Awards Presented at P4OC Celebration
Partners For Otoe County held their annual celebration event at the Kimmel-Nelson-Harding Center for the Arts in Nebraska City on July 27th for board members and contributors. Awards were distributed and participants had the opportunity to see the Summer Art Camp first hand taking place at the Center. The photos in this article are courtesy of Nebraska City News-Press.
Business Partner of the Year - 1st National Bank
One of the priorities of Partners for Otoe County has been to serve children and families from the entire county. First National Bank of Syracuse helps P4OC achieve that goal by providing office space, free of charge on the second floor of their bank in downtown Syracuse since 2006. P4OC has been able to initiate several programs in the Syracuse community since, such as Study Buddies, PACT and After School Clubs. First National also donates space in their lower level for meetings and special events. First National employees have also stepped up as individuals, volunteering their time and talents to help Otoe County families thrive. Kim Martacho accepted the award on behalf of First National.
Outstanding Personal Achievement - D. J. DuVall, Jr.
The 2010 Award for Outstanding Personal Achievement goes to D. J. DuVall, Jr. D.J. began his relationship with P4OC in elementary school when he participated in the Study Buddies Tutoring Program as a student. That relationship came full circle this past year when D. J. became a Study Buddies Tutor. D. J. has been on the honor roll through all 4 years of High school. He was a member of the National Honor Society, PRIDE, DECA, and FCA. He plans to attend Central Christian College in the fall. D. J. was awarded a $50 savings bond.
Catalyst for Change Award - Benjamin Rice
The Catalyst for Change Award is presented each year to an individual or organization who best recognizes the need for change in the Otoe County community and for the courage and commitment to make it happen. This year's winner, Benjamin Rice, recognized that underage drinking was a problem early on, and made a personal commitment to change the situation. He educated himself about the issue at every opportunity, then worked with others at the local, state, and national level to influence policy change that would reduce underage drinking among his peers. Ben is not just a leader among youth, or a token youth representative in a community coalition, this young man is voting member of the Board of Directors and a peer among leaders in this community of every age. Ben is leaving the P4OC Board of Directors in August to attend Peru State College, where he plans to continue his work to reduce youth alcohol abuse. Ben was accompanied by his parents, Robert and Christine Rice.
Volunteers of the Year - Don Loseke & Kathy Kaufman
The 2010 Volunteer of the Year is Don Loseke. Don has been advocating for children in this community who often do not have a voice for more than 30 years - children with disabilities, children involved with abuse or neglect, children who speak English as a second language. He and his wife, Jackie, have welcomed 15 foster children into their home and adopted two of them. They train others to be foster parents. Don spearheaded the effort to establish a CASA program in Otoe County to provide advocacy for children involved in abuse and neglect cases with the court and that program was implemented in 2009 under his leadership. Otoe County CASA is now serving 23 children. Don Loseke recently retired from Nebraska City Public Schools and will begin a new career with the Department of Education August 1, so he will also be leaving the P4OC Board of Directors and his position as Chair of the CASA Advisory Committee.
The volunteer efforts were so outstanding over the past year, the Awards Committee awarded two. After presenting awards to others, P4OC Board Chair Kathy Kaufman was surprised with a Volunteer of the Year Award herself. Kathy is Publications Director for the Nebraska City News-Press. Her volunteer activities currently include Chair of the Partners for Otoe County Board of Directors and the TeamMates of Nebraska City Board of Directors. She also serves on boards for the Nebraska City Center for Children and Families and the Nebraska City Economic Development Corporation. Kathy and her husband, Brad, have been involved with Legion Baseball, Pioneer Boosters, United Methodist Church and many other efforts involving youth during their time in Nebraska City. Kathy's leadership was instrumental to the successful merger of Partners for Otoe County and People United for Families in the fall of 2009.
Click here for a list of past award winners.
