Meet the Hunger Collaborative
Why do people go hungry? Viewed one way, food insecurity is about access to food—and combating it means making affordable, nutritious food available to more people. Viewed another way, it’s about the deeper disparities, from education and income to transportation and housing, that lead to hunger in the first place. Tackling these root causes means […]
Roseville Fund helps community thrive
Recent grants awarded to Roseville Community Center
Why can’t we?
A Q&A with Dr. John McClean When you go out for coffee with Dr. John McClean, expect to be interrupted. Every few minutes, a passerby will stop over to say hello or wish him well—former patients or their family members whose lives he touched during his long career as a local oncologist. His connections to […]
An Opportunity to Serve
David Erickson is a busy man. In addition to farming and running a farm management business, he has served in leadership positions on boards and associations at the local, state, and national level. He believes in the importance of sharing your time and talent. “It’s not a lifetime commitment, but you can make a lifetime […]
Endowed Fund Honors Values of Three Generations
The Huff family believed strongly in a Catholic education. When George and Florence moved to the area in 1941, they chose to live in Galesburg because it had what they considered the best Catholic school in the area for their daughters Alice, Betty, and Kathleen. George drove 100 miles each day to his job as […]
Alumnus Creates Connections to Improve Education
Dr. Hugh Hawkins, a 1967 Galesburg High School graduate, was a true visionary; in fact, his friends would say he was a constant thinker who always looked at problems from a different perspective. After retiring from his radiology career in Cincinnati, Hawkins turned his focus to his hometown. He began connecting with current leaders and […]
Scholarship Expands Opportunities for Ag Entrepreneur
When DJ Cain applied for a scholarship through the Galesburg Community Foundation back in 2020 to offset the cost of his education at the University of Illinois, the ROWVA senior knew exactly where he wanted to end up after graduation: back home on the family farm in Rio. “I want to work for my dad […]
Trio Establishes a Legacy for Their Hometown: the Knoxville Community Fund
Leaders are individuals who inspire passion and motivation in others. Three leaders in Knoxville—Lance Humphreys, Charlie Knapp, and Jim Wenstrom—inspired their community to establish a legacy that will benefit their hometown forever. The three have reached their term limits as the last of the founding advisory board of the Knoxville Community Fund, which was established […]
Endowment Allows Jack Larson’s Vision to Live on
Jack Larson’s goal was simple: help children. It started with the students he saw from his home across the street from Lombard Middle School. “He said if I had a child that needed something, that if he could be of assistance, to give him a call,” said Diane VanHootegem, who was the school principal. He […]
Coming Together to Combat Hunger: Lions Club Leverages International Investment for Regional Impact
“We knew there were food access issues in the community, but not until the pandemic did it really strike home for us,” said Kim Norton, past president of the Club. “We helped distribute weekly meals to clients of FISH and VNA and realized the importance of a pantry in town.” Today, a partnership between Galesburg […]