Governor's Hometown Awards honors community volunteers

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) - Applications for the annual Governor's Hometown Awards are available through Feb. 19.

The Governor's Hometown Awards give formal recognition to people who contributed to projects sponsored by local government bodies that improved their communities.

The Serve Illinois Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service is in its fourth year of sponsoring the Governor's award. The awards build on the commission's mission to improve communities with volunteer help and to instill an ethic of service.

Representatives of townships, villages, cities and counties are eligible to apply through Feb. 19 for volunteer-led projects that occurred from Jan. 1, 2019 through Dec. 31, 2020.

The commission, known as Serve Illinois, is a 40-member, bipartisan board with 25 voting members and 15 non-voting. Its members are appointed by the governor and the panel is administered by the Illinois Department of Public Health.