Good evening, everyone. I'm Asia Jester, Monroe County Community School Board representative for District
7. I am delighted today to welcome you to the 2026 Be More Awards presented by the City of Bloomington
Volunteer Network. In 1980, Mayor Frank McCloskey established the city's Office for Volunteerism.
This act made Bloomington the second city in the nation following New York City to establish a division
of municipal government dedicated to fostering volunteerism and promoting community service. Since that
time, Bloomington's volunteer network has supported exponential growth of local nonprofit industry.
Through peer and expert-led training sessions,
boots on the ground volunteer coordination support, and the creation and ongoing evolution
of bloomingtonvolunteernetwork.org. The BVN has helped local nonprofits build healthy dependable basis
of volunteer support. Volunteers are crucial to the high quality of life that we experience here in
Bloomington.
A volunteer who commits to regular service hours helps a charitable organization serve more meals, rehome
more animals, or build more houses, while simultaneously supporting the work of paid staff. When you
talk about local nonprofit leaders, they will tell you none of the miraculous programs our community
rely on are possible without volunteers.
In the difficult economic times we are facing, the role of volunteers to support social service, arts,
and public welfare programs our community relies on cannot be understated. As our selection committee
reviewed this year's impressive batch of nominees, we encountered a trend. During the 2025 multiple
organizations in Bloomington
told us that they had experienced such a decrease in federal funds that elements of their programming
could not have survived were it not for the dedicated volunteer or volunteer groups. Stepping in, sometimes
even taking on the workload of a full-time employee and kept vital community programming operational
for free. Tonight, at the end of another day where we have no doubt
seen scary things in the news, we are gathered to do what Mr. Rogers implored us to do. Look for the
helpers, because there are always helpers. Tonight, we will honor eight volunteers or volunteer groups,
helpers, whose dedication to volunteerism provided critical support to our community in 2025. Now, I
would like to welcome Marcus Whitehead,
the Program Director for Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County. Thank you so much, Asia.
I got to say, I'm really glad to have Asia in seeing the event tonight. I've got to know her over the
last year or so, and she is an outstanding human being. So Asia, congratulations.
As she said, my name is Marcus Whited. I am the program director at the Community Foundation of Bloomington
and Monroe County. You know, when I was in the early days of my career, I was thinking about this. I
had the valuable, what I consider valuable life experience of working directly with at-risk youth and
their families during times of crisis. Each one of those families was going through a really difficult
Period of time and I remember I remember this vividly. I remember at one point having a conversation
with a seasoned volunteer coordinators name was skip I haven't talked to skip for a long long time,
but he made an impression on me because I remember this conversation that we were having and I was talking
with him about how just
noticeably profound that the impact that the volunteers that we had were having on these at-risk youth
and their families that were going through difficult times. And I was just telling them how important
that was. And he said something I've remembered now for like 30 years. He said, you know, there's no
question the impact that the volunteers have on the folks that they work directly with
But what we don't always think about is the effect that they have on everyone else, like us, right?
All of us in this room. There's a ripple effect to what they do. It helped me understand that volunteering
and serving others, I mean, it creates like a contagious spirit, right? Because when you see
people that are serving in this way, and when they're doing it on their own volition, spending their
own time doing this, it inspires the rest of us. And so that was something I never really had thought
too much about before, but I think that it's a really important thought as we celebrate those that are
receiving these awards tonight.
As we celebrate these remarkable people, I would encourage you, I know what I'm going to do is I'm gonna
think about the ways, yes, of course, that they've lifted other people up, but I also wanna thank them
for doing more than that, for inspiring us, for inspiring us to do more ourselves and to be more, right?
So I just wanted to share that with you as we,
begin this evening. You know, at the Community Foundation of Bloomington Monroe County, we fuel innovative
ideas and lasting impact in Monroe County, and we do this in a variety of ways. We make grants, we offer
expertise, we collaborate, we kind of synergize to meet others, and kind of work towards the community's most
pressing needs and compelling opportunities. And so when we have an opportunity to partner with the
City of Bloomington for the Be More Awards every year, we're super excited to do that. It really encompasses
the spirit of the work that we try to do. So we're very proud to partner with the City of Bloomington.
We will be awarding a $1,000 grant to each of the organizations that are represented by outstanding
volunteers.
this evening and that's our pleasure to do that. Now before we get started handing out the awards, I
do want to recognize the City of Bloomington, the United Way of South Central Indiana, and the IU Credit
Union for their sponsorship of this year's program. The Community Foundation and the City of Bloomington
Volunteer Network are very grateful for these agencies' investment into this event and to celebrating
our community's most outstanding volunteers. So let's give it up for our sponsors.
Okay, let's get down to business on this. Let's hand out some awards. The first award of the night,
which I have the privilege of announcing, is the Be More Engaged Award. Now, this award honors an individual
or a group
employed at a business or organization who engages in volunteer activities and programs on behalf of
their employer. This year, the Be More Award Selection Committee chose to honor an organization that
helps individuals, single or families, find their way out of poverty, which is a great thing. In this
unique program, individuals experiencing poverty make a commitment to long-term community building.
