In honor of National Volunteer Week, Fishers celebrates the dedicated individuals who have donated their time and talent to our community with our 2021 City of Service Awards celebration. Winners were nominated by the community and selected by the Fishers City Council through a blind process.
Meet the winners through our blog posts this week, and check out our website to see all of the winners and nominees.
Meet Jennifer Miller, Non-profit Staff of the Year Winner
Jennifer Miller won the Non-profit Staff of the Year award for her work at the Shepherd’s Center of Hamilton County, who worked on the Crisis Response Plan and with the HAND organization on the first low-income housing for domestic violence victims in the county.
The purpose of this award is to honor a Fishers non-profit staff member who went above and beyond their non-profit staff duties and has had a significant impact on community at large in 2020.
What motivates or inspires you to serve your community?
My motivation to serve the community is directly linked to the intrinsic reward I feel when helping others.
When you joined to assist with the Crisis Response Plan, did you anticipate still being a part of the team today?
I did not think that I would still be with Shepherd’s Center after we closed out the grants directly related to our crisis response. However, the organization’s client base grew and staff’s time was further divided by the addition of our new Guardianship Program. I was able to step into the “gap” and support our team in their work.
Which of your accomplishments are you most proud of or feel made the biggest difference in the community?
While working with HAND, we were able to complete a housing development that offered the first low-income housing for domestic violence victims in the county in a unique partnership with Prevail.
What do you most enjoy about being a part of the Shepherd’s Center?
Shepherd’s Center of Hamilton County has a wonderful team of people who work around the clock to provide that best advocacy for adults in the second half of life. I relish the opportunity I have to support their efforts to bring independence and dignity to our client’s lives.
What advice would you give someone looking to give back to their community?
Just give. You have so much more to offer than you realize, and the sense of well-being and accomplishment will always be with you.
What do you hope to accomplish through your service in 2021?
This is a bittersweet question to ask anyone working for a nonprofit. While we take pride in the number of individuals we serve, we also wish that there was not a need for our services; that the issues that motivate our existence were not present. My greatest accomplishment has already occurred. I work with amazing people who do amazing things for the unseen in our community.
Cassidy Robertson is a former Community Engagement and PR Intern for the City of Fishers. She enjoys shopping and eating local in downtown Fishers, and in her spare time, she loves working on puzzles and reading a good book. She also enjoys playing with her three dogs and loves watching Fishers continue to develop both as an economic and social hub.