Self Help Enterprises honors clients, volunteers at annual banquet

ROCK FALLS – Self Help Enterprises, Sterling, celebrated its Client Awards Banquet on Wednesday, honoring its volunteers, partners and clients at a luncheon at the McCormick Event Center in Rock Falls.

Self Help Executive Director Pam Fluck presented awards in several categories to clients, and awarded pins marking years of service. The pins were given for milestones reached in 2021, 2022 and 2023, as the last banquet was held three years ago.

Awards and their recipients include:

• Mary Judd Award: Kelli Poggnesee and Jim Svoboda. The award is given to an individual who has proved that a good attitude makes a big difference.
• Harry Dixon Award: Kenny Wright is the 2023 Production recipient. Tim Hurd is the 2023 Programming recipient. The award recognizes an individual who has excelled in the production area and another who has excelled at programming.
• Wheelchair Award: Joe Long. This award is given in memory of Susie Hopper, who was Miss Wheelchair of Illinois in 1980 and 1981.
• Walter Gronner Best Worker Award: Patty Salmon and Marcus Sleck. This award is presented to someone with an inner drive to be the best they can be.
• Doris Hammett Award: Doris Clark and Ontario “Mooka” Allen. Hammett was a member of the Self Help Board of Directors for many years. The award is given to someone who, desite the adversity they face, continues to exhibit a positive attitude day in and day out.
• John Stern Leadership Award: Jimmy Booth. This award is presented to the man that most displays leadership to all of Self Help’s clients and staff.
• Carla Haubrich Leadership Award: Sabrina Linton. The award is presented to the woman who displays leadership to all of Self Help’s clients and staff. Haubrich died in 2020. This was the first Leadership Award presented in Haubrich’s name.
• Frances Bragg Award: Whitney Cushing, Christin Smith and Jason O’Neil. The award is given to those who display perseverance, never give up and show concern and love for their fellow workers.
• Developmental Training Award: Ramona Coffin and Kenny Coy.
• Happy Go Lucky Award: Kayla Baeza. The award is given to the person who brightens everyone’s day and has a smile for all.
• Volunteer of the Year Award: Roger Meiers. Meiers works daily with clients in the greenhouse, showing them what it takes to grow flowers and vegetables and how to care for them.
• 2023 Community Partner of the Year Award: The Sterling Park District, which has allowed Self Help to use their facilities for organized activities. The clients have used the basketball courts and weight machines, and played kickball among many activities there.
• The GOAT [Greatest of All Time] Award: Ontario “Mooka” Allen. This award goes to a client who went above and beyond in one way or another. Staff members nominate one client each month, and it is from those nominations that an honoree is chosen. Those nominated alongside Allen were Marcus Sleck, Whitney Cushing, Jimmy Booth, Kenny Wright, Kelly Poggnesee, Virginia Wood and Ramona Coffin.

Self Help is a 58-year-old agency that serves individuals with disabilities by providing employment, residential services, community day services, early intervention programs, community-based events, and home-based services, according to its website. It was incorporated on July 16, 1965, originating in the basement of the Rock Falls Presbyterian Church with five physically disabled individuals. They made birdhouses and sold them in the community.

The Rev. James Crangle, founder of the agency, gradually found other work and they were able to rent space in an old dairy on East Third Street, and from there, moved to 609 W. Third St., Sterling. In 1979, Self Help was awarded a federal grant to construct its existing building. This space has been added on to three different times, and a recycling building has been erected at the edge of the west parking lot. Throughout its history, Self Help has been driven to “Turn Challenges into Opportunities.”