Mayor Joe Hogsett recognized six Mayor’s Community Service awardees and their time dedicated toward the betterment of the city at a ceremony Wednesday night.
“It is the selflessness and compassion of people like this year’s awardees that make Indianapolis so great,” Hogsett said. “Each of these dedicated community servants saw our city’s challenges and turned them into opportunities to help their fellow neighbors.”
Each recipient’s name will be engraved on bricks and added to the Mayor’s Volunteer Plaza at the Canal Walk.
First introduced in 1993, the Mayor’s Community Service Awards recognize and honor community members who volunteer time and talent to the city. Each year, the Mayor’s Office partners with the Presidents Roundtable to select the honorees.
This year, the following were recognized:
- Dominic Collins for his work with initiatives like Rebuilding Together and Circle of Lights. Collins is a mentor for Indy youth, avid volunteer with local organizations, coach for youth sports and spearheads backpack drives for children in need.
- Elizabeth Conley for her work in civil service in Lead the Challenge, which fosters inclusivity for children with disabilities. Conley has worked with the Indy Parks and Recreation Department and was previously the Governor’s Summer Intern at the Indiana Office of Technology.
- Yvette Markey for her work as an advocate and community leader. Markey has served as the executive director for InTouch Outreach Resource Center, a resource for peer recovery in the community.
- Andrew L. Peñalva for his work in education and workforce development for Latino students and professionals in Indiana. Peñalva is the director of workforce development at the Indiana Latino Institute where he leads programs for education and career pathways.
- Heather Savage for her work amplifying Black youth voices and pushing for positive change through Let Them Talk Indy and the Community Alliance of the Far Eastside. Savage is a board member with Indy Pride and works with the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority.
- Najia Sherzad Hoshmand for her work as CEO and founder of the Afghan Community Center, which provides support, community and advocacy for Afghan refugees.
For more information, visit indy.gov/activity/msca.
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Contact Health & Environmental Reporter Hanna Rauworth at 317-762-7854 or follow her on Instagram at @hanna.rauworth.
