Andrea Badke (right) presents the Citizen of the Year award to Toni Miller at the 2009 Homecoming Festival. (Photo by Jacob Shaffer)

Toni Miller says that she was “shocked” when she learned that she had been named “Citizen of the Year” at the 2009 Bristol Homecoming. However, she considers it a great honor and a “really cool” happening in her life. Toni lives in Bristol with her father, Marvin Miller, and her step-mother, Janet. Her mother is Kim Springman.

Toni was nominated for the award by Andrea Badke, who worked at the Bristol Pharmacy when Toni was a cashier at Mor for Less. They also served together on the 2009 Bristol Homecoming Committee, where Toni was in charge of entertainment. She also did the choreography for the Homecoming Queen pageant. Andrea thought a young person should be considered for the award, especially someone interested in working with the youth of the community.

“As a young person myself,” says Toni (who is 24), “I want to be a role model for young people and help them, if I can.” She has worked for several years for Kid’s Care, a division of the Boys and Girls Clubs. During the school year she has been assigned to several different participating elementary schools in the Elkhart County area.

Toni has worked at an MDA camp (for “Jerry’s kids”) and is active with the youth program at her congregation, the Bristol Church of the Nazarene. There she helps in the LOFT (Loving Others For the Truth), a meeting place in the church for community youth. Once a month the LOFT sponsors a musical show for teenagers. Every week it offers a safe and wholesome environment where they can meet and interact.

The Bristol Bugle offers its congratulations to Toni, and wishes her the best as she continues to serve our community.