Awardees Honored

COE Celebrates Volunteers

We often say volunteers are the lifeblood of our organization. The fact of the matter is; we wouldn’t be able to accomplish a fraction of what we do without them. In 2025, 383 individuals gave almost 10,000 hours of their time and talents to TrueNorth. 

Every year, TrueNorth honors several individuals and organizations with public recognition at our Community of Efforts celebration. The event, which features live music and a catered meal, in addition to the awards presentations, is designed as a well-deserved thank you to TrueNorth’s many volunteers and donors.

The event featured a delicious dinner, courtesy of Taste of Home Catering and dessert provided by The Great Bakes. Jazz vocalist Marquita Bernard accompanied herself on the 1912 TrueNorth Steinway and provided the perfect atmosphere and entertainment.

Community Awards this year were given out as follows: Kurt Sanderson (pictured above) received the Bessie Slautterback Award for lifetime service; Judy Chelsey received the Gene Cotton Award for creating a brighter future; Croton Township received the Peggie Stone Award for commitment to youth; and Darren Walker and the Healthy Plant Worm Farm received the Community Partner Award for generosity.

The following individuals received Program Awards: Bridget Fitzpatrick received the Camp Newaygo Award; Ruth Betar received the Children’s Services Award; Dennis and Phyllis Sano received the Community Connections Award; Lori Eslick received the Cultural Arts Award; Leighan Campeau received the Hunger Prevention Award; Greg McAllister received the Out-of-School Time Program Award; Jayne Elenbaas received the Spirit of TrueNorth Award; and Kathy Machuta received the TrueMentors Award.

To learn more about getting involved with TrueNorth, contact Madison Butler at (231) 924-0641, ext. 112 or mbutler@truenorthservices.org.