Governor's Home Town Awards Encourage Community Involvement

Volunteer efforts are essential to a community's well-being. Throughout Illinois, tireless 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, 13 years ago, the Governor's Home Town Awards Program was organized to provide a way to give statewide recognition to volunteers for their efforts to help their communities. Administered by the Department of Commerce and Community Affairs (DCCA), in close cooperation with the Governor's Office of Voluntary Action and the Department on Aging, the program 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. A letter of project endorsement from the Chief Local Official (such as a Mayor or Village President) should accompany each application. 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 youths 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). This year, due to the many volunteer efforts associated with the devastating flood, a special Flood Relief category has been added.

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 ceremonies announcing the winners. This year's awards banquet will be held in Springfield in June 1994.

For information on the Governor's Home Town Awards Program, or to request an Application Guidebook, contact the Department of Commerce and Community Affairs, Housing Assistance Division, 620 East Adams, Springfield, IL 62701, or phone 217/785- 6154. The deadline for applications is February 25, 1994. •

November 1993 / Illinois Municipal Review / Page 29