They're partnered with volunteers from the community who have stable resources and want to understand
poverty in a very deep and personal way. The program encourages these partners, and they're called Captains
and Allies, which is really cool, to build intentional friendships through acts of mutual aid
and volunteerism in the wider community. So many of you recognize who I'm talking about. I'm talking about
SCAP's Thriving Connections program. Incidentally, Thriving Connections participated here recently in
the Heading Home Housing Summit, and they gave an outstanding presentation, so that was really terrific.
So in 2025, the captains and allies of SCAP Thriving Connections experienced the natural but unfortunately
timed departure of both full-time staff members. Due to uncertainties surrounding funding and sustainability,
the program became dependent on one part-time staff member to keep the whole thing going. Never daunted,
the community of captains and allies stepped up to help coordinate the program
ensuring participants' needs continued to be met and relationships were kept alive and healthy. For
their dedication to eradicating poverty through the commitments to one another in the community at large,
the City of Bloomington Volunteer Network is proud to present the 2026 Be More Engaged Award to the
Captains and Allies of SCAP's Thriving Connections Program. Come on up.
It's so awesome. Who wants the money? I think Eddie. Eddie wants the money. He'll make it up here. Okay.
Congratulations. Thanks. Good evening. I am Eliza, and I am a captain. And I am just gonna share my
experience and set this down so I don't break it.
I joined Thriving Connections looking for a place where I could be myself, but I never expected how
much I would receive in return. My children and I haven't been around anything of this magnitude. This
journey has fundamentally changed my life by teaching me that true service is a circle. While I set
out to offer my time and my skills and
to find a place to have a sense of belonging, the community offered me perspective, resilience, and
a deeper sense of belonging. This is the beauty of reciprocity. When we lift others, we inevitably lifted
ourselves. At Thriving Connections, volunteering isn't just a solo act of kindness. It is a shared exchange
that strengthens the heart of volunteers as much as their lives.
of the lives of the ones that we serve. Yes, adding to what Eliza stated, I'm Shekay. I've also been
a part of Thriving Connections for a while, and I, too, am thankful for this cycle. Because without
the volunteers, Thriving Connections would not be what it is to us.
Our allies volunteer their time, wisdom. Many in the community volunteer their services, and all of
this has empowered not just myself, but my children. Being able to experience things that would not
normally be available to those of us living in poverty, i.e. poetry writing classes, dance,
track opportunities, speaking engagements, not for us, but for our children, and just having a deeper
understanding of what and how you can get out of poverty.
credit budgeting courses, tutoring, among many other things. Having these opportunities opened our minds
to how we can give back. So we as a collective make blankets for those in need, preparing survival bags
for those who need it.
cleaning after the Pride Fest, and then individually, we have folks who volunteer on commissions,
lead PTOs, teach youth step and dance, among many other things. I mean, when you're then 10-year-old,
it's trying to find ways to give back. It just does something to you. As a community, we want to thank
the city of Bloomington. We want to thank the Bloomington Foundation for seeing us.
for seeing us worthy, and in all actuality, it's only right that we get out here and invest in our community
how they have invested in us. Because what I learned is, it works. It really makes a difference in you
and those you are helping. Thank you guys so much. Thank you. And if we have a quick second, are you...
wants to say something because we not only encouraging volunteers in our adults, we do it in our youth.
Thank you guys.
Hello, my name is Cassie Hacken. I am the marketing director at Constellation Stage and Screen, and
I will be presenting the Be More Creative Award. The Be More Creative Award honors volunteer work within
the Bloomington Arts community. This year, the selection committee chose to honor a nominee working
in the oft-overlooked creative field of radio.
WFHB's youth radio program provides youth in Bloomington the opportunity to create and produce original
radio shows on topics that they are interested in. High school student Winnie Dong used this opportunity
to create What the Health? an original show exploring health related topics. On the show, local health
care experts are interviewed about health care, the wellness industry, and about what it takes to forge
a career in medicine in related fields.
As the show's creator and producer, Winnie does it all. She conducts interviews, researches guests,
edits audio, and promotes the show on social media. For her work producing original media at WFHB Community
Radio, the City of Bloomington Volunteer Network is proud to present the 2026 Be More Creative Award
to Winnie Dong.
Hi. I'm overjoyed to receive this award today. A big thanks to my mom and dad who are in the crowd,
and to everybody at WFHB, especially my youth radio director, Jesse. And a huge thanks to all my friends
in the crowd, too. I'm so glad you guys were all able to make it to celebrate this moment with me. Today
on the stage, I would like to share a quote from Cheryl Lee Ralph, a human rights activist who has shaped
my perspective and influenced my work at WFHB.
She says, just because you have rights today does not mean you will have rights tomorrow. Do not sit
there in your happiness. Do not sit there looking good thinking that you have won the fight. The fight
has just begun. My platform at WFHB has always been for the people and the public. Here, we do not erase
history. We learn from it.
