Sue Floyd Former U.S. President George W. Bush formed the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation in 2003. The council was established to recognize the important contributions Americans of all ages are making within their communities through service and civic engagement.

Current President Barack Obama has decided to maintain the council presence to recognize dedicated volunteers.

However, long before President George W. Bush decided to formally honor those who lived the notion that helping others was the right thing to do in life, local resident Sue Floyd was doing just that.

Floyd's efforts over the years did not go unnoticed. She was honored with the Gold Presidential Award, the highest award bestowed, which was signed by both Presidents Bush and Obama, in a small but emotional ceremony. Floyd was honored for providing more than 4,000 hours of community service in more than 50 years.

She was nominated for the award by her son, Mike Floyd who is the Chief of the Eel River Indian Tribe. A plaque was recently presented to Floyd at Ready Set Go Daycare, located at First Assembly of God Church, by Delphi Mayor Randy Strasser. The 77 year-old-Floyd has been the director of the facility for approximately 20 years.

"I really accepted the award on behalf of all of the volunteers I've worked with over the years," Floyd said modestly.

Floyd said the plight of one family for which she organized help remained vivid in her memory. She said she became aware of the family when she taught the first CDC class in Delphi the 1970s. She said she made a home visit due to a head injury the child suffered in the home.

Floyd said she organized members of the Delphi United Methodist Church to replace the dirt floor in the house with a wooden one, teach the mother how to cook, explain finances to the father for him to be successful with weekly paychecks, bought furniture and dug a water line into the house. Floyd said the church's Agape fund was started at that time.

"There is always someone who has to work to bring the dream alive, but we all look at the same sunset at the end of the day," Floyd said.