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Sid Granet Awards

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Sid Granet Awards

Sid Granet was the Executive Director of the Western Illinois Area Agency on Aging from 1975 until his death in 1987. His philosophy was to Be all you can be. In Sid’s own words, “In times of great economic stress and community pressure, it's easy for a social service agency (or individual) to focus on the negative. Taking these negatives and turning them into positives is the biggest challenge facing us today. An agency (or individual) must learn to focus on what can instead of what can't be done.”

The Sid Granet Award was created in his honor, and are awarded once each year at the the annual Governor’s Conference on Aging in Chicago.

If you know of a worthy recipient or group, please send us email by using the link at the bottom of this page.

The 2007 Sid Granet award winners are–

Charles Johnson, Director, Illinois Department on Aging is honored for his many decades of service to provide community-based and in-home services for senior adults in Illinois. Formerly the Executive Director of Northeastern Illinois Area Agency on Aging before being appointed Director of the Illinois Department on Aging, Mr. Johnson has worked most of his adult life to help senior adults remain independent and in their own homes for as long as possible.

White Crane Wellness Center (Chicago) is honored for their continued dedication to working with the Area Agency on Aging serving Suburban Cook County on a number of health initiatives. White Crane promotes disease prevention programming for older adults in 130 municipalities in the suburbs of Chicago. White Crane provides a comprehensive, holistic, community-based approach to chronic disease prevention. White Crane also helped implement the Chronic Disease Self-Management Program to empower older adults and give them tools to reduce the negative impact chronic disease has on lives. White Crane Wellness Center has reduced the negative impact of ill health in thousands of people throughout the suburbs of Chicago.

Volunteers of Hanover Township Senior Services (Bartlett) for their continued dedication to help seniors maintain an independent lifestyle within the community along with a sense of belonging and joy of living. They give older and active adults an array of opportunities to volunteer. Currently, the township has 230 giving individuals who participate in community projects such as helping prepare tax returns, deliver meals, prescription drug assistance, and the new P.A.L. Program which helps seniors in need of companionship. Many of the senior volunteers also act as teacher aides in elementary school, operate a gift shop in the senior center, work to prevent fraud through the IL Attorney General’s Senior Sleuth Program, and work on projects to benefit hospitals, hospice and other community partners. Last year, the volunteers performed over 17,000 hours dedicated to various projects.