We do not only hear from medical professionals about their careers, but about their impact on society.
As a woman and a first-generation student, I have faced many battles in my life. The right to have health
care for my parents, the right to have an education, and the right to have my work recognized. And today,
for the first time, I believe that hard work does pay off.
is a victory to all the young women in the world who have been shunned, who have been told that they
are not enough and are discouraged from being creative and expressive. I stand here to tell you, you
can do anything you put your minds to. Thank you.
Good evening. My name is Leanne Schwartz and I am the Youth Prevention Specialist for the Youth Services
Bureau here in Monroe County. And I facilitate one of the larger prevention subcommittees, the Monroe
County Youth Council. MCYC provides leadership opportunities to all Monroe County high school students
through advocacy, community engagement, and service.
The culmination of the Council's work happens in April during Global Youth Service Month, where members
plan and facilitate service projects, and they put in a lot of work, and you can really see their skills
there, which is awesome. These are our representatives of our 2026 projects. My name is Anaya Boone, and as
As the representative for the Policy and Advocacy Subcommittee, I am pleased to share with you our Global
Youth Service Week project. This year, we developed a Google form to survey high school students regarding
the impact of balancing employment with academic responsibilities. Our survey aims to determine whether
students experience burnout as a result of managing both schoolwork and employment, thereby assessing
the correlation between these activities and mental health.
Our objective is to foster a sense of community among students facing these challenges and to quantify
this correlation and support a future policy initiatives designed to improve student mental health.
While the data collection is still in progress, we have approximately 40 responses. Reach out if you
are interested in partnering with a similar project with us next year. Thank you.
Hello, my name is Shayan Shams. I'm a leader of the Community Engagement Subcommittee in MCYC. This
year we hosted a pickleball tournament open to all ages and skill levels. We partnered with the Warehouse
and Bloomington Pickleball Club, and we had an amazing tournament with 20 participants and 15 volunteers,
and truly accomplished our goal of raising money for the Warehouse and MCYC at the same time. We cannot
wait to see you all next year, and thank you so much for your time.
Hello, everyone. My name is Lien Suleiman, and I'm the representative of the Monroe County Youth Council's
Education Subcommittee, specifically STEM-UP. The Education Subcommittee helped facilitate a combined
event on April 17th with the Environment and Mental Health Subcommittee. We partnered with the Brandecker
Center to host a community science experimentation event for students from kindergarten through sixth
grade to learn about STEM. Our goal is to make STEM interactive, engaging, accessible, and hands-on.
Students created optical illusions,
learned about circuits, and observed callous reactions. The event was a success. With your help, we
wish to lead the next global service day with greater impact. Thank you. I'm Noah Gordon, and
I'm representing the environmental subcommittee. Our combined event this year had 44 participants, and
our project was opening a donation drive for nine different community organizations in Bloomington.
Creating one centralized location for participants to donate items for multiple organizations really
simplified the donation process and helped raise awareness for community organizations people might
not have known of in another way. Our event, Donate and Decorate, was a great success and we received
many donations for different organizations. We are at the Banneker Center and are open for donations,
so feel free to stop by to donate.
Please contact us using the emails behind us if your organization is interested in receiving donations,
and thank you. Hello, everybody. My name is Winnie Dong, and I'm the representative for the Mental Health
Self Committee. This year, we created an event station that allowed community members to express themselves
through various art mediums. With our project, we hope to spark open conversations about mental health
and support self-expression.
Many of our children depicted what they valued at the time, such as their parents or their house, while
others were, let's just say, more abstract. Either way, the event was a huge success, and we were fortunate
enough to have PizzaX donate pizzas for a combined event. With your help, we hope to make an even bigger
impact next year. Thank you so much.
My name is Melanie Vestledge. I'm the prevention coordinator at Youth Services Bureau, and I also support
MCYC. And aren't these teens just fabulous? They are awesome. It has been a great experience facilitating
connections with community partners to create opportunities for folks to learn and grow in service to
the broader Monroe County community. And this doesn't happen in a silo, right? It happens by developing
relationships and
So if you are an agency that's interested in working with MCYC and our teens, either as an adult ally
or co-planning one of our 2027 Global Youth Service Day projects like these, please reach out to myself
or Leanne. So thank you so much.
Hello, good evening. My name is Suzanne Allen and I'm the Director of IU Core at Indiana University's
Office of Student Life. IU Core serves as the front door to the Bloomington campus, serving as a bridge
to connect community partners and student volunteers through meaningful volunteer experiences shaped
by community identified needs.
