Loni Hansel Community Enrichment Award Recipients
Lonnetta “Loni” Hansel joined JSC in 1970, and for over 40 years, her devotion made a big impact on the lives of those in our community and our members. The Community Enrichment Award that had been given since 1988 goes to individuals whose time and dedication have made a difference in the lives of those in the Edwardsville and Glen Carbon communities. The name of the award was changed in 2011 to the Loni Hansel Community Enrichment Award in honor of her dedication to Junior Service and our community.
2025 Loni Hansel Community Enrichment Award Recipient
Each year, nominations are submitted by our members—quiet stories of kindness, service, and dedication that deserve to be lifted up and celebrated. Our 2025 recipient embodies everything this award stands for. He is known to hundreds—really, to thousands—as Mr. Bo.
To his students, to their parents, to teachers and staff across District 7, he is so much more than a bus driver. He is a bright spot in the day. A constant source of kindness. Someone who sees every child, greets every child, and brings joy into even the most ordinary moments. In a world that often feels fast and full, Mr. Bo chooses to slow down. To smile. To show love. He brings joy simply by being who he is. He dresses up for holidays. He hands out candy every Friday. He even wears a tuxedo and plays the accordion during the holiday season—because why not make the world a little happier?
As one parent shared, "I’m just a mom at the bus stop, and for six years now I’ve felt his kindness every single day." And if you ask around the community, you hear the same thing over and over: He is special. He is loved. He has made an impact that cannot be measured.
The Junior Service Club of Edwardsville/Glen Carbon was proud to present the 2025 Loni Hansel Community Enrichment Award to Mr. Bo. A man who gives so much not because he has to, but because it is simply who he is.
To his students, to their parents, to teachers and staff across District 7, he is so much more than a bus driver. He is a bright spot in the day. A constant source of kindness. Someone who sees every child, greets every child, and brings joy into even the most ordinary moments. In a world that often feels fast and full, Mr. Bo chooses to slow down. To smile. To show love. He brings joy simply by being who he is. He dresses up for holidays. He hands out candy every Friday. He even wears a tuxedo and plays the accordion during the holiday season—because why not make the world a little happier?
As one parent shared, "I’m just a mom at the bus stop, and for six years now I’ve felt his kindness every single day." And if you ask around the community, you hear the same thing over and over: He is special. He is loved. He has made an impact that cannot be measured.
The Junior Service Club of Edwardsville/Glen Carbon was proud to present the 2025 Loni Hansel Community Enrichment Award to Mr. Bo. A man who gives so much not because he has to, but because it is simply who he is.
2025 Loni Hansel Community Enrichment award recipient Bo Jarabek with JSC president Ashley Scown (center) and Board Member at Large Allison Olden (left).
2023 Loni Hansel Community Enrichment Award Recipient
Emily Gates, 2023 Loni Hansel Community Enrichment Award Recipient, with our 2022-2023 JSC Board President, Jamie Pence.