Pence Announces Service Award Winners
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowThe state is honoring this year's class of Governor's Service Award winners. Governor Mike Pence recognized organizations and individuals with the state's highest volunteer service award during a ceremony Thursday. Winners are:
Community of Service: March2Recovery in Henryville
Corporate Service: Helmer Scientific in Noblesville
Faith-Based Volunteer: Sue Treida of Noblesville
Lifetime Achievement Volunteer: Duane Hoak of Anderson
National Service: Isela Iveth Vasquez Osorio of Seymour
Service Learning: Indiana University Student Outreach Clinic in Indianapolis
Youth Volunteer: Taylor Zimmerman of Greenfield
Volunteerism: Terri Gineen Martin of Gary
October 4, 2013
News Release
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – A community that united to build itself back after devastating tornadoes and a woman whose 40 hours of weekly volunteer services brings comfort to the dying are among winners of the state's highest award for volunteer service in 2013.
Governor's Service Awards were presented to eight Indiana communities, individuals and organizations during a ceremony at 5:30 p.m. inside the Indiana Statehouse on October 3.
“I join Governor Michael Pence in extending the deepest thanks to these honorees, who have given time, talent and treasure to meet the needs of Hoosiers all across our state,” says Jeff Cardwell, executive director of the Indiana Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. “It's the servant's heart of Hoosiers that makes the Midwest the heartland of the U.S.”
Each year, service award winners are nominated for the honor by community members who have witnessed first-hand the nominee’s dedication to service and volunteerism. The OFBCI and the Indiana Commission on Community Service and Volunteerism steward the awards process.
The Governor's Service Awards ceremony is a special part of the Governor's Conference on Service and Nonprofit Capacity Building, hosted Oct. 3-4 in Indianapolis. The conference brings hundreds of nonprofit and community service professionals together for collaboration and resources sharing, and the event includes a statewide Human Needs Summit.
2013 Governor's Service Award Winners
Community of Service Award: March2Recovery (Henryville)
March2Recovery grew out of Southern Indiana Community Organizations Active in Disaster in response to two tornadoes that changed a corner of Southern Indiana forever when they touched down on March 2, 2012. During the storm recovery, many residents found that despite insurance, FEMA, and other assistance, they were still burdened with unmet needs caused by the tornadoes. March2Recovery worked to mobilize community volunteers and resources in an organized manner to provide assistance to those individuals and families.
Corporate Volunteer Award: Helmer Scientific (Noblesville)
In 2012, employees at Helmer Scientific raised over $12,000 and volunteered a total of 2,300 hours for local and international nonprofit organizations. The mission of Helmer Scientific’s Corporate Social Responsibility program is to spread a culture of generosity by engaging individuals and organizations locally and globally to provide aid and justice for poor and vulnerable people. Helmer Scientific’s employee volunteer program is deeply integrated into its corporate culture and allows employees to dedicate time and skills throughout the year to impact the community through partnerships with local public schools and nonprofit organizations.
Exemplary Service Learning Award: Indiana University Student Outreach Clinic (Indianapolis)
The IU Student Outreach Clinic at IUPUI is a student led organization that logged 1,200 patient encounters and more than 2,400 total diagnoses from its main site on the near-East side of Indianapolis. The clinic was founded with the dual mission of providing high quality health services in underserved communities, while simultaneously enriching the education and professional development of graduate and professional students through service learning. Hundreds of students have volunteered their time and efforts to the clinic since its inception in 2009, employing skills and concepts learned in the classroom to solve real-life problems.
Faith-Based Volunteer: Sue Treida (Noblesville)
Sue Treida’s spends approximately 40 hours a week motivating, uplifting and empowering others to make the world a more compassionate place. Her weekly work includes volunteering at Hospice to comfort people experiencing illness, death and grief. She also volunteers with Thera-Pets of Indiana, and St. Maria Gorettie Catholic Church each week.
Lifetime Achievement Volunteer: Duane C. Hoak (Anderson)
For more than forty years, Dr. Duane Hoak has intentionally spent his life in action, serving his community. He’s volunteered countless hours and served on the advisory councils and boards of numerous organizations, including Aspire Indiana, United Way of Madison County, Family Network Agency, Indiana Council of Mental Health Community Centers, Salvation Army, Anderson Public Library, Indiana Public Radio, and more. In town, he is generally known as “Mr. Kiwanian” because he has held nearly every post for the Kiwanis Club. He volunteers at the food pantry at Park Place Church.
National Service Member: Isela Iveth Vasquez Osorio (Seymour)
Isela Iveth Vasquez Osorio was a National Service Member who served in a position supported by the Corporation for National and Community Service. She began serving as a Jackson County United Way AmeriCorps member for Child Care Network, and she created a bi-lingual 4-H troop, which was the first of its kind in southern Indiana. The troop has 21 members and turned in 34 projects to the county fair. Iveth recently discovered that her community had no licensed bi-lingual daycare program, so through Iveth’s persistence she organized the first bi-lingual daycare training in Seymour in August in hopes of creating a bi-lingual daycare program.
Volunteerism: Terri Gineen Martin (Gary)
Terri Gineen Martin shares her passion for service and volunteerism by promoting and encouraging healthy living among Hoosiers of all ages. Three times per week, Terri volunteers as an instructor for a Senior Health and Exercise class serving more than 100 seniors. A tireless advocate for seniors, Terri, in the words of one exercise class participant, is “like family, and she visits homes, family affairs, community meetings, hospital beds, and wherever we need her support. She understands that seniors blossom when they live healthier, more fulfilling lives.”
Youth Volunteer: Taylor Zimmerman (Greenfield)
Taylor Zimmerman is a homeschooled student entering her sophomore year. She donates her time working at Conner Prairie, an interactive history park where families and schoolchildren can interact many different ways. Taylor has given over 2060 hours of service to Conner Prairie since 2010. She has shared her passion for Indiana History with approximately 52,000 people, and has cared for over 400 animals and three rare breeds. In addition, Taylor spent 113 hours planning and creating an event called the “Walk/Run 4 Freedom.” It is a four mile Walk/Run held in Greenfield to raise money to combat human trafficking. Proceeds will benefit Rapha House, a nonprofit committed to ending trafficking and sexual exploitation of children.
Hoosiers are encouraged to join the conversation about the 2013 Governor’s Service Award winners on Twitter using the hashtag #ServeIndiana. The Governor’s Conference can be followed at its handle @INNonprofitConf or by using #INGovConf
About OFBCI
The Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives promotes service and volunteerism in the State of Indiana. Working together with other government agencies, AmeriCorps*State programs, volunteer centers, and nonprofits, the OFBCI helps Hoosiers to develop and implement solutions in their own communities.
About the Governor’s Conference
The Governor’