The Poshard Foundation Announcing Toy Distribution through Southern Illinois Agencies Serving Abused, Abandoned and Neglected Children
(Carterville, IL | December 7, 2025)
On Thursday, December 11th, social service agencies across Southern Illinois will be visiting the Poshard Foundation for Abused Children at John A. Logan College for one of the largest Christmas toy giveaways in the region. Over 2,400 brand new toys and gifts will be distributed to approximately 800 abused, abandoned and neglected children throughout 20 counties in Southern Illinois. Distribution of the toys will begin at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, December 11th and will be distributed over a two-day period.
Press availability will be from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, December 11th, with agency caseworkers in attendance as well as donor representatives to include Jennifer Lee of Ameren Illinois; Rotary Club of Jackson Williamson Counties Sunset; BlueCross BlueShield of Illinois; Richard Clark of Tri-State Office Equipment, Our Directions, America’s Car-Mart, and Modern Woodmen of America. Also present will be Pat McCann and Hangin’ by a Thread representatives, Colleen Bogard of the Williamson Baptist Association, Glenn and Jo Poshard, Phyllis McCowen (toy drive director), and other generous Foundation individual donors and volunteers. All will be available for interviews at JALC in the main building, Rooms F118 and 119.
Partnering with The Poshard Foundation is Ameren Illinois which has provided funding for gifts for many years and in recent years has generously contributed $10,000 annually.
The children receiving gifts are identified by agency caseworkers who are associated with the Poshard Foundation. These children will not be receiving gifts from other sources.
“Many thanks to our very generous individual donors and faithful volunteers who work diligently on this event including the Carterville Lions Club.” said Jo Poshard.
Phyllis McCowen, Poshard Foundation volunteer administrator and head of the Christmas project, said, “This is the favorite part of my job at the Foundation. Shopping for toys for kids who otherwise would have nothing under the tree makes my Christmas.”
Media Note: This is not a public toy giveaway. All of the children receiving gifts have been identified as abused, abandoned or neglected through social service agencies in our region.
Photo: L to R – Glenn and Jo Poshard, Tina Gibbs and Jennifer Lee of Ameren Illinois, President of JALC, Dr. Kirk Overstreet. Photo courtesy of JALC Media Services
The Poshard Foundation Announcing $107,500 in Grant Awards to Southern Illinois Agencies Serving Abused, Abandoned and Neglected Children
(Carterville, IL | April 25, 2025)
As part of Child Abuse Prevention Month, Jo Poshard, Director of The Poshard Foundation for Abused Children, will announce grants of $107,500 at a press conference on Wednesday, April 30, 2025, 1:00 p.m. in the Board Conference Room at John A. Logan College. Agency representatives will be available to the press for comment.
A total of 27 grants will be given to Southern Illinois agencies to be used specifically for services directly dealing with abused, abandoned and neglected children in our region. Those organizations are:
Arrowleaf, Vienna
Baptist Children’s Home and Family Services, Carmi
Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Illinois
Brightpoint, Herrin
Cairo Women’s Shelter, Inc.
Caritas Family Solutions, Carterville
CASA for Kids, Benton
CASA of Jefferson County, Mt. Vernon
CASA of Southeastern Illinois, Harrisburg
CASA of Southern Illinois, Marion
Centerstone, West Frankfort
Children’s Medical and Mental Health Resource Network, Anna
Clarity Women’s Care, Carbondale
Franklin-Williamson Child Advocacy Center, Herrin
Hoyleton Youth & Family Services
Illinois Department of Children & Family Services – Southern Region
Lutheran Social Services of Illinois - Southern Region, Marion
Perry-Jackson Child Advocacy Center, Pinckneyville
Shawnee Health – Healthy Families Program, Carterville
Southern Illinois Coalition for the Homeless, Marion
Southern Illinois Resource and Advocacy Center, Shawneetown
Spero Family Services, Mt. Vernon
Stress and Trauma Treatment Center, Inc., Eldorado
Survivor Empowerment Center, Carbondale
The Amy Center, Mt. Vernon
The Night’s Shield, West Frankfort
Two Rivers Child Advocacy Center, Anna
Jo Poshard noted, "April is state and national Child Abuse Prevention Month. Our Foundation distributes these grants in April to draw attention to the plight of abused children in Southern Illinois and to remind the public that child abuse exists twelve months a year...not only in April. We must be vigilant year-round."
"It has been our mission for twenty-five years to help the abandoned, neglected and abused children of Southern Illinois to overcome their abuse and return to a more normal childhood through counseling, medical intervention, food security and recreational activities. These grants, administered by our committed social service workers, serve that purpose." - Glenn Poshard
Glenn and Jo Poshard, co-founders of the Poshard Foundation, believe every child deserves a safe person, a safe place, and a safe community. Unfortunately, that is not the reality for many of our children in Southern Illinois. The abused, neglected, and abandoned ones are those the Poshard Foundation seeks to help. Whether it is by providing counseling, cribs, therapeutic camps, supplies for college-bound foster children, or training for the prevention of violence against children, the Foundation strives to make a difference in young lives.
Thank you! Thank you!
For 25 years you have partnered with us to help care for thousands of vulnerable children throughout Southern Illinois. You’ve helped us raise millions of dollars to provide special medical care and counseling; build shelters; train hundreds of social workers, teachers and child care professionals to work with traumatized children; collaboration with the SIU School of Medicine, Harvard University and Prevent Child Abuse Illinois in supporting resilient children who, despite their trauma, are succeeding in school; a bed ministry which has provided hundreds of beds for children who had no place to sleep; hundreds of thousands of dollars to area food pantries for the purchase of nutritional food for deprived children; the renovation of facilities that house abused, bandoned and neglected children; one of the biggest Christmas toy giveaways in all of Southern Illinois; as well as scholarships for students who have suffered abuse. And so much more…
Please help us raise money for abused, abandoned, and neglected children in Southern Illinois, with a secure credit/debit card donation.