Our area's local Jefferson Award winners were honored at a banquet held in downtown Lima.
The awards were handed out to the winners, and they were given a chance to speak about the time that they have given to their communities and the people living there. They were also given $350 to go towards supporting their charity of choice.
An overall winner was also announced at the banquet - and that was Paul Bonifas for his work with Habitat for Humanity. He says he's honored by the recognition and hopes people will be inspired by his and the other winners' stories, and in turn, will begin giving their own time to volunteer.
"It’s just such a great feeling to be a volunteer, to give back, and not expect anything back in return and so, to do that is such a great feeling," said Bonifas. "For everybody out there, just find somewhere to volunteer because there are so many great organizations in our area you can volunteer for."
The national Jefferson Awards will be held this June in Indianapolis, Indiana.
