The Senior Millage Allocation Committee, with support from the Board of Commissioners, has awarded the 2022 Joanne Konkle Achievement in Senior Services Awards to Chuck Asher, Chief Operations Officer for Community Action, and Cathie Davids, a long-time Meals on Wheels volunteer for Milestone Senior Services. This year, Calhoun County Senior Services is recognizing two people—an outstanding professional who is retiring at the end of the year and a volunteer who has delivered Meals on Wheels a few times a week for over a decade.
The awards were presented at a reception honoring them before the Board of Commissioners meeting on Thursday, August 4. Then the awardees were recognized with resolutions at the Board of Commissioners meeting following the reception.
Chuck Asher, Community Action’s Chief Operations Officer, is receiving the 2022 Joanne Konkle award in recognition of his professional service to older adults. Chuck Asher is recognized for his problem solving and willingness to go above and beyond the requirements of his role at Community Action. He started his encore career with Community Action twelve years ago as a part-time driver for the Senior Transportation program and has progressively increased his responsibility for delivering and administering programs for Community Action. Prior to joining the staff at Community Action, he spent twenty-five years as a firefighter with the Battle Creek Fire Department, retiring as a Lieutenant. Click here for the nominating video about Chuck Asher from Community Action.
Cathie Davids, a longtime Meals on Wheels volunteer is receiving the award to recognize her volunteer service. Cathie’s meal delivery route is in the Post Addition in Battle Creek, the neighborhood where she raised her children. Cathie Davids has been an extraordinary volunteer for Milestone Senior Services' Meals on Wheels since 2012, delivering meals at least three times a week. She continued to deliver throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, recognizing the importance of the service she provides and the vulnerability of the population other older adults receiving home delivered meals. In addition to her work for the Meals on Wheels program, she also volunteers for Charitable Union and sews quilts for children. Cathie is an active member of her church and started volunteering after her husband died to get more active serving the community. At age 93, Cathie is a role model in healthy aging and community involvement. Click here for a video about Cathie from Milestone Senior Services.
The Senior Millage Allocation Committee is a 13-member volunteer board which oversees the administration of Calhoun County Senior Millage. Renewed for ten years in 2020, Senior Millage funds 20 programs to serve older adults, age 60 and over including important programs administered by nonprofit organizations, Community Action and Milestone Senior Services.
This award recognizes sustained community service to Calhoun County older adults, age 60 and over, by professionals and volunteers. It was established in 2017 to honor the lifetime work of Joanne Konkle (1934-2018) who retired as the Administrator of the Calhoun County Medical Care Facility after 19 years in 2003, and then gave many years of exceptional volunteer service to the Calhoun County Senior Millage Allocation Committee, the Forks Senior Center in Albion, and the Marian Burch Adult Day Care Center in Battle Creek. When Joanne started her career in Social Work, she helped establish the Marian Burch Adult Day Care by writing a grant to the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. In the 1970s, Joanne was a Calhoun County Board Commissioner. This award recognizes professionals and volunteers who have provided service to the aged that have followed Joanne Konkle’ s example of providing public service with compassion, commitment, and generosity.
