Achievement level recognizes individuals who have completed more than 4,000 hours of volunteer service.

“Don has exceeded that amount,” says Debt.com chairman Howard Dvorkin, CPA. “When Don isn’t working and raising his family, his hobby is service,” Dvorkin says. “I’ve never seen someone do so much, so quietly, and so easily. Don has long been a volunteer fixture in South Florida, and now the nation gets to see it, too.”

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SOURCE Debt.com