For his lifetime of serving others and his dedication to making the community better for everyone involved, Thornton Township Supervisor Frank M. Zuccarelli was awarded the Community Humanitarian Award by the Village of South Holland. The award acknowledges his tireless work in creating a better life for youth, adults and seniors within Thornton Township.
“I want to thank you for this honor because it means a great deal to me,” said Zuccarelli, of South Holland. “I really think public service is what I was made to do. Can you imagine having a job where every hour of the day you feel so good and fulfilled because you are helping others. It is a wonderful feeling.”
The 2017 Volunteer Appreciation Dinner and Mayor’s Leadership Awards Presentation, which was held at the South Holland Community Center, occurs every two years and honors people who have best exemplified citizenship, faith, family, future and humanitarian actions. For the past 23 years, Zuccarelli has served as Thornton Township Supervisor, the largest township in Illinois. A three-time Township Supervisor of the Year award winner, he created the Faith, Dignity and Respect Initiative bringing together elected officials, law enforcement and community leaders to develop proactive ways to stem the shocking amount of gun violence and community unrest that swept the nation in places like Ferguson, Baltimore, New York and Chicago.
“The award acknowledges your outstanding leadership, bringing together elected officials, law enforcement personnel, and community leaders to develop proactive approaches to fostering an environment of peace and unity,” said South Holland Mayor Don A. De Graff. “By offering vital youth and senior services, by proactively engaging in job creation for constituents of Thornton Township, by reaching out to those who have special needs, and by creating and executing the Faith, Dignity and Respect Initiative, your lifelong work and commitment provide a higher quality of life for those you serve. “
After hearing about a gunman murdering nine innocent people during a Bible study at the Emmanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina in 2015, Zuccarelli was affected in many ways. However it was not just by the tragedy but seeing how the community showed its Christian values and pleaded for a peaceful resolution even forgiving the confessed gunman. He brought a delegation to the state to learn how Thornton Township could foster an environment of peace and unity and find out how the South Carolina community could come together in the aftermath of such senseless violence.
The township hosted a conference geared towards adult residents that focused on Community Policing, Mental Health, and Social Justice Issues that was attended by about 300 community leaders and residents. Wanting a comprehensive approach, Thornton Township worked with the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement to organized a Youth Conference last year attended by more than 1,200 Thornton Township juniors and seniors from six different high schools. It provided specific training on topics such as the law and their rights, and the importance of appropriate reaction in case of a traffic stop to best avoid unnecessary confrontation that could lead to excessive use of force. For its continued efforts to serve the community, Thornton Township was recently awarded Township of the Year.
Zuccarelli, who has lived in South Holland for more than 50 years, said he immediately felt a connection to the community even though he joked “when my family moved here I didn’t even know what a Holland was.” He has come to know that and more about the community.
“I love this community and I love the people I meet here every day,” said Zuccarelli. “There is something good about everyone. I was so lucky to be elected township supervisor because everything we do in this community is about being a humanitarian.”
The 2017 awards were also given to Dr. Kathryn F. Worthen, Father Ignatius I. Anaele, Felecia A. Williams and Robin Scheldberg.
SECOND AWARD
Zuccarelli also received a South Suburban College Alumni Cornerstone Award for his decades of hard work at the college. South Suburban President Don Manning spoke about Zuccarelli’s diligent work to help the college become more of the premiere community colleges in the state and the south suburbs. South Suburban College has been a staple in the community for 90 years. After serving as an Air Force medic during the Vietnam War, Zuccarelli enrolled in South Suburban College, then known as Thornton Community College in 1974. He earned his degree and then won a seat as a trustee on the college board in 1978. In 1987, he was elected by his peers to serve as chairman of the board, where he has served in that leadership role ever since.
“I consider Frank not only a great ambassador to the school but also a great friend,” said Manning. “Under Frank’s leadership, the college has improved and provided cutting edge workforce training to the residents in the district.”