We are grateful to our nonprofit partners for the invaluable experiences and relationships they create
with IU students, faculty, and staff. To connect with IU Corp, email us at iucorps.edu or stop by our
table in the outer lobby after the event. We would love to meet you. As a firm believer in the impact
young people can make in their communities and in their own lives,
Through dedicated volunteer service, IU Core is proud to present this year's Be More Energized Award
honoring an individual or volunteer group under the age of 25. This year's Be More Energized Award recognizes
a group of IU Bloomington students who have delivered age-appropriate after-school programming in information
systems, coding, and robotics to 400 boys and girls clubs of Bloomington,
Boys and Girls Club members of Bloomington Club members over the past five years. During their Teach
IT sessions, the students of Serve IT provide critical skills to help young people navigate an increasingly
technological society. Boys and Girls Club staff remark in their nomination how grateful they are for
the resources and skills training Teach IT provides. Without the students who run these programs, they say,
the clubs would not be able to offer this level of technological and digital education. For their dedication
to educating the next generation of coders, informatics experts, and robotics enthusiasts, the City
of Bloomington Volunteer Network is proud to present the 2026 Be More Energized Award to Serve IT.
Thank you. My name is Eunith Acker. I'm the director of Serve IT, and Teach IT is one of our biggest
teams. I'm really proud of it, because it was my baby at the beginning, back in 2016. We really grew
it, and part of growing it involved the Boys and Girls Club, because they have several clubs. So we
were able to really expand what we were doing.
Since 2016, we've sent nearly 150 teams of students to lead fun technology workshops in the Bloomington
area. Each team visits their site to lead 10 sessions per semester, adding up to nearly 1,500 sessions
since 2016. Through these sessions, kids explore problem solving, creating digital images, learning
to write code, and more recently, robotics.
Perhaps most importantly though, our local youth get to connect with amazing college students like these
who make technology and hopefully college feel approachable and exciting.
I know we had some rough news over the weekend, but if you are tempted to think that having young adults
in your town will cause problems, I want you to remember these young adults who jumped at the chance
to bring the excitement they find in technology to kids who might not get the chance for this kind of
programming elsewhere. So I feel so lucky to get the opportunity to work with such amazing, hardworking,
earnest students and can't wait to see what they do next.
Help me give them a large round of applause for their work. Thank you.
Hello, excuse me. Hello, my name is Raquel Anderson and I'm a board member for Centro Comunal Latino.
And I am excited to present the 2026 Be More Bloomington Award honoring an individual or group demonstrating
excellence in addressing the issues of 2025. In 2025, the issue of immigrant and refugee welfare was
front and center for our community. As organizations like El Centro,
Exodus Refugee Migration and the Bloomington Refugee Support Network faced uncertainty and a growing
sense of danger for their clients. They called for assistance from the community. Many individuals and
groups rushed to answer this call. Last year, David Mayer, a longtime volunteer with multiple local
refugee support organizations and co-chair of community service for the Rotary Clubs of Bloomington,
arranged for the Bloomington Rotary Clubs to support an Afghan refugee family of four. Fiscally supported
by the club, David worked countless hours to help this family meet a variety of basic needs. Then, last
spring, the husband of one of the family members was arrested by ICE agents after leaving English classes
at Broadview Learning Center. Immediately,
David sprung into action. He secured appropriate legal representation for the man and raised $10,000
in financial support for this case. For his work to protect and serve immigrant communities
in the Bloomington area, the City of Bloomington Volunteer Network is proud to present the 2026 Be More
Bloomington Award to David Meyer.
Well, there has been a lot of darkness in matters of immigration over the last year, but I'd like to
focus on the bright side of all of this. First of all, I'd like to thank the Bloomington Rotary Club
and most especially the Bloomington Rotary Foundation, which was a partner in raising the money in order
to help that unjustly incarcerated individual from the family that we supported. I'd also like to honor
the countless
literally countless volunteers in the community that have worked over the last several years to help
refugees begin their lives anew in the United States in our community of Bloomington. Bloomington is
a remarkable place and could not be a better place for refugees to be resettled because as you all know,
everyone that is sitting here, Bloomington is incredibly welcoming, very open,
and does not prejudge people by their appearance, their culture, their religion, or any other matter.
They judge people by their character and the kind of people they choose to be. So I'd like to make sure
I make Bloomington aware of how unique we truly are in this world. I did have the luxury of working
with refugees.
I was able to work with a variety of other people, volunteers, I just, as I say, representing those
folks. Six refugee families in total starting in December of 2021 when the second Afghan family that
came to Bloomington after leaving Afghanistan after it fell to the Taliban arrived on December 26th,
the day after Christmas,
on 2021. And we met a shell shocked husband and wife with two small children and a pregnant mother was
pregnant at the time. So it was it was quite an experience. And then five more families after after
that. One of the last ones being the family that had the
gentlemen arrested and detained before we were able to secure his release through raising money for
legal defense and federal court for illegal detention. But I would say it's an odd award to get for
volunteerism because I honestly feel that I have gotten more out of my interaction
with these remarkable people who are starting their lives anew here in the United States, then I certainly
have given. They are resilient people, they are determined people, and they are very grateful for the
opportunity to have a second chance to begin their lives anew. So with that, I will end and say that
I do hope and pray that our country
will once again become a welcoming place for those that have fled violence in their home countries and
refugees. Thank you.
Hello, my name is Julius Mitchell, and I'm the Legislative Affairs Specialist for the City of Bloomington
Office of the Mayor. The City of Bloomington currently supports 54 boards and commissions covering a
range of special interests, from public transportation to arts to urban enterprise to the Tree Commission.
