IMRF Honors Vermilion County Retiree's Therapeutic Healing Approach
Fifth of seven volunteers to be honored by IMRF during 2015
The Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF) announced today that it is recognizing retiree Marilyn Campbell for her important volunteer work in Danville, Illinois. Campbell is the fifth of seven volunteers IMRF will honor in 2015.
All seven were nominated for recognition as part of IMRF’s Year of the Volunteer contest, which spotlights volunteerism within IMRF’s membership. IMRF will celebrate all seven volunteers in December at its Oak Brook headquarters, and announce one “Volunteer of the Year.” A staff donation of $1,000 will be made to the winner's preferred service organization.
“Ms. Campbell is a wonderful example of an IMRF retiree who, through service, is making a difference in the community.” IMRF Executive Director Louis W. Kosiba
Campbell, a Danville resident, is a retiree of the Vermillion County Conservation District. In the past 20 years, Campbell has certified over 200 dogs for therapy work. Now, partnered with her collie, Hannah, Campbell has been visiting the Danville Veteran’s Administration (VA) Medical Facility every week since 2014 to spend time with the many veterans. The duo can be found in individual wards and mental health units at the hospital, as well as the two independent living facilities on the campus.
“We began doing this last summer and have built a nice relationship with the men and women who live at the hospital, as well as staff members,” Campbell explains. “Many of the vets call her ‘Lassie,’ but Hannah doesn’t care as long as they pet her!”
IMRF Executive Director Louis W. Kosiba congratulated Campbell for her tireless efforts to help others. "Ms. Campbell is a wonderful example of an IMRF retiree who, through service, is making a difference in the community,” Kosiba said. “Her story is an inspiration to others to volunteer their time to help others.”
The Illinois Senate has declared 2015 the "Year of the Volunteer" in Illinois. The statewide initiative - sponsored by dozens of Illinois organizations including the Serve Illinois Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service, Generations Serving Generations, and the Illinois Department on Aging - aims to increase volunteerism and strengthen Illinois' network of service organizations. IMRF is supporting the effort through promoting the "Year of the Volunteer" and available service opportunities; through an online survey that is gathering data on volunteerism in Illinois; and through IMRF's "Year of the Volunteer" story profile contest.
About IMRF
The Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF) was created by the Illinois General Assembly. Since 1941, IMRF has partnered with local units of government to provide retirement, disability and death benefits for public employees. With a funded status of about 93.1 percent and nearly $34.7 billion in assets, IMRF is well-funded and sustainable. Today, IMRF has more than 405,000 members and serves nearly 3,000 different units of government, including towns and villages, libraries and park districts, and counties and school districts (non-teaching personnel). The average member who retired in 2014 is receiving a monthly pension of $1,439. For more information, visit www.imrf.org.
