HOME TOWN AWARDS RECOGNIZE VOLUNTEERISM By JAN M. GRAYSON, Director Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Affairs

Volunteers make a tremendous difference in the lives of their fellow citizens. As municipal officials, each of you know how important citizen involvement is to your communities — raising funds for parks and other public services, serving on volunteer boards and commissions, providing assistance to senior citizens, counseling youths to avoid delinquency.

Ten years ago, Illinois began to recognize the hard work and dedication of its volunteers through a unique program — the Governor's Home Town Awards. Administered by the Department of Commerce and Community Affairs, with assistance from the Department on Aging and the Lieutenant Governor's Office of Volunteer Services, these non-monetary awards offer the state and local communities an opportunity to commend volunteers for their contributions.

On June 13, Governor Jim Edgar named 69 winners in this year's Home Town Awards competition. As usual, the competition was fierce — 120 projects in eight population categories were nominated for awards. In addition to the general awards, special recognition was given to projects that showed outstanding volunteer efforts related to economic development, achievement by or for youths, and activities by or for senior citizens.

More than 400 people traveled to Springfield to attend the banquet honoring the winners. They heard Lt. Gov. Bob Kustra, whose duties include responsibility for the state's volunteer and senior action center, laud their achievements. And they cheered when Quincy received the overall award — the Governor's Cup — for its "Good News" project, providing a happy holiday season to 100 needy families in the Quincy area last December.

As in past years, the Governor's Home Town Awards were judged by a group of impartial volunteers on the basis of demonstrated local need and extent of community participation, as well as the project's results and continuity. Winners of the general awards, senior achievement awards, youth achievement awards and economic development awards received road signs and commemorative plaques noting their selection as winners in the competition. Honorable mention winners received certificates of merit.

Now is the time to begin encouraging volunteers in your community by informing them about the annual Governor's Home Town Awards competition and encouraging them to enter next year's contest. It's an excellent way to tell the volunteers in your city, village or town just how important their efforts are to the overall quality of life you all enjoy. In my dealings with business people, I know that quality of life issues are important to businesses looking to establish new locations or expand existing facilities. Volunteers, exhibiting their pride by beautifying their communities, helping senior citizens and youths, building and equipping parks, organizing community theatre and other cultural events, and looking out for each other, leave a lasting impression on business leaders — they're proud of their community and they'll be good neighbors.

DCCA staff is happy to answer any questions you may have about the annual Governor's Home Town Awards program. Contact Bob Glatz in DCCA's Office of Local Government Management Services at 1-217- 785-6139 for further information.

July 1991 / Illinois Municipal Review / Page 21

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