These bodies were created to open the door to citizen involvement in city projects and services. If
you're passionate about a subject impacting public life and are interested in making change at the local level,
I invite you to start by serving on a city board or commission. Just scan the QR code for a full list
of current commission openings. As a passionate advocate for community service, I'm excited to present
this year's Be More Involved Award. This award honors an individual who has volunteered for three or
more nonprofit organizations for at least one year each. This year's recipient of the Be More Involved
Award has committed himself to improving quality of life for Bloomington residents through 20 years
of service to various community organizations.
In addition to his eight years of service to the City of Bloomington Board of Parks Commissioners, Israel
Herrera has served on the Commission on Hispanic and Latino Affairs and the Lotus Education and Arts
Foundation Board. Beyond his board service, Israel has acted as a volunteer for Tietro Vida, WFHB's
Ola Bloomington, Sister City's Cubamistad, La Escuelita Para Todos, and the Lotus Blossoms event. Israel
is passionate about many things,
but shows a particular interest in serving local Hispanic and Latino youth and their families. His nomination
described the work he has done to break down the social and cultural barriers that prevent Latino families
from feeling a sense of belonging in their own community, assessing local social services, and providing
for their basic needs. For his years of service to Bloomington, and in particular for his recent service
on the Board of Parks Commissioners, the Bloomington Volunteer Network is delighted to present the Be
More Involved Award to Israel Herrera.
Well, thank you. I would like to thank the award selection committee from the city of Bloomington for
this honor. And I would like also to thank different colleagues, different people who have supported
me in this service career. In this moment, my colleagues in the Board of Parks and Recreation Commission
And also previously I was engaged with the Commission on Latino and Hispanic Affairs. It was a long
service with this commission where I was able to contribute with recognition to our Latino students
and also in educational projects with different members in that year. Also I would like to thank people
in the Lotus Festival and also Lotus Blossom.
for all the trust, all the confidence in taking me into account in different events where I want to
include the Latino community, the Spanish in our concerts in fall, and also the great moment that I
enjoy with children in lotus blossoms. There are so many groups that I would like to thank. Maybe I'm
missing one, but I would like to thank Grupo de Teatro Vida
that is also one of the groups that I was very involved in organizing place in our city in different
venues. La Escuelita Para Todos, Daniel Soto at the Monroe County Public Library with some teachers
from the corporation. Ola Bloomington as well, the Latino Outreach Office. With this office, I have
been also working on different
events in the city and I have been engaged in his events. Also the Spanish and Portuguese department
with the support of different chairs. This award also goes to my family who has supported me during
many years in the city. Without the support of my family, my friends, everyone in the community who
knows me, I think that I wouldn't have
the flame to continue. It's also a pleasure to receive this award because I have told my little one,
my daughter, that service is very important in a community for transformation to change. And I'm glad
that since very early age, 13 years old, she has been involved in different groups. Service shouldn't
be paid because it's something that you have a passion for.
And also, it's a way to contribute to the community in different ways. It's making changes for a better
world. And I had the pleasure to work with the right people who also believe that we need to all together
work in these changes. Service is very important. Service has been part of my life. I also teach.
and I also enjoy life. But service has been since very, very, very early age when I was a young person,
as the ones that we have seen here from different organizations. It's so great to see young blood with
this spirit of serving and helping people that are in need. So I hope that I have covered everything.
I'm so glad with also the department.
It's a great environment to also plan activities in our parks, in recreational events, and also with
my previous organizations, my previous colleagues, has been a very important moment in my life. So thank
you very much.
Good evening. If volunteers are the lifeblood of community organizations, then volunteer boards and
committees are the beating heart of every nonprofit organization. My name is Vaughn Welch. In addition
to being a longtime repeat board member, I am also a co-founder of Elevate, a new program from the United
Way of South Central Indiana. At Elevate, we pair individuals with relevant skills and experiences
with local nonprofits who need those skills for a short-term project or program. Do you want to help
a local organization solve problems and take their work to the next level, but aren't looking for a
long-term commitment? If so, I encourage you to check out Elevate. You can learn more by visiting our
page on the Bloomington Volunteer Network, or the link to that page is on the screen over my shoulder.
As a board member, I am delighted to present this year's Be More Phenomenal Award to an individual who
has shown outstanding leadership through board, commission, or committee involvement. This year's Be
More Phenomenal Award recipient has served on the board of directors at Bloomington Development Learning
Center, BDLC, for four years, where he chairs the Grounds and Maintenance Committee. In his role,
Matt Stonebreaker maintains the safety and cleanliness of BDLC's facilities and grounds, responding
quickly and without hesitation to calls for assistance. Matt's professional expertise in grounds and
maintenance means his volunteer contributions to BDLC are of a quality that would typically cost the
organization a substantial amount of money. Instead, Matt provides his services for free.
Furthermore, Matt's attitude is always one of humility, kindness, and a genuine desire to help others.
