INDIANAPOLIS NIN PRESIDENT RECEIVES SPECIAL                   RECOGNITION IN WASHINGTON DC

  In celebration of her extraordinary contributions to and selfless work within the community, Jo St. John of Indianapolis, president of the Indianapolis chapter of Newborns in Need, was honored this week at a Washington, D.C. awards gala where 85 Americans were recognized with the 38(th) annual Jefferson Awards, regarded as one of the nation's highest honors for community service and volunteerism. 

Known as the "Nobel Prize for public service," the awards are presented each year in a star-studded ceremony in the nation's capital where a broad array of honorees are recognized -- from high-profile individuals who have dedicated the better part of their lives to public service to celebrated professional athletes to largely unheralded community-based volunteers. Also recognized are organizations -- companies that represent the pinnacle in corporate citizenship and schools that best reflect the Jeffersonian ideals of citizen involvement.

"For almost four decades, the Jefferson Awards have celebrated the best in public service," said Sam Beard, founder and president of the American Institute for Public Service and The Jefferson Awards. "While we have been pleased to honor many prominent individuals over the years who have given back selflessly to their communities and the world around them, we recognize that some of the most extraordinary gestures of volunteerism and generosity come from individuals like Jo who rarely get the recognition that they so richly deserve. On behalf of the Jefferson Awards, a collective thanks and congratulations."