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Schaumburg honors its outstanding volunteers

Schaumburg honored the volunteers credited with building a true community within the village at its annual Volunteer of the Year Awards luncheon on Thursday.

Longtime Spring Valley Nature Center volunteer Lynn Eikenbary won Volunteer of the Year in the adult individual category, for her 40 years of helping to transform a three-acre patch among farm fields into the 135-acre educational and recreational preserve it is today.

"This lady is a consummate volunteer and a wonderful lady," Schaumburg Mayor Al Larson said in presenting the award.

Eikenbary said her involvement began just after she moved to the area from Indiana and didn't know anyone. She saw an ad for what was then just the Spring Valley Nature Club and thought it sounded like the kind of people she would fit in with.

"The reason volunteers keep coming back to Spring Valley is the wonderful people you work with," she said.

Elizabeth Einig, a student at Conant High School, won the youth individual award for a variety of contributions - not least of which is her advocacy for the availability of mental health services to help young people cope with depression, anxiety, abuse, bullying and grief.

Among her many other achievements: the organization of a Mental Health Awareness Day at Conant; helping to raise $140,000 to support mental health services for low-income families; and receiving the Youth Service Medal of Honor from the Cook County Sheriff's Office for more than 100 hours of service between 2013 and 2014.

Einig said that since a young age her parents have encouraged her to reach out to those in need, and she found she had a genuine concern for others.

Her mother, Dominice Einig, said it's difficult to say how or when the family tradition of volunteerism began because it's been around so long.

"I grew up in that kind of environment myself," Dominice Einig said.

After a decade of service to many other groups and needs in the community, the Schaumburg MOMS Club was named the village's volunteer organization of the year.

Every month the club takes part in two charity activities, which range from collecting donations of food to volunteering its members' time to other organizations, such as Feed My Starving Children and Phil's Friends Hope Center.

Member Katherine Griffis said the club aims not only to make the community stronger, but to show children the many opportunities and effectiveness of providing such help.

The luncheon's keynote speaker was Chris Smith, executive director of HandsOn Suburban Chicago, which focuses on volunteer engagement. She said her job was a blessing for always putting her in the presence of volunteers.

"You can't think of a better business to be in," Smith said. "There's energy around them. They have big hearts."

  Elizabeth Einig is announced as the winner Thursday in the youth category of Schaumburg's annual Volunteer of the Year Awards. The Conant High School student was honored for her many volunteer activities, including her efforts to make mental health services available to young people. Joe Lewnard/jlewnard@dailyherald.com
  Elizabeth Einig, a student at Conant High School, won the youth category of Schaumburg's annual Volunteer of the Year Awards on Thursday. Her volunteer activities include raising money to support mental health services for low-income families. Joe Lewnard/jlewnard@dailyherald.com
  Keynote speaker Chris Smith, executive director of HandsOn Suburban Chicago, speaks Thursday during Schaumburg's annual Volunteer of the Year Awards luncheon. Joe Lewnard/jlewnard@dailyherald.com
  Christy Bathje, left, and Katherine Griffis of the Schaumburg MOMS Club accept their group's award Thursday from Schaumburg Mayor Al Larson during the village's annual Volunteer of the Year Awards luncheon. Joe Lewnard/jlewnard@dailyherald.com
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