Volunteers of the Year Award Recipients
Chris Ayers of Bloomington & the Women’s Auxiliary in Peoria have been recognized as Volunteers of the Year for The Salvation Army Central Territory, representing the Heartland Division.
Only five Volunteer of the Year recipients are named for the entire territory each year. The Heartland Division, headquartered in Peoria, IL, is proud to have their volunteers receive two of the five awards!
Chris was named the recipient of the award for “Individual of the Year”. He has been a volunteer at The Salvation Army in Bloomington for more than 15 years and continues to serve dinner twice a month at the shelter, as well as getting involved with the Bloomington golf outing each year to raise funds for the Salvation Army in Bloomington. Chris has also been a member of the Bloomington Salvation Army Advisory Board since 2015. He gets involved with The Salvation Army in a lot of big ways, but it’s all the little things he does that makes such an impact. He’s one of those special volunteers who makes a difference for staff, clients and everyone he encounters.
Thank you Chris for everything you have done over the years for our mission!
The Women’s Auxiliary for The Salvation Army in Peoria was named the recipient of the Volunteer Organization of the Year for the Central Territory. The Women’s Auxiliary has been serving the Greater Peoria area for more than 74 years. Over the past 10 years, this group has donated more than $1 million to The Salvation Army in Peoria. They currently have 20 members representing more than 233 years of combined service. This organization not only raises money for The Salvation Army, but they volunteer their time to further the work of The Salvation Army in Peoria. Just last year, they donated $130,000 to The Salvation Army from their fundraising efforts.
Thank you ladies for all the amazing service you have given to our mission!
Each year, The Salvation Army recognizes their volunteers and the important role they play in helping them meet their mission of “Doing the Most Good.” A special Volunteer of the Year recognition was established by The Salvation Army Central Territory to give their communities an opportunity to formally recognize the efforts of the most outstanding volunteers. Five different volunteer recognition awards are presented within the Territory: Lifetime Service, Organization or Group of the Year, Family of the Year, Youth of the Year and Individual of the Year.
The Salvation Army Central Territory includes the following divisions:
- Heartland, headquartered in Peoria, including Central Illinois and Eastern Iowa
- Eastern Michigan
- Indiana
- Kansas and Western Missouri
- Metropolitan, including Chicagoland, Northern Illinois and Northwest Indiana
- Midland, including Missouri and Southern Illinois
- Northern, including Minnesota and North Dakota
- Western Michigan and Northern Indiana
- Western, including Iowa, South Dakota and Nebraska
- Wisconsin and Upper Michigan
For additional information or to find out about volunteer opportunities at The Salvation Army, contact Kathy Anderson at (309) 339-3849.