Mattoon, IL -(Effingham Radio)- Lake Land College will award the 2020 Distinguished Service Award to Debbie Benefiel, longtime member of the Foundation Board of Directors and co-owner and operator with husband Steve of Pearman Pharmacy in Paris, during the virtual Commencement ceremony. The award acknowledges an individual who has rendered outstanding service to the college.
Benefiel has served on the Lake Land College Foundation Board of Directors since 1994 and has committed years of personal time and energy to the college, which contributes to the current strength of the foundation. Benefiel served on the scholarship committee for several years and enjoyed seeing nearly a third of the student population receive scholarships, annually totaling nearly $500,000.
For years, Benefiel and her husband, Steve Benefiel, have supported the Lake Land College Foundation with two annual scholarships; The Steve and Debbie Benefiel Annual Scholarship and The Pearman Pharmacy Annual Scholarship.
In 2019, the Benefiels decided to take the first step in making their contributions to the college a permanent investment by moving from an annual scholarship to an endowment: The Steve and Debbie Benefiel Endowed Scholarship.
“It is not unusual for the Benefiels to see an unmet need in the community, especially when someone is pursuing an education, and to meet that need personally,” Benefiel’s nominator, Jackie Joines, said.
Not only does Benefiel focus her volunteer efforts on education, she is also incredibly active in her community. She has served on various boards and committees helping guide the direction and growth of the Presbyterian Church of Paris while currently serving on the board of deacons and serving on the membership and evangelism committee.
Joines expressed her appreciation for Benefiel’s natural commitment to volunteerism within her local community. She has volunteered at the former Paris YMCA, now the Paris REC Center, for more than 26 years. Benefiel is currently a member and trustee of the Paris Recreational Endowment Trust and serves as its treasurer.
She is a charter member of the 100 Women Who Care giving circle that provides $10,000 each quarter to make a difference in Edgar County.
Benefiel and her husband are passionate about the arts and volunteer for related organizations as well. She has served on the board of directors of the Little Theatre on the Square in Sullivan as a Region Three Trustee for more than 20 years and is a patron of the Paris Fine Arts Center where Steve Benefiel serves on the advisory board.
Benefiel is also a member of the Horizon Health Foundation of East Central Illinois that supports Horizon Health Hospital and area clinics around Edgar County. In November of 2018, the Benefiels were recognized for their generosity as the recipients of the Outstanding Volunteer Fundraiser Award presented by Horizon Health at the Association Fundraising Professionals National Philanthropy Day.
“The lives that Debbie has changed through the gifts and volunteerism is unmet in the Edgar County area. She has strengthened the faith, wellness and culture of the community, and supported numerous youth in making their lives better through education,” Joines said.
Benefiel earned a bachelor’s degree from Eastern Illinois University and a master’s degree from Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville. She and her husband live in Paris, Illinois.
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