Volunteer Iowa is now taking nominations for the 2021 Iowa Volunteer Hall of Fame Awards.
Organization spokesperson Rebecca Gernes says they are looking for people who have made a difference in the state. “We want people to nominate people who really have a lifetime of service that can be recognized…we usually induct five to seven nominees per year and they come from all over the state,” Gernes says.
She says the nominees should be people who have changed the community, the state, the nation, or the world through the gifts of their time and talent. “Those individuals who have really given years and years to their communities in ways that are demonstrable — and recognized by their communities,” she says.
Nominations must be submitted online or mailed. “You need to have letters of recommendation and impact statements from the groups and communities that were benefited. It’s just a good way to celebrate a lifetime of service for these Iowans and recognize them in a way that’s going to last in Iowa’s legacy,” according to Gernes.
Nomination materials are available online at volunteeriowa.org/hof. The nominees that are selected will be honored in a ceremony at the State Capitol this fall. Gernes says will also include the 2020 class as they decided to wait to honor them because of the pandemic.
“It was a really tough call, we had to make it and in the name of safety and being able to give the awardees what they really deserve — which is a ceremony where they can have the recognition they really deserve,” Gernes says. “So this year, it will be a little bit bigger than we are used to.”
Nominations for the Volunteer Hall of Fame must be made by June 30th.