ADOPTED - MARCH 28, 2006

Agenda Item No. 6

Introduced by the County Services Committee of the:

INGHAM COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

RESOLUTION CONGRATULATING MELISSA AUSTIN ON RECEIVING THE 2006 BEA CHRISTY/VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR AWARD

RESOLUTION #06-068

WHEREAS, Melissa Austin, despite numerous personal challenges this past year, is serving her fourth year as president to an active neighborhood organization, is president of one school’s band booster group while in charge of school uniforms for another school’s band, is a board member to two other neighborhood groups, and volunteers consistently for events and projects; and

WHEREAS, Melissa hosts cook outs after school for band kids that do not have the time to go home to eat before practice each Wednesday during marching season, September to October; she also wrote grants to purchase new rain gear for the band and received grant funding to purchase an enclosed trailer to haul the band equipment across town and to competitions out of town and out of state; and

WHEREAS, Melissa works with area kids in many ways, she has written a grant that helped setup scholarships for three low income/at risk neighborhood children to be able to attend band camp which resulted in three additional scholarships being donated by people in the community; and

WHEREAS, she secured a grant for a summer tutoring program to help three low income/at risk children improve their math and computer skills/knowledge, and also arranged for five students to receive gift cards that allowed them to purchase much needed school clothes; and

WHEREAS, as a participant in the Lansing Neighborhood Council’s Neighborhoods N’ Bloom program, Melissa received grant money to build planters that helped in the beautification of Kalamazoo Street; and

WHEREAS, Melissa Austin is the recipient of the 2006 Bea Christy/Lansing Neighborhood Volunteer of the Year Award.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Ingham County Board of Commissioners hereby congratulates Melissa Austin on receiving the 2006 Bea Christy Award and extends its sincere appreciation for the many contributions she has made to the citizens of Ingham County.

COUNTY SERVICES:  Yeas:  De Leon, Holman, Copedge, Severino, Vickers

Nays:   None         Absent:  Schor    Approved 3/21/06