THE STELLA STEWART AWARD
The Neighborhood Alliance, Peoria, Illinois, respectfully nominates:
Bernadine Nolan
for the
2012 Stella Stewart Doing Good in the Neighborhood Award
Bernadine Nolan's efforts have had a reverberating effect from her street to her neighborhood, and finally to her City of Peoria, Illinois. This native born and educated Peorian has served as secretary, treasurer, and president of the Columbia Terrace North Neighborhood Association, which represents 273 homes. Bernadine's activities on her street depict the true meaning of the slogan "Doing Good in the Neighborhood." She invites the school children to wait for the bus on her porch rather than stand in the cold. Bernadine also mentors many children and youth by giving them games to play and giving them flowers to take home to their parents.
Bernadine's impact and influence moved from the street to the neighborhood where she and her husband played a leadership role in the development of a neighborhood park on land donated by a local doctor. They worked with their neighbors to clear the area of trees, landscaped it, and built a gazebo. The Nolans bought a garage and moved it to the site and remodeled it into a meeting place with a kitchen, bathrooms, and other amenities. Over 250 people attended the dedication in 2007 of the Nolan Community Center. This Center is frequently in use by the neighborhood association and other community groups.
Other neighborhood associations seek out Bernadine for her ability to unite groups. She finds herself working with Olde Towne South Neighborhood Association and other projects such as the Great American Cleanup, Drug Market Intervention Initiative, Night Out Against Crime, Armstrong Ellis and University East Crime Prevention Programs, Med Tech Advisory Board, West Bluff Council (composed of seven neighborhoods), and raising funds for the RNNC.
Bernadine is a member of the Peoria Neighborhood Alliance and has served as the chairperson for the Annual Neighborhood Leadership Awards Banquet. At the 2011 Neighborhood Leadership Awards Banquet, Bernadine received the Mayor's Award for her tireless efforts over a number of years that resulted in a positive change in the quality of life in her neighborhood and the whole City of Peoria. She served on the Mayor's Housing Commission and the Mayor's Litter Committee where she participates in at least 12 cleanups per year throughout the five council districts in the City. Bernadine has attended the RNNC from 2002-2011.