ALTON – Alton Halloween Parade officials announced Monday that Margarette Truschel, founding member and executive director of the Oasis Women’s Center, is this year’s Halloween Parade Marshal. The parade is set for 7 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 31, in Downtown Alton.
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Margarette Trushel is a founding member of the Oasis Women’s Center. She was a volunteer for three years and has been the Executive Director of the agency for the past 40 years. She has been a member of many organizations through those years and is currently a Board member of a federal project-the Intimate Partner Violence Intervention Project, a member of the Operations Committee for the statewide Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence, the Chair of the Eva A. McDonald Women’s History Coalition here in Madison County, and is a member of Zonta, an international women’s organization.
She has received many awards including the Jefferson National Award for Public Service, the Human Dignity Award from the Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence, the Peacemaking Award from the Presbytery of Giddings-Lovejoy, and the Liberty Bell Award from the Madison County Bar Association.
She will be escorted in the parade by Reverend George Humbert Jr. who is a Pastor Emeritus of College Avenue Presbyterian Church and a member of the Giddings-Lovejoy Presbytery. He has been a supporter of Oasis Women’s Center since its inception and currently serves as Board President.
“While I was growing up, my family always attended the Halloween parade,” Margarette said. “My Dad wasn’t crazy about getting us through the traffic, but we were always so excited to see the parade; my Mom and he always made sure we got there. This is a fun way to continue that family tradition and I am grateful for the honor.”
MARGARETTE TRUSHEL BIO
B.A. HUMAN SERVICES
B.S. SPECIAL EDUCATION
M.S. COUNSELING/HUMAN SERVICES ADMINISTRATION
TWO WORKSHOPS AT HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL ON VICTIMIZATION AND ABUSE
CERTIFIED DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PROFESSIONAL
43 YEARS WITH OASIS WOMEN’S CENTER IN ALTON:
3 YEARS AS A VOLUNTEER / FOUNDING MEMBER
39 YEARS AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
42 YEARS PARTICIPATION IN THE ILLINOIS COALITION AGAINST DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
MEMBER OF THE ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES STATEWIDE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ADVISORY COMMITTEE
5 YEARS AS THE ILLINOIS REPRESENTATIVE TO THE NATIONAL COALITION AGAINST DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
HAS PRESENTED DOMESTIC VIOLENCE TRAININGS AND WORKSHOPS AND PROVIDED TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ON LOCAL, STATE, AND NATIONAL LEVELS FOR OVER 35 YEARS
CO-FOUNDING MEMBER AND CHAIR OF CHAIRS OF THE THIRD JUDICIAL CIRCUIT FAMILY VIOLENCE PREVENTION COUNCIL; CHAIR OF THE INTERVENTION, PREVENTION, AND EDUCATION COMMITTEE OF THE COUNCIL
CURRENT BOARD MEMBER OF THE INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE INTERVENTION PROJECT
RECIPIENT OF THESE AWARDS:
ALICE PAUL AWARD FROM METRO-EAST NATIONAL ORGANIZATION OF WOMEN
YWCA WOMEN OF DISTINCTION AWARD
HUMAN DIGNITY AWARD FROM ILLINOIS COALITION AGAINST DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
LIBERTY BELL AWARD FROM MADISON COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION
GOLDEN BOOK OF DEEDS AWARD FROM ALTON EXCHANGE CLUB
JEFFERSON NATIONAL AWARD FOR PUBLIC SERVICE
ILLINOIS TREASURER JUDY BAAR TOPINKA’S 2006 WOMAN TO WOMAN MAKING A DIFFERENCE AWARD
2013 PEACEMAKING AWARD FROM THE PRESBYTERY OF GIDDINGS-LOVEJOY
50TH ANNIVERSARY ZONTA SPIRIT / SERVICE AWARD 2015
HUMAN RIGHTS AWARD FROM CHURCH WOMEN UNITED
ACTIVE MEMBER OF NUMEROUS COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS:
CHAIR OF THE EVA A. MCDONALD WOMEN’S HISTORY COALITION
PAST EVANGELICAL VICE PRESIDENT OF THE ALTON AREA CHURCH WOMEN UNITED
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH ELDER / STEPHEN MINISTER
