Illinoisans Receive Governor's Volunteer Service Award

SPRINGFIELD – The Serve Illinois Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service will present 24 Illinoisans and four businesses with the Governor’s Volunteer Service Award during a special reception at the Hoogland Center for the Arts on April 20, 2015 at 1 p.m. The award recognizes volunteers and volunteer programs that have made a difference in Illinois and highlights the importance of volunteerism and community service.

 

“These 28 awardees represent the work that 2.57 million Illinoisans do each year,” said Scott McFarland, Executive Director. “The work these individuals and businesses do make the lives of thousands better. We are honored to have the opportunity to highlight their service.”

 

The Governor’s Volunteer Service Awards focus on five areas: Economic Opportunity, Education, Environmental Conservation, Disaster Preparedness/Response, Health, and Veterans’ Affairs.

 

Individual awards in each of the commission’s five service regions (Northeast, Northwest, East Central, West Central and Southern Illinois) are presented in three categories: youth ages 18 and under, adult ages 19-54 and seniors ages 55 and older. Additionally, National Service Awards are presented to one Senior Corps, AmeriCorps member in each region. This year marks the third time that the Business Volunteer Engagement Awards will be presented in each region.

 

The following are the 2015 Governor’s Volunteer Service Award recipients. Recipient biographies can be found on Serve Illinois’ website at www.Serve.Illinois.gov.

·         Adult: Dominic Goggin - Greenville

    For service to: Bond County Health Department Hospice Program

·         AmeriCorps Member: Maria Madrid - Fairfield

    For service to: Wayne County Health Department

·         Business: Mt. Vernon Outland Airport

    For service to: Mt. Vernon Outland Airport

·         Senior: Bev Virobik – Centralia

    For service to: City of Centralia Recycling Center

·         Senior Corps Member: Judie Louden - Belleville

    For service to: RSVP Station Memorial Hospital

·         Youth: Savannah Beck – Mt. Vernon

    For service to: Cove Connection

·         Adult: Ed Maubach - Peoria

    For service to: Holy Family Parish School

·         AmeriCorps Member: Cecilia Montesddeoca – Normal

    For service to: McLean County Health Department

·         Business: Wells Fargo Home Mortgage – Springfield

    For service to: United Way of Central Illinois

·         Senior: Trisha Horner - Bloomington

    For service to: Fibers of Love

·         Senior Corps Member: Vera Bright - Clinton

    For service to: Friends in Action & DOVE, Inc. RSVP

·         Youth: Allison Schmidt - Altamont

    For service to: University of Illinois Extension

·         AmeriCorps Member: Nick Swope - Macomb

    For service to: McDonough County Health Department

·         Business: Keller Williams Realty - Peoria

    For service to: South Side Mission Camp Kearney

·         Senior: Cindy Schuford - Washington

    For service to: Threads of Hope and Love

·         Senior Corps Member: Alan Kulczewski - Monmouth

    For service to: 1st Street Armory/RSVP

·         Youth: Alexis Grace Lawson - Colchester

    For service to: McDonough District Hospital

·         Adult: Scott Brouette - Moline

    For service to: WIU/WQPT & regional pre-schools

·         AmeriCorps Member: Etta LaFlora - Kewanee

    For service to: LVI Jumpstart Program

·         Senior: Sharon Kersten - Dixon

    For service to: Sauk Valley Community College

·         Senior Corps Member: Barbara Novak – Moline

    For service to: RSVP of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois

·         Youth: Ashlee Werkheiser - Kewanee

    For service to: Sunshine Community Services Center

·         Adult: Kenneth Jennings - Chicago

    For service to: Gridiron Alliance

·         AmeriCorps Member: Dylan Mooney - Wayne

    For service to: Northern Illinois Food Bank

·         Business: Groupon, Inc. - Chicago

    For service to: Chicagoland

·         Senior: Dan Kenney - DeKalb

    For service to: DeKalb County Community Gardens

·         Senior Corps Member: Rita Murphy - Yorkville

    For service to: Senior Services Associates

·         Youth: Nicole Harrington - Winthrop Harbor

    For Service to: Live Out Loud Charity/ Girl Scouts

 

The Serve Illinois Commission is a 40-member (25 voting and 15 non-voting), bi-partisan board appointed by the Governor and administered by the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH). Its mission is to improve Illinois communities by enhancing volunteerism and instilling an ethic of service throughout the State.