Tell us about your hero

We are looking for people who make a difference...individuals who have made their community, the nation and the world a better place.

The Jefferson Awards honors ordinary people who do extraordinary things for others. Initiated in 1972 to create a “Nobel Prize” for public service, awards are presented both nationally and locally. Join us to recognize Washington’s “unsung heroes” and to inspire volunteerism in our local communities. Click here to nominate your hero online today! For more information about the national Jefferson Awards program, visit www.JeffersonAwards.org.

About the process

Five volunteers from Washington State will receive the Washington State Jefferson Award for their outstanding volunteerism. The winners will be judged by a panel of community leaders and their stories will be told on Evening Magazine the week of March 12th. New this year, winners will receive a gift of volunteer management assessment and consultation from the United Way of King County. One winner will be selected as the National Nominee and will be sponsored to represent our state in Washington D.C. You can help select the National Nominee by watching Evening Magazine during the week of March 12, then voting at KING5.com. Anyone in Washington State can vote. All five winners will be recognized at a breakfast in April in Seattle. The National Nominee will be announced at that time and also featured that day on New Day Northwest. The public is invited to attend the breakfast to honor our Jefferson Award winners and take part in the call to action for volunteerism.

How to submit a nomination

Nomination materials must be RECEIVED by CityClub no later than 5 p.m., Friday, Feb. 10, 2012. Please note that past winners are ineligible for nomination. Complete and submit a Nomination Form, or mail, e-mail or fax the completed Nomination Form and other supplemental enclosures to:
 

CityClub
Attn: Jefferson Awards Committee
1333 Fifth Avenue, Suite 24
Seattle, WA 98101-2600

E-mail: jeffersonawards@seattlecityclub.org
Fax: (206) 467-7394
Phone: (206) 682-7395
Website: SeattleCityClub.org

Timeline

• Nomination materials must be RECEIVED by CityClub no later than 5pm on Friday, Feb. 10, 2012.
• Judging will take place during the week of February 13.
• Winners will be announced the week of March 12 on Evening Magazine.
• Online voting for a National Nominee will be open at KING5.com after the winners are announced on Evening Magazine
• All five winners will be celebrated and the National Nominee will be announced at the Jefferson Awards in April in Seattle.

Required enclosures

• Letter of Nomination (750 words maximum)
• Completed Nomination Form

Optional enclosures

• Up to 5 supplemental materials (newspaper articles, letters of recommendation, awards etc.). Please note the nominee's name on the enclosures. We regret that we are unable to return enclosures.

Criteria to use as your write your nomination letter

• Vision: Ability to imagine a better world and to articulate a desire for the common good.
• Dedication: Commitment and follow through to realize goals.
• Creativity: Innovation in approach and problem solving.
• Tenacity: Overcoming roadblocks and persistence.
• Need: Urgency of work in the community.
• Impact: Success in realizing vision.

Click here to nominate a Jefferson Award Candidate!

Become a volunteer!

No matter where you are in Washington State, you can serve your community as a volunteer. Here's a link to get you connected: volunteerwashington.org

About the 2011 Washington State Jefferson Award winners:

Ahndrea Blue – Seattle, WA

Click here to watch Ahndrea's video.

Through her work to establish a food bank in east Tacoma, Ahndrea and "The Making A Difference Foundation" have brought relief to those in need in this community and inspired many others to volunteer. The food bank, called Eloise’s Cooking Pot, provides a balanced and nutritious diet to families in need, and also provides food for those with dietary or cultural food requirements. Her community service philosophy: "I recognize that everyone, at a point in their life, needs help. I am hoping that by helping people with food and other items, when they are on their feet and are able, that they will pay it forward and help someone else."

Phyllis Jean Camfield – Port Townsend, WA

Click here to watch Jean's video.

Jean Camfield not only helped to found and operate the East Jefferson County Habitat for Humanity Affiliate for many years, she completely revolutionized the organization’s funding model by opening the "Habitat Store," a furniture store whose profits help fund the purchase of land for further Habitat for Humanity development.  The store is mostly volunteer run.  And she still comes in on Tuesdays to work with volunteers as they sort, price, repair and clean donated merchandise.

Megan Johnson – Federal Way, WA

Click here to watch Megan's video.

Megan Johnson has accomplished more in her 19 years than most do in a lifetime.  Though she endured 27 surgeries to correct a facial disorder, she has worked tirelessly to help those less fortunate in her community.  She is the founder of Kids Helping Kids, an organization that collects and distributes DVDs to the patients in children’s hospitals; From the Heart, an organization that makes and distributes blankets for babies affected by drugs or poverty; and Megan’s Mission, an organization that gives out blankets and other necessities to the homeless to remind them that they are not forgotten.  She has donated much of her own money to various causes, from the local homeless shelter to victims of Hurricane Katrina.

Peggy LaPorte – Federal Way, WA

Click here to watch Peggy's video.

In 1993, Peggy LaPorte recognized a need to help the homeless in South King County and founded FUSION.  Seventeen years later, FUSION operates under Peggy’s guidance with an all-volunteer staff of over 200 to provide transitional housing to those in need.  The organization owns 16 units.  Peggy’s tireless pursuit of government grants, corporate sponsorships, private donations and volunteers testifies to her tenacity.  Her organization has become a nationally-recognized non-profit, and has changed the lives of over 165 families by providing them with a secure environment and clear goals to help them get back on their feet.

Jim Theofelis – Seattle, WA

Click here to watch Jim's video.

Jim Theofelis founded the Mockingbird Society in 2001, an organization that empowers youth in foster care to advocate for themselves.  The goal of the Mockingbird Society is simple, yet innovative: Ask the youth who are in the foster care and kinship care system what can be done to improve it, and bring their voices to bear on social justice and change.  The Mockingbird Society has gone from a small non-profit operating out of an office underneath the University Bridge, to a statewide organization of youth in every region, who advocate for themselves in their community and at the state level.  His work has directly affected the lives of many youths in need, and has had a direct impact on legislation at both the state and federal level.

Thanks to -

The Jefferson Awards honors ordinary people who do extraordinary things for others. Initiated in 1972 to create a “Nobel Prize” for public service, awards are presented both nationally and locally. Join us to recognize Washington’s “unsung heroes” and to inspire volunteerism in our local communities. For more information about the national Jefferson Awards program, visit www.JeffersonAwards.org.

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