Martin Luther King, Jr. Humanitarian Award

Employees from Volunteer Services and Transplant Surgery captured this year's Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Humanitarian Award.

The award has been presented each year since 1976 to Medical Center employees who best share King's vision at work and in their personal lives. Employees are recognized especially for their volunteer work on behalf of others.

The Medical Center presented each recipient with a $1,000 check to the charity of their choice to support the charity's community outreach activities.

Two employees were named recipients of this year's award:

Beverly Billy

Beverly Billy is the manager of Volunteer Services and has a passion for helping others. She joined the University of Chicago Medical Center in 2002 as a patient and family advocate, and now oversees the activities of over 600 volunteers. Recently, Beverly launched a social service agency designed to educate women on how to be self-reliant. This program, called Annie's Legacy, emerged as a way of honoring the life of her mother. Beverly has created Annie's Legacy to provide resources, tools, and interventions to help remove barriers in women's lives with the goal of moving them forward. It is her vision, and the vision of Annie's Legacy, to improve the socioeconomic status of women who will contribute to society as independent functioning mothers, skillful employees, and entrepreneurs.

Renee Thomas

Renee Thomas is a clinic coordinator for the Transplant Surgery Department. She joined the University of Chicago Medical Center in 2001. Renee's community work includes providing transportation, donating blankets and clothing, as well as providing dinner to those who are in need. She also provides tax assistance at no charge. Ms. Thomas has also been a food drive volunteer with the Christopher Zorich Foundation and has volunteered for six years with a group that performed in parades across the Midwest to raise funds for charities.