GOVERNOR'S HOME TOWN AWARDS ENCOURAGE COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

Volunteer efforts are essential to a community's well-being. Throughout Illinois, volunteers are making life better for their neighbors by helping senior citizens, counseling troubled youths, building playgrounds, organizing recycling efforts and addressing community needs.

Too often, these contributions go unrewarded. That's why 15 years ago, the Governor's Home Town Awards Program was established to provide a way to give statewide recognition to volunteers for their efforts in helping their communities. The program, administered by the Department of Commerce and Community Affairs, in close cooperation with the Lt. Governor's Office, provides commemorative road signs and plaques to help alert citizens to the contributions of volunteers.

Any local government, community-based organization, or group within Illinois is eligible to enter the competition. Any organized effort to make the community a better place to work, live and do business is eligible for an award. The project must demonstrate broad volunteer citizen support and participation. Projects that span more than one year are eligible; however, judges will only examine activities that were accomplished during the most recent calendar year.

Projects are judged by four criteria: addressing a specific community need, heavy involvement of volunteer resources, generating results and community support. Projects should be submitted and are awarded by category. Categories include General (efforts on behalf of the community), Youth Involvement (projects selected, planned and conducted by the community's youth and/or projects that directly benefit youths), Economic Development (projects involving volunteers that help create or retain jobs in the community), and Senior Citizen Involvement (projects selected, planned and conducted by the community's seniors and/or projects that directly benefit seniors).

Communities compete against other communities of similar population, with awards presented in each category. A grand prize winner is selected from all first place awards and receives the traveling silver Governor's Cup trophy during a ceremony announcing the winners. (The Village of Tamms in Alexander County was the 1995 Governor's Cup for its "Super-Max Prison Project.") This year's awards banquet will be held in Springfield in June, 1996.

For information on the Governor's Home Town Awards Program, or to request an Application Guidebook, contact Lou Ann Ladage, Department of Commerce and Community Affairs, 620 East Adams Street, Springfield, IL 62701, or call 217/785-6154. The deadline for application submission is February 23,1996.

November 1995 / Illinois Municipal Review / Page 23