2021 Governor's Volunteer Service Awards Recipients

part of his basic philosophies that all humans deserve a chance to make a better life for their families. 

a shining light of love and friendship in the lives of many homebound seniors throughout Macon County.

assist in raising goods for the food pantry. She made videos consistently to ensure she was getting the word out about the need for collecting. Her and a friend also went door-to-door collecting goods. Mackenzie and her club also wrote grants, met with local leaders, and established a plan to fund and build food pantries in the community. 

school success. The Shoe Fund has been an active program in Adams County for decades.  In the fall of 2019, Shoe Carnival enthusiastically agreed to be the business partner that supported the Adams Co. Shoe Fund.  Teachers and other school personnel frequently comment on how students feel so positive about having anew pair of shoes that fit them.  For many students the pair of shoes provided through the United Way of Adams County and made possible through Shoe Carnival, Quincy IL Store - is the first pair of "new" shoes a student has had.

with a full blue print by the end of the school year. He took time out of his personal life to make sure this high school student's Senior Capstone project was a success. 

available so that he would have a ride back home.  For the seniors who had been discharged from the hospital and didn’t have anyone to put away frozen meals arranged by nutrition providers, she was available to receive the meals when they were delivered to the client’s home and then help put the food away since the senior was recovering. Her service help provide peace of mind from individuals who didn’t have anyone to help them while they recovered. 

what had been done in the past. It is important to her that all members of our community feel dignity and welcome when they utilize the pantry services, and she has made this central to how the pantry runs. Bags of food staples are prepared each week, but people are able to "shop" for other items they want to add. Willa also collaborates with groups to get a hot meal cooked and available for guests to the pantry, and food pantry days feel more like a social event than a charity.

with the materials necessary. While most coaches only hold weekly or bi-monthly meetings with a worksheet from the handbook, he provided handbooks from the last 4 seasons, almost 800+ questions at the students’ disposal to study independently online using Google Classroom After graduation, he has coached the team to continue giving the students the opportunities they desire.

schools and social media platforms to gather data related to youth involvement and violence prevention models to address community needs.

practices by insuring the students' safety and keeping them engaged in the classroom. A great majority of GECRC's students come from minority backgrounds, and Nate's cultural sensitivity helped create a comfortable environment for the kids.

well-being, and mental health. In turn, Marilyn benefits from those interactions as well, having made many new friends.

local senior in need of companionship. Jeanne visits with Carol about once a week and calls her several times a week to check on her and to just chat. She also dedicated time to grocery shop for another senior, Linda. he spent many hours visiting with Carol, watching TV shows and helping her get organized to simplify her life. Carol is now in a nursing home, and Jeanne continues to follow-through with her commitment to being her Friendly Visitor. 

community blood drives and to initiate new blood driveprograms. Carol has also utilized a variety of platforms to publicize blood drive events. According to the records of Versiti (formerly Heartland Blood Centers), Carol has hosted a remarkable 203+total blood drives, collecting more than 16,121 units of blood and saving up to 48,363 lives.

and they didn’t have one single case of COVID. He has also writen letters to Death Row prisoner Richard Bays in Ashtabula, OH prison for over a decade and he gets other volunteers to give their time to this project. The impact of Dan's work has had a tremendous effect on the communities and people that he serves, and they see him as a compassionate and innovative leader.

Heroes program with lasercutters and 3D printers. The face shields were able to be sanitized and disinfected. After manufacturing the individual parts in their dad’s workshop, the boys then assembled the face shieldsand either mailed them or courageously hand delivered them for free in a contactless manner across thestate of Illinois to Fire Departments, Police Departments, Healthcare Workers, Schools, Hospitals, DoctorsOffices and Longterm Care Facilities, with the help of their dad. 

weekly one-on-one and virtual videocalls based on shared general and art-related interests to build long-lasting friendships. She then reachedout to some friends about her idea and Lifting Hearts with the Arts was born. As weeks passed, whatstarted as a small community service idea began morphing into a 501(c)(3) organization with hundreds of volunteers.

solution. He founded a nonprofit organization, STEM Kids, and directed the organization's efforts in running classes and workshops, and mentoring students. STEM Kids has reached students in his community with free educational opportunities and support from older peers. At the start of the pandemic, Henry moved STEM Kids’ programs online and expanded them to meet the urgent need from struggling and discouraged students. These programs have helped spread passion for STEM and provide students with tools for success.

Chicago Vaccine Hunter's Facebook page, volunteering to make appointments for people who visited the site looking for information.

supervision to therapists providing clinical services during this time as well. Further, she has written an article currently pending publication at the Contemporary Family Therapy that advocates for COVID-19 inspired relational telemental health services for incarcerated individuals and their families. Her article introduces clinical tips for providing services as well as illuminates ethical considerations.

this group, the impact of donations would be more substantially felt for that selected non-profit.  Within a year, donors could support a wide variety of needs within the community. 

with her business, and soon after became the new owner.  During this time, she also took on the demanding role of primary caregiver to both her ailing parents, while also dealing with medical concerns of her own.  

The local Senior Center’s Meals on Wheels Program, always in need of workers, hired Norma in 2011.  In 2016, while working mornings for the meals program, she joined the Senior Companion Program in pursuit of volunteers. Norma suffered a critical stroke, in July of 2017. After only a month of rehabilitation, she returned to both the programs and clients she felt she abandoned.  Yearly, she works for the Shelf Stable Meal Program, where 300 meals are assembled and delivered to the needy and also to the FEMA MealProgram.  

anticipate the yearly plant sale that Nancy initiated as a fundraiser.  People visit the Community Garden often as it brings much pleasure to area residents. Nancy is a shining example of how one can achieve their dreams and at any age.  After retiring, she finally had the opportunity to pursue her passion and elevate it to a level where she leads others, has achieved awards, and provides beauty - and produce! - to her community.

transportation. He is the pantry driver and comes in daily with a smile. Every community partner that he has worked with always notes how polite and courteous he is. He really has a passion to serve and loves to give back to his community.  He has faced the challenge of serving and delivering food boxes in a high crime rated city and didn't let it stop him from carrying out his volunteerism duties. 

dilemma, she provided an immediate solution. She asked Laboratory Director Robbie Hale, MA, to instruct and mentor FCC's MLT students as part of his hospital duties. Additionally, the hospital continued to support Mr. Hale's work with students by sponsoring a summer mentoring program. The donation of Mr. Hale's time and expertise allowed for students to continue with their studies on a timely basis thus making them available to participate in lab internships in Fall of 2021. Fairfield Memorial Hospital's commitment to the greater cause of community health and education serves as a model for collaborations between health care institutions and education through volunteerism.

mentor fosters providing support to newer kitten fosters. 

As a mentor, she provided advice and welcome support to fosters who may have had questions about caring for sick kittens when BAHS shutdown access to shelter facilities during COVID shutdown. Kristi again stepped up when COVID shutdowns began, the shelter team broke down into two-person teams but the needs of rescue didn’t stop. Animals still entered animal control and we still pulled animals that needed spay/neuter services to prevent overpopulation and get the animals ready for their new homes. She volunteered to help partnering veterinarians who came onsite with spay-neuter surgeries. She served as a surgical assistant trimming nails, getting cats and dogs from their kennels to the surgery suite, shaving bellies to prepare for surgery and supporting the veterinarian and surgical technician. While the shelter operated with minimum staff, Kristi committed to 22 surgery days that ranged from five to eight hour each.