CLINTON, Ill. (WAND) - A local bank is helping to support children in DeWitt County with a donation to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Illinois.
The $2,500 gift from First National Bank and Trust Company will help match five kids with caring adults for one year, including volunteer recruitment screening, training and monthly match support activities. It will also help the organization with marketing and recruitment of potential volunteers, which will help 100 more kids on the waiting list in the surrounding areas with being matched.
“First National Bank is honored to be able to give back and help students in DeWitt County. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Illinois is doing important work with our local youth – a value that aligns very much with our bank,” said Josh Shofner, the company's president.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Illinois works on a mission of creating and supporting one-to-one mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth. It has been serving underprivileged youth from single-parent families for over 30 years and serves DeWitt, Champaign, Ford, Iroquois, Livingston, Macon, McLean, Morgan, Piatt, Sangamon and Vermilion counties.
BBBSCIL helps about 800 youth each year. Most mentoring and activities are currently happening in a virtual format due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“COVID-19 has impacted our organization significantly over the last two years. Only through the continued kindness and generosity of partners like First National Bank & Trust Company have we been able to continue to pair more youth who need and deserve a positive mentoring relationship,” said Jeanne Stahlheber, CEO, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Illinois.
