Because of his vast volunteering efforts, Dr. Stanley Huffman of Charleston has been awarded Cole’s County’s Outstanding Senior Volunteer for 2006. The award was given by the East Central Illinois Area Agency on Aging.

Pat McCallister, a professor at Eastern, nominated him.

McCallister said she serves the ECIAAA and each year, the agency picks an outstanding senior who is 70 years or older from each county in the 16-county area who has been an outstanding volunteer.

“It was very nice (winning the award),” Huffman said, who is a retired physician. “I didn’t even know it existed, so it wasn’t anything I was working for.”

Huffman has been the president of the United Way for two years serving senior citizens.

“It is evident that Dr. Huffman has made a difference in other people’s lives, which is so important,” said McCallister. “In addition, Mrs. Huffman is also very active in working with him in his volunteer work.”

Huffman has delivered Peace Meals for four years, five days a week.

“(S)ince he was a physician, many of the recipients look forward to his delivery and have questions for him,” McCallister said.

Huffman said whenever he delivers meals, he stops to talk to everyone and evaluate their health for their families.

“Everybody’s different,” he said.

He was also the financial officer for the Christian Church and maintained the flowers and grounds.

Huffman is a master gardener and said he grows thousands of pounds of his own produce for the Mattoon and Charleston Food Pantry. He just recently delivered 73 pounds of tomatoes to the food pantry.

Huffman is not a stranger to Eastern. The Adult Fitness Program Laboratory at Lantz Arena is named after him because he was the adult fitness program advisor for 20 years.

Huffman also served as chairman of the Board of the Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center for three years. He also serves as an elder at his church, which means he is one of the officers.

The Volunteer of the Year Award is not the first award Huffman has received for his volunteer efforts.

In 2005, he received the Jefferson Award, which is a national award given for public service by the American Institute for Public Services started by Jackie Kennedy-Onassis.

The award was presented in Washington D.C.

“Dr. and Mrs. Huffman are those quiet heroes in our community who make a difference in many lives and in turn, enrich our communities,” McCallister said. “They ask for nothing in return but to continue to give so much of themselves.”

“(Volunteering) is obviously something that needs to be done,” Huffman said. “I’m just finding other ways to contribute.”

In his spare time, he said he plays badminton, golf and tennis.

“I’m 70 going on 60,” he said.

Huffman was awarded by the ECIAAA on Sept. 20 at a luncheon at the Decatur Conference Center and Hotel.

“I’m going to continue doing what I’m doing,” Huffman said. “We’ll see where it goes in the next few years.”