For his dedicated service to the staff, families, and children of BDLC, the Bloomington Volunteer Network
is proud to present the 2026 Be More Phenomenal Award to Matt Stonebreaker.
Thank you. I am honored to be recognized in this way, to be seen for the many small things that we do
throughout the day. Bloomington Developmental Learning Center is a nonprofit daycare that has been operating
for over 50 years. And in addition to a high quality of care that these passionate professional teachers give,
It is a community of teachers, students, and families that I love every day to be a part of. They truly
motivate me to do more than I otherwise think I could. I also want to thank my wife for making the space
for me to be able to give my time and energy in this way, and my children, Frank and Simon, for reminding
me, often in little ways,
what it means to owe each other and what it means to belong to a community and one another. The thing
that I dearly hope for everyone, for every single person, is that you can find something like this,
some cause, some group that you can tend to like a garden, patiently, quietly, and just a little corner
of the world that you can make better for the people around you. Thank you.
everyone. My name is Aubrey Cedar and I am the City of Bloomington Volunteer Network Coordinator. I'm
so grateful to be here today with you all in a new role that I am profoundly grateful to have. The work
of our local nonprofits and their volunteers makes Bloomington the unique and special place we all love.
And in a time of economic austerity our community organizations need volunteers now more than ever.
To meet that need I
I invite you all to join an exciting challenge that the Bloomington Volunteer Network launched at the
beginning of this year. Of course, I'm talking about the 2026 Be the Change Challenge. We are challenging
Bloomington residents to complete 100,000 volunteer hours in 365 days, from January 1st, 2026 through
December 31st. 100,000 hours is a terrifying number,
I know this because I was terrified when it was assigned to me. But then I broke it down. There are
85,000 people living in Bloomington. If all 85,000 people did less than two hours of service, we would
reach our goal. Now, some of those people are babies and kids under the age of 10, which means they
aren't technically eligible to volunteer.
And some folks of volunteering age may not have the time, transportation, or resources to volunteer.
So if we set our sights on a more conservative number of 25,000 participants, each person would only
need to put in four hours over the course of an entire year. That's it. And it follows from there. 10,000
people work 10 hours, 5,000 people work 20 hours. All of a sudden, 100,000 seems really doable to me.
Over the course of our first quarter, from January 1st to March 31st of 2026, a number of local community
organizations were kind enough to keep me updated on the number of hours their organizations volunteers
were putting in. In just three months, across just 16 organizations, Bloomington residents put in 15,198
volunteer hours. I think that that deserves a round of applause.
And I wanna show you a breakdown of the top seven organizations that sent us their hours data for quarter
one. Isn't that incredible? Each of these numbers represents so many dedicated people. It also represents
thousands of tutoring sessions completed, new families supported, meals served, animals fostered, and
public lands cared for.
And these numbers represent just a fraction of the organizations active in Bloomington today. So if
you're an organization leader who would like to add your volunteer hour totals to this list, please
reach out to me. With 84,802 hours left to complete in this challenge, here is our updated breakdown.
Just 3.5 hours of community service put in by 25,000 residents across the entire year would get us to
100,000 hours. And I think that's a pretty doable goal for each of us, 3.5 hours. So, Bloomington's
community of volunteers, as I think we've heard, is a community of people worth joining if you haven't
already. Whether you can volunteer for two hours this year or 20, you can make a difference. And here's
how you do it.
Set up an account on the Bloomington Volunteer Network. You can get there by scanning this QR code.
Choose from hundreds of volunteer opportunities, both recurring and episodic. And whenever you complete
a volunteer shift, come back and log your hours to help us reach 100,000. All of this information is
also available if you scan the QR code on that cute bookmark that you received in your program for tonight's events.
You can also go to bton.in slash btc2026. As Asia said at the beginning of this program, we all know,
we know that right now in the world, right now the world feels out of control. As you look for the helpers,
know that you yourself can become a helper. We invite you to be the change you want to see in the world
by joining the Be the Change Challenge. Thank you.
Thanks, Aubrey. How's everybody feeling? Are you guys feeling inspired? I know I am. The recipients
that we are honoring tonight were chosen by our selection committee from a large number of impressive
nominees. The hardest part of the Be More Awards is choosing just eight individuals and groups to be
honored. We want to celebrate every nomination we read
At this time, we'd like to thank the selection committee for their contribution to this program. If
you would join me in applauding them. Each nominee for 2026 is listed in your program, has a remarkable
record of service to this community. At this time, we'd like to honor all of our nominees and recipients
with a special video.
to give a shout out and a big congratulations to Beast Wars Bloomington Severe Winter Emergency Shelter
for being the recipient of the 2026 Be More Impactful Award. Today we celebrate something truly meaningful
the time energy and heart each of your volunteers has given. Volunteers like you don't just support
a cause you strengthen an entire community.
