GREENFIELD — Sandy Miller and Vernon Township are this year’s recipients of the Healthy Community Awards presented by the Hancock Health Foundation.
The awards were presented Dec. 14 at the foundation’s annual holiday party at the Bradley Hall events center in Greenfield.
The foundation has presented the annual awards since 2014, recognizing those who make a positive impact on the community.
Vernon Township won the Bobby Keen Healthy Community Award, named in honor of Hancock Regional Hospital’s former president and CEO. Each year, the award recognizes a hospital program or local organization whose efforts create positive change in the health of local communities.
Miller won the Bert Curry Healthy Community Award, named in honor of the Health Foundation’s first executive director.
The current director, Allyson Smith, said the award is given to an individual “for exemplary and innovative efforts to create positive change in the health of our community.”
Miller has served on the health foundation’s board of directors. She chairs its Signature Gifts Committee and serves on the Women Helping Women Committee. She’s also a board member at the Community Foundation of Hancock County, where Smith said she’s been instrumental in setting up the Women’s Resource Center.
Sandy also serves on the board of the Greenfield Central School Foundation and Talitha Koum Recovery House. She’s a member of the Upsilon Chapter of Tri Kappa, Bradley United Methodist Church and Hancock County Herb Society, and is president of the Friends of the Theater.
Miller was nominated by Susie Broome and Kathy Locke, who commended her for her commitment to the community and her generosity with her time and talents.
The women said that Miller, a lifelong Greenfield resident and retired attorney, has devoted her time to make Greenfield and Hancock County a great place in which to live, work and raise a family.
By winning the award, Miller received a $1,000 donation for the charity of her choice. She chose the the Talitha Koum Women’s Recovery House, a sober living facility in Greenfield.
Smith commended both Miller and Vernon Township for their service to the community.
EXPECT THE EXTRAORDINARY
Vernon Township was recognized for “tremendous growth and accomplishments” since undergoing significant changes in the past five years.
The township founded a professional fire department in 2019 and formed a n EMS Division and Fire Territory in 2020.
Smith said the organization has also focused on serving mental health needs in collaboration with Hancock Health, helping with the county crisis team and training staff in mental health first aid.
The township is also growing a community garden to help fulfill the fruit and vegetable needs in the community. Partnering with their local food pantry, the garden provides weekly donations of fresh food.
The township has also engaged the public with CPR and child seat trainings, public safety programs in Mt. Vernon Schools and coordinating CASA care bags for Hancock County youth.
The township was nominated by trustee Florence May, Vernon Township board member Marybeth Sears and local fire chief Mark Elder, who stated in their nomination: “As a high growth area of our community, our township needed a vision to provide for the health and well being of its more than 20,000 residents. These achievements would typically take a decade or more to attain, but Vernon Township has done it all in less than 5 years.”
The township received a $1,000 donation with the Bobby Keen Healthy Community Award.
The Healthy365 Connection Center was also nominated for the award.
Nominees for the Bert Curry Healthy Community Award included Dr. Lori Deemer, Mandy Gray, Shelby Sweet and Dr. Georgia Knotek, DDS.
”All of this year’s nominees are wonderful examples of people working together to make a positive change in the health of our community,” said Smith.
