Each year, the Shawano Country Chamber of Commerce selects a hardworking volunteer from the community to be named Distinguished Citizen of the Year. This year, the award went to a hardworking couple.
Michael and Idell Johnston strive tirelessly to make the Shawano area a better place to live — many times doing their volunteer work side by side.
“I think that we are presented as a team,” said Idell Johnston. “That’s what means the most to us. I am very honored that we are getting (the award) together.”
Michael Johnston insists they don’t expect any accolades for their work.
“I think other people in the community wanted to recognize us,” said Michael Johnston. “We don’t do anything to help others for any type of recognition.”
“I was always raised to leave things better than how you found them,” said Idell Johnston, when asked why volunteerism is so important to them. “We were not always financially able to give money, so we gave our time. That was something that we wanted to pass on to our boys.”
It was because of their boys and the couple’s desire to raise their family in a community like Shawano that led them to the area in the first place, she said.
“Michael got a job as a sales manager for Seagrave Fire Apparatus in Clintonville, but we chose to live in Shawano because it was a little bit bigger,” said Idell Johnston. “Our boys both graduated from Shawano High School.”
When one of their boys got involved in the music program at the school, that opened the door for the couple to begin their volunteer work in Shawano.
“We got very involved in the music program,” said Idell Johnston. “We helped with the plays, sets and chaperoned field trips.”
That led the Johnstons to get involved in other arenas, including the downtown business association. Idell Johnston later opened her insurance agency on Main Street in Shawano in 2011.
“We just love the downtown area, and we love being a part of it,” she said. “We got very involved with the activities.”
Idell Johnston said that they gear a lot of their volunteer work and community activism toward children.
“I really think that we can make a difference for them,” said Idell Johnston. “I really feel like that’s where people start learning. So if they have someone that is kind to them, then that could help them in their adult life.”
“We do this because our kids were such a big part of our lives, and now our grandkids are such a big part of our lives,” added her husband.
One way they help local children is through the Toys for Tots program, of which Michael Johnston is the local coordinator. He said he feels passionately about serving underprivileged children in the area.
“You cannot punish kids for the ills of their parents,” he said.
Idell Johnston said that one of the organizations that means the most to her is the Big Brothers Big Sisters program.
“I am a Big Sister, and my ‘little’ and I were the first match in Shawano County,” she said. “Watching her grow up, spending time with her and having her be a part of our family is so important to me. I really feel that I was able to make a difference, and she was able to make a difference in my life.”
In addition to serving kids in the Shawano area, the Johnstons have made an impact on youth from other nations as well.
“We became involved in the Rotary youth program, where we hosted students from Ecuador, Bolivia and Peru,” said Michael Johnston. “That was something that was really important. We were not only able to share our community with them, but we were able to take them to other states.”
As if serving in these areas wasn’t enough, the couple is also active with the Shawano Optimist Club, the Rotary Club, Red River Riders and other organizations.
Being named distinguished citizens is a special honor, Idell Johnston said, because they have great respect for some of the award’s previous recipients.
“We have learned a lot and worked with those who have won this award,” she said. “So to be in that same caliber, we are very honored that we were included.”
Michael Johnston said that they try to portray what they have learned from volunteering into their daily lives.
“I try to share this at work at Idell’s insurance branch with customers,” said Michael Johnston. “In order to continue to see business, this is something that we have to do. It helps us have a positive outlook on life.”
“We get to see the good in the world,” his wife added.
Giving back to the community has allowed the Johnstons to learn a lot about themselves and others, she said.
“My little (sister) has really enriched my life; I have looked at things differently,” said Idell Johnston.
“Doing this gets you out of of your comfort zone,” said Michael Johnston. “It opens you up to new opportunities and helps you meet new people.”
lreimer@newmedia-wi.com
Johnstons receive Distinguished Citizen as a couple
