Lenawee Continuum of Care Announces Dawn Finney as Dell Courage to Care Policy Recipient

ADRIAN — The winner of the 2024 Norma Dell Courage to Care Award has been announced.

Dawn Finney will receive this year’s Courage to Care Award during the November meeting of the Lenawee County Continuum of Care (CoC), scheduled for 3:30 p.m. on November 12.

The awards ceremony is held during Homeless Awareness Month – recognized in November – and will be held at the Goodwill Industries headquarters, located at 1357 Division St., Adrian.

The Courage to Care Award is named after and honors the efforts of Sister Norma Dell, OP, a Dominican Adrian Sister who worked tirelessly for decades to serve people facing the hardships of homelessness.

Dell was also responsible for establishing Housing Help of Lenawee as HARA (Housing Assessment and Resource Agency), then known as the Lenawee Emergency and Affordable Housing Corp.

The award is given annually through the Lenawee County Continuum of Care, a coalition of Lenawee County citizens seeking to end homelessness. The CoC was created to provide homeless people with access to shelter, resources and services, and to increase public awareness about homelessness in the county. This November will be the 19th year that the CoC recognizes those who have made contributions to ending homelessness in Lenawee County as part of its Homeless Awareness Month campaign.

Nominations for the award were accepted throughout September and early October. The award continues to recognize the efforts of an individual or organization that has made extraordinary contributions to alleviating homelessness in Lenawee County.

“Dawn Finney is being recognized for her remarkable dedication and tireless efforts in support of the homeless community. For more than two years, Dawn has been an unwavering advocate for people experiencing homelessness, dedicating her time, energy and resources to outreach and assistance programs,” said Lenawee CoC President Cara Snyder.

Finney was nominated for the award by a colleague because she has led and organized numerous initiatives aimed at providing essential care to the homeless, including collecting and distributing hygiene, warming and hydration kits, and ensuring vulnerable individuals have access to necessities. basic. She also took the lead in assembling and distributing numerous emergency shelter kits, providing critical support.

“Their commitment goes beyond providing resources,” Snyder added. “Dawn has been a vital part of organizing and participating in encampment cleanups, showing her dedication to not only improving living conditions, but also promoting dignity and respect for the homeless population.”

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The public is invited and encouraged to participate in the meeting and awards ceremony on November 12th.

Previous award recipients include Norma Dell, OP, Captain Gordon Knight of the Salvation Army, Share the Warmth of Lenawee, Beth McCullough, Helen Henricks, Nancy Bishop, Adrian Fire Chief Aric Massingill, Elizabeth Salerno and the award recipient of the year past De’Angelo Boone, to name a few.

– Contact reporter Brad Heineman at [email protected] or follow him on X, formerly Twitter: @LenaweeHeineman.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: Dawn Finney selected to receive 2024 Norma Dell Courage to Care Award