Link to article by Margaret Christopherson Lafayette Journal & Courier

LAFAYETTE, Ind. − United Way of Greater Lafayette celebrated 100 years of volunteers this week with an awards ceremony.

Imogene Faught, a 94-year-old Lafayette-area volunteer, was shocked this week when she was honored with United Way’s lifetime of service award. 

Dozens of volunteers with the organization’s partners were recognized with certificates while a few specially chosen volunteers were given trophies for their above-and-beyond volunteer work.

Marcile Eddy Shining Light Award

Arguably the most notable award of the ceremony was the Marcile Eddy Shining Light Award.

Lafayette’s United Way CEO David Bathe explained the significance of this award.

“Marcile Eddy, some of you may have known Marcile, she was known as the founder of the Greater Lafayette Volunteer Bureau,” Bathe said. “She was dubbed as being the heart and soul of volunteerism in Greater Lafayette.

This award was presented to Faught, who has volunteered in the community since 1982.

Faught has volunteered in Tippecanoe County and in her winter home of Florida for more than 40 years. She spends time with Miami Elementary School, her local church and daycare work. Faught said she has no plans on stopping her volunteer work any time soon.

“As long as the Lord keeps me healthy, I’ll just still be any service serving others,” Faught said.

A history of volunteerism

Sean Lutes, president of Lafayette’s Historical Preservation Commission, opened the ceremony with a history of some well-known volunteers from the past, including Helen Gougar, whose volunteer work paved the way for the women’s suffrage movement.

“By the 1870s, the matter of suffrage, to extend the rights of votes to women, became quite important to Helen,” Lutes said. “Upon learning the death of a mother … from domestic violence, and because it happened within marriage, legal recourse was extremely limited.

Volunteer awards

Volunteers were recognized for the effort they put toward the community. Organizations that were recognized for their volunteers included:

• Joyful Journey
• National Alliance of Mental Illness of West Central Indiana
• The Salvation Army
• Food Finders Food Bank
• Meals on Wheels Greater Lafayette
• Lafayette Transitional Housing Center homeless services
• Tippecanoe County Health Department
• Legal Aid Corp.
• Franciscan Health
• Millie’s Mission Inc.
• The Arc of Tippecanoe
• YWCA Greater Lafayette