Close to 100 people attended the second annual Community Appreciation Night at the Greene County High School auditorium Tuesday evening.

The main highlight of the evening was the announcement that Sid Jones of Jefferson was the 2021 Jefferson Matters: A Main Street and Chamber Community Above and Beyond the Call (ABC) Award winner. Jones has helped in several ways with community volunteerism through the committee that helped pass the bond referendum for a new high school and career academy for the Greene County School District and leading the Greene County Development Corporation as its president. 

Jones talked about what it meant to receive the ABC Award for his volunteer efforts.

“I would say absolutely one of the highlights. When you’re, I think community does recognize that there’s a lot of effort that goes into it and a lot of time. I wouldn’t say a personal sacrifice because when you really enjoy doing something, it’s not a personal sacrifice, it just becomes a part of your life.” 

Jefferson Matters Board President Jamie Daubendiek served as the emcee and talked about the organization with Main Street Iowa that is celebrating their 10th anniversary this year.

“It started back in 2011 and going through the application process. So it’s pretty amazing to think back ten years ago (with) all the different projects and events, and the things that have happened over the past decade. It’s definitely a great night to honor all of the volunteers that have put countless hours into making our community a better place to live, work and play.”   

Daubendiek noted that they have calculated over 43,000 volunteer hours in Jefferson Matters’ ten year history, which equates to over $1 million worth of value. The event also included project updates on the Greene County Diversity Project, the building projects for Why Not Us and the Greene County Early Learning Center and other city projects.