Madison County officials honored Riverbend Family Ministries (RFM) with the Model Leadership Through Service Award in the Organization category. The award was received during the M.I.C. (Model Innovative County) Summit hosted by Madison County Community Development at the Lewis and Clark Nelson Campus in Edwardsville. Madison County Treasurer, Chris Slusser introduced Executive Director of RFM, Tammy Iskarous and honored her with the award.
“I’m honored to introduce Tammy and honor her with this award because they’ve been serving the Madison County area for ten years now and have become a wonderful resource to this community,” said Slusser. “I feel blessed that I had the opportunity to see them open their doors for the first time and serve on the board as their chairman in their beginning stages – and now, it has come full circle for me to honor them today.”
Riverbend Family Ministries provides resources and training for smaller non-profit organizations in the Madison County area. They work together under one roof, providing families and individuals the tools they need to be self-sufficient. Their collaborative method focuses on holistic efforts for children, youth and families who’ve experienced trauma, most often due to violence, addiction, poverty and homelessness.
“Before we opened our doors in downtown Wood River, I had a vision to house small non-profits under one roof so we could collectively serve the needs of our families in crisis,” said Iskarous. “We call everyone that walks into our doors family. We do that because a family is always there for you, in good times, and bad without judgement. We are more than honored to accept this award and feel very blessed to serve the people of Madison County.”
Madison County Chairman, Kurt Prenzler and his team decided to nominate Riverbend Family Ministries for the Model Leadership Through Service Award this year because of their innovative ways of thinking.
“We chose Riverbend Family Ministries because they put action behind what they do,” said Prenzler. “Even though they know they cannot depend on the state for funding, it doesn’t stop their perseverance, in fact, it challenges them to do more and be more innovative. Madison County appreciates how giving they are and the example they’re setting for others.’
Riverbend Family Ministries has 15 board members on their board of directors. The current Board Chairman, Wiley Davis says the entire board is excited for this award and that it makes them even more motivated to look into the future of RFM.
“Riverbend Family Ministries exemplifies community leadership through service to children, youth and families in need,” said Davis. “They take a holistic approach to mending broken lives. It is in close partnership with other agencies that specialize in training and counseling; providing necessary skills to get lives back on track. I am proud to be part of this organization and the work being done by Tammy, the board, the staff and the volunteers on behalf our community.”
Riverbend Family Ministries receives Leadership Through Service Award