The annual Callaway Chamber of Commerce Banquet honored several local businesses and groups, including the Fulton Rotary Club and the Fulton Afghan Resettlement Committee for their efforts in assisting Afghan refugees.
The Fulton Rotary Club and the Fulton Afghan Resettlement Committee were awarded the J.H. Atkinson Award at last Thursday's banquet.
The J.H. Atkinson Award was first authorized in 1967. It is named in honor of Jack H. Atkinson, who was a community leader and beloved citizen of Callaway County.
To receive this award, the recipient must be a Callaway County resident and have made a unique contribution to the community. This contribution must be an activity not common to the recipient's career.
For an organization to receive the award, it must have made a contribution to the community that is not routine. The contribution must also have been made on a voluntary basis.
The Fulton Rotary Club and the Fulton Afghan Resettlement Committee have worked to provide housing for Afghan refugees. They initially helped three families resettle to Fulton, and then helped two more families. Two of the families moved out of Fulton and one more moved in, with a total of four new Afghan families in Fulton.
Members of the committee have helped refugees to find jobs and enroll children in schools. The Dollar General Distribution Center assisted the committee by offering jobs to the refugees. The Afghan refugees are currently employed at Fulton State Hospital.
The Fulton Rotary Club and the Fulton Afghan Resettlement Committee are currently working to provide housing to a 14-member Afghan family. The Habitat for Humanity in Jefferson City is helping them build the house on land which was donated to the committee.
The Loyal Subject Award was presented to Bruce Hackmann. One of the key criteria that seperates this award from the J.H. Atkinson Award is the "contributions/service must demonstrate individual's commitment, love, appreciation and loyalty to Callaway County," according to a release from the Callaway Chamber of Commerce.
This award does not have to awarded annually if no one qualifies for it.
The Large Business of the Year Award was presented to Hitachi Energy. To qualify for this award, the nominee must have demonstrated one or more of the following characteristics: revenue growth and/or job growth, annual revenue of two million or more, innovative products or services, encourages and provides professional development of staff, volunteers in Callaway County, and provides exemplary customer service, according to a release.
The Small Business of the Year Award was presented to Callaway Custom Printing. Businesses that are recognized as the Member of the Month throughout the year are nominated for this award. To be recognized as the Member of the Month, a business must being involved in the Chamber and have "outstanding customer and community service," according to a release.
The Allen Connor Youth Award was presented to Ava's Avengers. This award is named after Allen Connor, who is involved in the Chamber and other community activities. The Allen Connor Youth Award is given to a high school student or youth organization to recognize them for their community service or dedication to Callaway County.
The Ambassador of the Year was presented to Andrea Bedrosian. This award is given to an ambassador that is highly involved in the Chamber and other local community activities, according to a release. The recipient also must have a high level of dedication to Fulton or Callaway County.
The Chamber Leadership Award was presented to Jamie Oestreich. This award is given to "individuals or businesses which have made consistent contributions to further the work of the Callaway Chamber of Commerce," a release states.
The Innovative Teacher's Grant Award was presented to Bethany Livell and Alexandria Shaffer. This award is given to two Callaway County teachers who applied for the Callaway Chamber of Commerce's Teacher Appreciation Breakfast Innovative Educational Grant Scholarships. The award is co-sponsored by Westminster College and William Woods University, and provides two $500 grants.
Livell is an early childhood special education teacher at North Callaway R-1 School District and T-Bird Learning Center, according to a release. Shaffer is a first grade teacher at New Bloomfield Elementary.