Woman is state honoree for senior service

For the second year in a row, a Carlinville woman has been honored as the Illinois winner of the Home Instead Senior Care network’s Salute to Senior Service award.

Judy Minster is being recognized for dedicated community service, including her work at Carlinville Area Hospital. Minster has volunteered at the hospital for more than 13 years, first volunteering as the blood drive coordinator in 2001 before later becoming membership chair and treasurer for the Hospital Auxiliary.

Minster regularly volunteers as a hospital greeter or escort, and in the hospital gift shop.

As one of 50 state winners, Minster earned $500 for the charity of choice – donated by Home Instead, Inc., franchisor of the Home Instead Senior Care network and contest sponsor. Minster also will have a spot on the Salute to Senior Service Wall of Fame on SalutetoSeniorService.com where her nomination story has been posted.

“Judy represents so well the dedication and commitment that make senior volunteers such a value to their communities,” said Jeff Huber, president of Home Instead, Inc. “She has proven once again that age is meaningless when it comes to making a difference. So many charities, nonprofit organizations and faith communities could not do the work they are doing without selfless volunteers such as Judy.”

A panel of judges selected 97-year-old Thurman Haynes from North Carolina as the 2014 National Salute to Senior Service award recipient. Haynes earned the recognition for his volunteer efforts with the Haynes-Inman Education Center, a school for children with disabilities. As the national honoree, Home Instead, Inc. will donate $5,000 to Haynes’ designated nonprofit charity.

The results of a Marist poll sponsored by Home Instead, Inc. indicate that 62 percent of seniors age 68 and over volunteered their time in the last year, with 13 percent of those reporting that they volunteer in order to stay active,

For more information about the Home Instead Senior Care network’s Salute to Senior Service program or to download the “give back” resource sheets, visit SalutetoSeniorService.com.

Home Instead Senior Care says it is the world’s leading provider of non-medical in-home care services for seniors, with more than 1,000 independently owned and operated franchises.