Lifetime Achievement Winner: Georgia Sales

Georgia has dedicated 42 years to the Information and Referral (I&R) field, becoming a pioneer in human services indexing systems. Her significant contribution includes helping to create the 211 LA Taxonomy of Human Services, a comprehensive digital indexing system with over 11,000 terms that serves as the national standard. Georgia's expertise and innovation in structuring these systems have greatly advanced the practice of I&R.

In addition to her technical contributions, Georgia has actively served on several AIRS/Inform USA Committees, including the Standards, Taxonomy, and Executive Committees, and held the position of Secretary on the AIRS Board of Directors for many years. Her detailed record-keeping and leadership have been invaluable. Georgia's work has had a lasting impact beyond her organization, 211 LA County, and her compassionate approach has left an enduring legacy in the field.

Person of the Year Winners

This award is given to I&R staff within our three core certification types that exemplify community resource specialist excellence!

Melynda Sampson - CRS  

Melynda has a hybrid CRS/CRS-DC position where she answers calls and curates the database resources in addition to actively performing community outreach in the 5 counties she covers.

Carlos Davila - CRS-AD

Carlos exemplifies the mission of USAging. Carlos goes above and beyond to identify resources to best meet the needs of the client he is assisting and seeks out ongoing training to expand his knowledge.

Hannah Newton - CRS-DC

Hannah's knowledge of the field is encyclopedic. Her participation as a member of national committees and willingness to help others is invaluable.

Innovation Award Winners

Early in the year, organizations are invited to submit applications sharing their accomplishments. There are FIVE potential winners – one for each area of the Inform USA Standards. For our purposes, an innovation is “a change that makes a difference.”

Sometimes, a small but elegant adjustment significantly improves something. Other times, it might involve executing a bold and complicated plan. 

Cooperative Relationships:

Council on Aging of Southwestern Ohio

The Council on Aging (COA) of Southwestern Ohio expanded its call center by partnering with a county government on its "513 Relief Bus," a mobile medical and social services unit developed and operated by the county. This initiative allows COA specialists to provide in-person aging-related information and services, collaborating with other social-service organizations. Since January 2023, the COA has reached over 372 individuals through this innovative approach.

Disaster Preparedness:

Senior Resource Alliance (SRA)

The Senior Resource Alliance (SRA), Central Florida’s Area Agency on Aging, developed a Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan (CEMP) to address the unique challenges seniors face during disasters. When Hurricane Ian caused historic flooding in 2022, displacing over 100 seniors in Osceola County, SRA provided crucial relief. Partnering with various organizations, they relocated seniors to a resort, supplied meals with Second Harvest Food Bank, set up an on-site clinic, distributed health monitoring devices, organized holiday celebrations, and ensured all seniors safely transitioned back into permanent housing.

Operational Effectiveness:

Services and Housing In the Province (SHIP)

In response to ongoing racial injustice and police violence toward Black and marginalized communities, SHIP reevaluated its approach to equity, diversity, inclusion, and anti-racism in June 2020. In 2021, SHIP collaborated with Canadian Equality Consultants (CEC) to assess their readiness for action through staff consultations, focus groups, interviews, policy reviews, and benchmarking. This process identified several steps to enhance an inclusive and equitable culture. SHIP’s Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Anti-Racism (IDEA) Framework underpins their vision of attracting diverse staff and creating programs that meet the evolving needs of the communities they serve.

Service Delivery:

211 LA 

To address hate and discrimination, Los Angeles County launched comprehensive hotline reporting, care coordination services, and community initiatives to educate the public, empower victims, and promote inclusivity. Collaborating with the California Department of Civil Rights and the U.S. Department of Justice, the program began in LA County as LA vs Hate and expanded to CA vs Hate. Now, 211 LA leads efforts to combat hate acts in other states and targeted communities, including street vendors.

Accreditation With Honors

211 LA 

Each year, we find organizations that truly shine during the Accreditation process. We are excited to announce that the 2024 Accreditation Award goes to 211 LA - San Gabriel, CA. 211 LA has shown outstanding dedication to helping people through phone calls, chats, and texts. They keep their resource database up-to-date so everyone gets the right information quickly. Congratulations to 211 LA for setting a high standard and inspiring others to make a difference in their communities.