TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — The Hamilton Center Inc. has announced its 2024 Hamilton Award Winners.
On Tuesday October 22, the organization held its annual Hamilton Awards Dinner at the Sycamore Banquet Center on Indiana State University’s campus.
The dinner is a way for community partners and organizations to come together and celebrate the nominees. Hamilton Awards are given to individuals and organizations who have significantly contributed to the cause of mental health and addiction in the community.
“In terms of dealing with humans. Humans do like to be appreciated. So, that is one of the reasons why we like doing this. And we want our consumers to know that we appreciate them. We want our employees to know that we appreciate them, and of course the community. So that’s why it’s important,” said Melvin L Burks, Hamilton Center Inc. Ceo/President.
Tonight’s winners include:
Community Winner: John Plasse, (given posthumously), former Vigo County Sheriff: Plasse spent over 33 years in Vigo County law enforcement as a Police Chief and later as Sheriff. He also spent equally as long serving our country, retiring as a sergeant major with the 38th Infantry Division in the Indiana Army National Guard. Sheriff Plasse was a true community servant, devoting his time to numerous organizations including the Board of Directors at Hamilton Center. In the words of his nominator, John Plasse was a great leader, worked with integrity and was always focused on the goal of bettering others and protecting the community.
Volunteer winner: Rebecca Johnson. Rebecca is all about “paying it forward”. She used her past life experience to assist others struggling with addiction and working towards recovery. She was a past participant in the Parke County Drug Court. Since her graduation from the program, she has been dedicated to assisting others on their recovery journey. She leads the Celebrate Recovery meetings in Parke County two night a week and serves as a mentor and support to many. She sponsors several people going through the program showing up at court with enthusiasm, support and compassion.
Youth Winner: Bring Change to Mind, North Vigo High School: This organization empowers students to advocate for mental health awareness to help create a more empathetic and stigma free school environment. Bring Change to Mind is an evidenced based student led club available to all students. Terre Haute North’s club encourages youth to take a proactive approach to mental health and self-care while equipping club members as emerging peer advocates with the tools and skills to create real change in their communities. Representing the club were Amanda Higgins, Valeri Kershaw, and several club officers.
Staff Winner: William Kennedy, Peer Recovery Specialist: Kenndy has only been at Hamilton Center since June of this year but has already made a tremendous impact on so many lives. He is always the first person to offer help, no matter the situation taking his job very serious and understanding the importance of the work. He finds positive light in some of the darkest situations and treats all consumers with dignity, respect and compassion. He works tirelessly to facilitate services and find placement for those struggling with addiction issues and uses his own past experiences to connect on a deeper level with the consumers he serves.
2024 Frank W. Jerse Award Winner: Dennis Weber: Weber is a retired mathematics teacher and football coach. Weber is a resident of Clinton, IN and a graduate of Indiana State University. He spent close to 40 years teaching mathematics at the high school level and coached football at North Vermillion, South Vermillion and Terre Haute South Vigo. He is a role model to students and athletes; Many students looked up to him and he always wanted students to achieve both on the field and off.
