Kathy Sanders will be presented with the 2023 Sara Hardy Humanitarian Award at the Traverse City commission meeting tonight (Monday) at 7pm, with a celebration to take place prior to the meeting at 6pm.

The Sara Hardy Humanitarian Award was created "as a way to publicly recognize and celebrate the greatness and kindness of people in and around Traverse City," according to a city release. "This annual award recognizes Sara Hardy’s contributions to the community by honoring someone who exemplifies the ideals of the Human Rights Commission, which are to promote mutual understanding and respect among all people and to discourage discriminatory practices."

Kathy Sanders is known for her work with Before, During, and After Incarceration (BDAI) as a member of its executive team, as a secretary on the St. Francis Parish Justice and Peace Committee, as coordinator for Lenten Meal Program, and as a regular volunteer for Safe Harbor of Grand Traverse.

"Kathy Sanders is a tireless advocate of our neighbors without homes," one nominator wrote. Nominators also expressed that Sanders’s "compassionate heart acts effectively through her technical skills and natural leadership," and that one of her "greatest assets is her ability to bring together divergent groups," according to the release.

The award celebration and presentation will both take place at the Governmental Center on Boardman Avenue and are open to the public.