{"id":442618,"date":"2026-10-30T15:20:11","date_gmt":"2026-10-30T15:20:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/442618\/"},"modified":"2026-10-30T15:20:11","modified_gmt":"2026-10-30T15:20:11","slug":"meet-the-inaugural-good-works-awards-winners","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/442618\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet the Inaugural Good Works Awards Winners"},"content":{"rendered":"

Earlier this year, Stuart Magazine invited readers to help us recognize the people and organizations whose generosity, service, and leadership make a meaningful difference in our community. After nominations were submitted, our editorial board narrowed the field to three finalists in each category for readers to cast their votes\u2014and you responded by the thousands! Here, we celebrate the inaugural Good Works Awards winners (and tip our hats to the remarkable runners-up) who make doing good look very good indeed.<\/p>\n

\"Jon-MichaelJon-Michael Tillet. Photo courtesy of Martin County High SchoolThe Most Valuable Volunteer Award<\/p>\n

Winner: Jon-Michael Tillet, Martin County High School<\/p>\n

Jon-Michael Tillet is proof that you don\u2019t have to wait until adulthood to start making a difference. The Martin County High School student estimates that he devotes 800 to 1,000 hours each year to volunteer work spanning education, youth programs, environmental stewardship, nonprofit service, and civic engagement. Among his many efforts, Tillet has helped collect more than 1,000 handwritten appreciation cards for teachers and school employees and was named the Martin County School District\u2019s 2025-2026 Volunteer of the Year. For him, service isn\u2019t an extracurricular\u2014it\u2019s a way of life.<\/p>\n

Runners-Up:<\/p>\n

Bernice Simpson, Indiantown Youth\u00a0Sports Association<\/p>\n

Neil Capozzi, MartinArts <\/p>\n

\"JackiJacki Nardone. Photo courtesy of Treasure Coast HospiceThe Community Pillar Award<\/p>\n

Winner: Jacki Nardone, Treasure Coast Hospice<\/p>\n

For nearly three decades at Treasure Coast Hospice, Jacki Nardone has helped people navigate one of life\u2019s hardest experiences: grief. As director of counseling and pediatric services, the licensed clinical social worker leads a team that supported more than 5,000 counseling clients in the past year alone. Under her leadership, Treasure Coast
Hospice\u2019s free community grief services have expanded to include programs for children, Camp Good Grief, and crisis-response teams that deploy to schools, businesses, and organizations following sudden loss. Her work ensures that when grief arrives, no one in the community has to face it alone.<\/p>\n

Runners-Up:<\/p>\n

Jim Chrulski, City of Stuart
\nNoel Thomas, Dark Watch
\n\"SamanthaSamantha Suffich. Photo courtesy of Martin County Healthy Start CoalitionThe Hometown Hero Award<\/p>\n

Winner: Samantha Suffich, Martin County Healthy Start Coalition<\/p>\n

When Martin County lost its only hospital labor-and-delivery unit in 2025, Samantha Suffich refused to accept that local families should have to leave their own community to give birth. As CEO of the Martin County Healthy Start Coalition, Suffich is leading the effort to establish the Treasure Coast Maternity Center, envisioned as a community-based home for prenatal care, low-risk deliveries, postpartum services, and family support. She\u2019s also taking care directly to underserved neighborhoods aboard the MOM Mobile, a 38-foot prenatal clinic serving communities from East Stuart to Indiantown.<\/p>\n

Runners-Up:<\/p>\n

Jennifer Colton, EMS Captain with\u00a0Martin County Fire Rescue
\nIan Montgelas, Ocean Rescue Chief\u00a0for Martin County Fire Rescue
\n\"PhotoPhoto courtesy of House of HopeThe Impact Award<\/p>\n

Winner: House of Hope<\/p>\n

For more than 42 years, House of Hope has been fighting hunger in Martin County\u2014but food is only part of the equation. The nonprofit pairs food assistance with case management, workforce development, nutrition education, enrichment programs, and other tools designed to help families move toward stability. In fiscal year 2024-2025, House of Hope distributed 1.63 million pounds of food\u2014including more than 600,000 pounds of fresh produce\u2014and benefited 43,800 people across the region. With four pantries and 35 food-bank partners, its reach extends far beyond any single location\u2014or any single meal.<\/p>\n

Runners-Up:<\/p>\n

Boys & Girls Clubs of Martin County<\/p>\n

Soroptimist International of Stuart <\/p>\n

\"PhotoPhoto courtesy of Project LiftThe Innovation Award<\/p>\n

Winner: Project Lift<\/p>\n

Project Lift takes challenges that are often addressed separately\u2014mental health, education, substance-use recovery, and workforce development\u2014and tackles them together. Its model pairs counseling and mentorship with hands-on training in fields such as construction, welding, automotive work, and HVAC, giving at-risk teens and young adults both practical skills and personal support. More than 800 young people were served in 2025-2026; 80 percent showed improved mental-health functioning, and 70 percent earned at least one industry-recognized skilled-trades certification. A new East Stuart campus planned for 2027 will bring that model to even more
young people.<\/p>\n

Runners-Up:<\/p>\n

The Children\u2019s Museum of the Treasure Coast
\nPeace.Love.Goat
\n\"PhotoPhoto courtesy of House of HopeThe Collaboration Award<\/p>\n

Winner: Mariner Sands Charity Week<\/p>\n

What began within one Martin County community has grown into more than two decades of collective generosity. Mariner Sands Charity Week brings residents, volunteers, sponsors, and local nonprofits together to support needs ranging from hunger and housing to education, health care, and workforce training. Over the years, the initiative has donated approximately $4.5 million to Martin County nonprofits and impacted more than 10,000 lives. Those dollars have helped provide everything from interim housing and free children\u2019s dental care to school supplies, job training, and facilities serving people experiencing homelessness\u2014a reminder of just how far a community can reach when it works together.<\/p>\n

Runners-Up:<\/p>\n

Martin County Orchid Society
\nMartin Digital History<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Earlier this year, Stuart Magazine invited readers to help us recognize the people and organizations whose generosity, service,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":442619,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[171,173,172],"class_list":["post-442618","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-port-st-lucie","tag-port-st-lucie","tag-port-st-lucie-headlines","tag-port-st-lucie-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/442618","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=442618"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/442618\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/442619"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=442618"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=442618"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=442618"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}