A shout out and a big congratulations to Beast Wars, Bloomington Severe Winter Emergency Shelter, for
being the recipient of the 2026 Be More Impactful Award. Today we celebrate something truly meaningful,
the time, energy, and heart each of your volunteers has given. Volunteers like you don't just support
a cause, you strengthen an entire community. Your dedication has made a real difference and it has not
gone unnoticed. Thank you for showing up, for caring, and for proving how powerful generosity can be.
It's better because of you. Congratulations, I want to take a moment to tell you how deeply proud we
all in Bloomington are of you. Every day we see your strong dedication and your hard work and you truly
inspire the Bloomington community. You deserve all this recognition and we are so glad for having you
in the city.
Congratulations one more time, Israel Fernando, for the Be More In Board Award. Thriving Connections,
congratulations. A well-deserved Be More Award. Could anyone be more engaged? I don't think so. I know
you all don't even record maybe even half of the volunteer hours that you put into our community, which
is what has kept it alive all these years.
We are happy to see you recognized for your efforts, and have a great night. Dave, congratulations on
your visa. You're very useful. Dave, all the best to you. I know you also deserve it. It's such fun
working with you on the refugee process. Dave, everything you do, you've been very well, and I really
appreciate you as a Rosemary and NFE community.
And Dave, you're an inspiration to me and everybody in the club for the extraordinary work that you
do in the community. Thank you so much for everything that you've done for us. I really like it when
you taught us about Australia. And we really liked it when you taught us about Sudoku. I like when you
helped us create ours. You make our school a better place. We appreciate your time and kindness. You're amazing.
On behalf of the students, faculty, and families at Unionville, I would like to congratulate Mrs. Main
on her award. She has devoted countless hours to supporting the students of Unionville. Her dedication
and commitment to Unionville is amazing. Thank you, Mrs. Main, for all you do. Congratulations, Winnie.
WFHB is so lucky to have you here as a volunteer. You bring so much positive energy to Youth Radio and
so much creativity to your podcast, What the Hell. I'm thrilled to share all of the success tonight
with the community, so go Winnie. Congratulations, Servite team. So first off, I want to congratulate
you guys on getting your award. And I want to give a special shout out to Jeffrey.
for helping me out and teaching me how to code. I want to give another special shout out to Peter Griffin,
because he was helpful. He made me think about trying to get that W. I want to say thanks to Asia,
because he, along with Jeffrey, he taught me a lot of the things I know about coding. I want to say
thanks to Candace for always bringing a positive attitude. And I want to say thanks to Eni for just
being there and supporting us all. And thank you.
Thank you so much. Hi, Leslie Absher, CEO of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Bloomington. On behalf of everyone
at the club, thank you and congratulations, Serve IT. Griffin is the GOAT! Matt, congratulations on
winning the Be More Award. Your time as the Facilities Chair at BDLC has been incredible. The building
has truly never looked better. The doors don't squeak and the bathroom
hasn't had issues and I appreciate everything you do to keep our old girl working and in good condition.
And you've also built a committee of volunteers to help you, which is really the sign of a true leader.
So thank you for your help and enjoy the evening.
evening. Hello everyone my name is Vanessa McCleary and I'm a member of the Kiwanis Club of South Central
Indiana and the Local Council of Women. I'm excited to be here tonight to present the Be More Dedicated
Award which recognizes a person over the age of 60 for a lifetime of service to the community. This
year's recipient has been supporting elementary school students and teachers at Unionville Elementary
for over 15 years. Mrs. Joanne Mayne volunteers at Unionville three days a week
while school is in session. She writes lessons plans, grades papers, and provides feedback to 50K through
sixth grade students that she works with in small groups. Joanne began volunteering after retiring from
a career as an elementary school teacher. Her skills and experience coupled with her consistency as
a volunteer make her a vital part of the teaching staff at Unionville. Without her,
Her nominator says the school would not be able to adequately meet all the learning needs of all the
children she supports. Joanne volunteers to shoulder responsibilities that typically only paid staff
take on. Her generosity of spirit is astounding to her colleagues. In honor of her 15 years of service
to Unionville Elementary and in celebration of her final year, volunteering at the school, the City
of Bloomington Volunteer Network
is proud to present Joanne Maine with the Be More Dedicated Award for a Lifetime of Service.
want to thank the organizers and sponsors of tonight. It's a great honor to be up here. I also want
to thank the family of Unionville with the administration, the staff, the students and the parents.
It would not be possible for me to have hung in there for all these years. The kids have taught me probably
more than I've taught them and I appreciate each one of them every day. I also want to
let you know that I understand that I am just a representative of very dedicated volunteers in all of
the schools and elsewhere in the community. And I'm going to challenge each of you that when you see
people that are helping other people, acknowledge them, give them a thank you or a smile or a helping
hand. And if you understand what they're doing, you might actually
understand why they're doing it and help being a participant in that. Thank you again.
