The Interfaith Center for Peace and Justice awards the Peacemaker of the Year and Lifetime of Peacemaking Awards to local residents who have helped significantly in making us a more just and peaceful community. A ceremony celebrating the recipients is held every year. Each recipient receives a plaque, and materials (books, videos, etc.) are given to the Adams County Public library in honor of the recipients.
The Interfaith Center for Peace and Justice has selected the winners of its Peacemaker Awards for 2024.
Nancy Lilley received the Lifetime of Peacemaking Award.
The Gettysburg Green Gathering received the Peacemaker of the Year Award.
Susann Samples received the William J. Collinge Peacemaking Award
The ceremony was held on Tuesday, April 30 at 7:00 p.m., in Valentine Hall Auditorium of the United Lutheran Seminary, Gettysburg. Nominations are now open for 2025.
Nancy Lilley spent the early part of her career as an English teacher, but is probably known to most people now in her capacity as Advocacy Director for the YWCA Gettysburg. She has helped promote many different issues of social justice in our community and is remarkable for her non-confrontational approach that helps meet people where they are while still pushing them to making our community more inclusive and welcoming. For ICPJ, she has been the key to our partnership with the YWCA in the Heritage Festival, and she has been a great help with the festival over the past decade.
The Gettysburg Green Gathering, led by Steve Zimmerman, Matt Crowner, and others, got its name from an annual festival that they formerly held to foster environmental stewardship in the daily lives of citizens and businesses, but their work is much broader and has included events to pick up trash and to plant trees in the county. This past year they organized a glass recycling program which we would like to particularly celebrate. This program allows residents to drop off their glass for recycling on the first Saturday of each month and help keep glass out of the landfill and save the raw materials and energy used in the glass manufacturing process.
Susann Samples was awarded the William J. Collinge Award for service to ICPJ. Susann’s involvement with our organization began in 1988 when she served on the organizing committee for the 1988 Gettysburg Peace Symposium and she later served on our board from 1993 to 2018, including terms as President, Co-President, and Vice President. Even since becoming an emerita board member she has continued to contribute, helping with Peace Camp, the Heritage Festival, and the Peacemaker Awards themselves. Susann is a Professor of World Languages and Cultures at Mount St. Mary’s University.
Each Peacemaker Award consists of a framed certificate and the donation of $250 worth of books or other materials to the Adams County Library in the honoree’s name.
ICPJ invites nominations for the 2024 Peacemaker Awards. Please send them to ICPJ at icpj@icpj-gettysburg.org or P.O. Box 3134, Gettysburg, PA 17325.