Bloomington volunteers to be honored in April

The City of Bloomington Volunteer Network is accepting nominations through Feb. 1 for its annual Be More Awards.

Awarding volunteers has been an integral part of the network since its inception in 1980.

The awards grant Bloomington community members and IU students 10 $500 awards in a variety of categories: arts and culture, college student, youth and lifetime of service, plus two awards in the general category.

“I encourage residents to nominate their friends, family and colleagues who are engaged in the community,” Bloomington Mayor Mark Kruzan said in a press release. “They are an integral part of making Bloomington the great place that it is to live, work and play.”

The award money comes from the Community Foundation of Monroe County, and the recognitions are cosponsored by the IU Credit Union, United Way of Monroe County and WTIU Public Television. Representatives from these organizations sit on the panel that selects the volunteer award winners.

The cash awards do not go to the volunteer recipient, but rather benefit the organization for which they volunteer.

“People are shy about receiving the award, but it’s neat to them because they are basically earning a grant for the organizations where they volunteer,” Volunteer Network Director Bet Savich said.

Savich said nomination forms are available at the Be More website, bloomington.in.gov/bemore, and she can answer questions at 812-349-3472 or
volunteer@bloomington.in.gov.

Last year, Pi Kappa Phi won the volunteer award for the college student category for its work with Stone Belt, which assists individuals with disabilities.

“Students really carry the ball in the community in terms of contributing their time to local nonprofits, and it’s important for them to be recognized, too,” Savich said. “They put in a lot of time and effort, and we never want to forget how important IU students are to our community.”

The Be More Awards ceremony will be from 7 to 8 p.m. April 3 at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater. The event is free and open to the public.