Good evening, everyone. I'm Deputy Mayor Gretchen Knapp, and it's such a joy to be here tonight. It's
a little bit overwhelming to hear the stories of the work that people are doing and the generosity of
spirit, the love for your community and your neighbor. It's humbling, and I'm so grateful for all of
your service. I'm here tonight to present the Volunteer of the Year Award. For years, Bloomington, like
many cities,
has worked tirelessly to address the issues of homelessness and housing insecurity. As local organizations
and branches of government collaborate and work together to try to find long-term solutions, individuals
living on the streets have to face a more immediate question. Where can I find a safe place to sleep
tonight? This question becomes even more urgent during the winter when unhoused community members are
in severe danger of frostbite
hypothermia, and even death as the temperatures drop below freezing and winter storms roll in, now with
increasing frequency. In 2024, the Bloomington Severe Winter Emergency Shelter was born from a group
of volunteers and local faith-based organizations who wanted to provide safe options for shelter during
extreme weather events. Since that time, the Beeswars,
Volunteer team has sprung into action each time a severe weather event has been forecasted. Pop-up shelters
at First Christian Church and First United Methodist Church have consistently provided 30 extra beds
for unhoused folks, sometimes for many nights in a row. Volunteering for the shelter is no small feat.
It requires many people to interrupt their typical work and sleep schedules, their family lives,
Volunteers begin setting up the shelters around 5 p.m. Others stay overnight to monitor the shelter
and provide assistance and comfort to guests during the night, leaving only in the early hours of the
morning after all of the guests have left. Regardless of the short notice of the discomfort that comes
with overnight work, each time that BSWR's organizers call for more volunteers, their sheets are quickly
filled. That's the generous spirit of the community that we live in.
This generosity of spirit is felt by shelter guests whose time with BSWRS demonstrates to them that
this community does care for their safety and for their wellbeing. And so for their life-saving work,
caring for the most vulnerable members of our community, the City of Bloomington Volunteer Network is
proud to present the 2026 Volunteers of the Year Award to the Bloomington Severe Weather Emergency Shelter
Volunteers.
Good evening. My name is Dan Caldwell, and I'm one of the leadership team members for BSWRS, and I'm
also the volunteer wrangler. It's an unofficial title. But I want to thank a bunch of people. I want
to thank Alex Krauss, who's one of the after hours ambassadors for nominating us, as well as all of
the after hours ambassadors.
They're out there doing in the trenches every night and just helping the most vulnerable people in our
community. So we really appreciate them. And yeah, and so thank you Alex for nominating us. I'm gonna
just name our leadership team real quick here. We have a bunch of other volunteers as well. So our leadership
team is made up of Annette Hill Briggs, Dan Watts, Fran Klinger, Lori Council, Joseph Abwanda,
and our three newest members that will start helping us for next year, Martha Michaelson, John Grismer,
and Matt Gargiolo. And so most of those folks are up here, along with some of our most dedicated volunteers
who showed up as well. And I also want to say that this past year, we had two staff coordinators as
well, Edgar Workman and Josh Grismer.
and they played an absolutely essential role in helping us pull off the shelter each and every night
that we opened. And I want to thank the Bloomington Fire Department, EMTs, paramedics, Bloomington Police
Department. Anytime we needed help, they were there in minutes, and that was crucial. I want to thank
Wheeler Mission. They did all our laundry, and we produced a ton of laundry, and so we really couldn't
have done it without them.
I want to thank the Stride Mobile team. Anytime that we had more guests than we were able to accommodate,
we would call Stride Mobile and they'd come and make sure that guests had a ride somewhere so that no
one had to sleep outside. And I want to thank First United Methodist Church, First Presbyterian Church,
and First Christian Church. Those are the three churches that are host sites for us and couldn't do
it without them.
So our purpose is to try and make sure that people who don't have a place to sleep can have a warm safe
place to sleep when the weather gets dangerously cold. But we also try to make sure that people are
treated with dignity, respect, compassion, and that we start to build relationships with folks.
Those are our primary purposes, but I was thinking about what what Marcus was saying earlier. We also
hope to have that ripple effect so that we had 225 unique volunteers and I think that all of them just
this season. I think all of them got to know our guests and I think that.
I'm confident that that changes the way that people see unhoused people. And I think that can have a
huge ripple effect in our community. And so I'm very proud of that as well. Just some quick stats. We
were open 57 nights this past season. We served 256 unique guests. And like I said, we had 225 unique
volunteers in addition to the leadership team.
That came out probably somewhere near 4,000 total volunteer hours. We'll have to make sure that we get
those sent to the right place to get that number up. We'll be doing this again next year. If anybody's
interested, it's a really great experience. It's a great team of people to volunteer with. Actually,
you'll find that the guests are
also wonderful people to get to know as well. And so I'd encourage anybody who's interested to get involved,
you can go to bswords.org and learn more. So thank you so much. We appreciate it.
All right, thanks to each of you all for spending your evening with us. We're so grateful for your time
and attention. If you are interested in any of the volunteer opportunities you've heard about tonight,
including IU Corps volunteering, City of Bloomington Boards and Commissions, the Monroe County Youth
Council, United Ways Elevate,
and the Be the Change Challenge. There will be more information on how to sign up for those in the lobby.
And also on the screen behind me. Thanks for coming out tonight, you all. Have a good night.