Nosbisch Volunteer Service Award Recipient

The Serve Illinois Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service will present 27 Illinoisans and businesses with the Governor’s Volunteer Service Award during a special virtual event on Wednesday, September 16 at 2 p.m.

The award recognizes volunteers and volunteer programs that have made a difference in Illinois and highlights the importance of volunteerism and community service.

“These past few months have shown us once again that volunteers are the beating heart of Illinois,” said Commission Executive Director Scott McFarland. “We are honored to be able to highlight just a few of the nearly 3 million people in Illinois who give back.”

The Commission received more than 215 nominations in six categories (adult, AmeriCorps, business, senior, Senior Corps, and youth) from the Commission’s five service regions across the state (East Central, Northeast, Northwest, Southern, and West Central). Commissioners reviewed the applications and selected 28 award winners.

(SHANNON NOSBISCH)

Among the recipients is Shannon Nosbisch of Dieterich, in the Senior Category, for her work with dementia issues.

Nosbisch is a Certified Dementia Practitioner and co-founder of Effingham Area Alzheimer’s Awareness (EAAA). This non-profit organization is dedicated to providing support and education to families living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia in Central and Southern Illinois. Since 2014, Shannon has presented to hundreds of lay caregivers on communication strategies, caregiving approaches, and dementia education. She also spearheaded the Forget-Me-Not Resource Center Project which partners with seven Illinois libraries to purchase and highlight resources available on dementia and caregiving. Shannon writes the monthly article, Forget-Me-Not Spotlight, to generate awareness of resources to the community. She also volunteers at the Forget-Me-Not Memory Cafe in Effingham. Recently, Shannon presented to business leaders on dementia friendly business practices. Additionally, EAAA’s model and services have become a template for rural areas serving their population affected by dementia. Shannon has also counseled and provided technical support to libraries and organizations around the country.

Later this fall, nomination forms will be made available for the Commission’s companion awards program, the Governor’s Hometown Awards. The Governor’s Hometown Awards program gives formal recognition to communities that contributed to their community’s quality of life via projects that had strong volunteer support, met a need, and made a definitive impact.

The Serve Illinois Commission is a 40-member (25 voting and 15 non-voting), bipartisan board appointed by the Governor and administered by the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH). Its mission is to improve Illinois communities by enhancing volunteerism and instilling an ethic of service throughout the state.