The Poshard Foundation Announcing $111,000 in Donations to 59 Southern Illinois Food Pantries
(Carterville, IL | April 15, 2025)
At this time of the year area food pantries are struggling, especially to provide nutritious food for the children they serve. In the past the Poshard Foundation has distributed hundreds of thousands of dollars to food pantries with the condition the money be used to purchase fresh, highly nutritious food for children. This year the Foundation is providing 59 food pantries throughout our region with a total of $111,000 for food for children.
"In working with vulnerable children for over twenty-five years, we know that good nutrition is part of the healing process. We ask participating pantries to give us their strategies for getting the food into the hands of children," said Jo Poshard.
"Very soon we will be distributing our annual grants to social service agencies that are working to heal the emotional and psychological damage inflicted on many southern Illinois children, but our first step is to help heal the hunger," said Glenn Poshard.
"A two or three thousand dollar grant to a local pantry may not sound like much, but often the pantry can use that money to leverage greater purchasing power with federal food banks and other organizations with whom they work," added Jo Poshard.
Area food pantries receiving grants from the Poshard Foundation include:
Arrowleaf’s Client Choice Food Pantry, Cairo and Vienna
Ava-Trico Area Food Pantry
Benton/West City Ministerial Alliance Food Pantry
Bethel Temple Evangelistic Ministries, Mounds
Blessings in a Backpack, Johnson County
Cambria Food Pantry
Caring for Kids, Harrisburg
Centralia Community Benevolent Association
Cherry Street Food Pantry, Carmi
Chester Area Christian Food Pantry
Christian Community Compassion Center, Harrisburg
Community United Pantry, Carterville
COPE – Christian Outreach Program Emergency Food Pantry, Metropolis
Du Quoin Food Pantry
Emmanuel Temple Ministries, Metropolis
Faith Liberty Mission Church Food Pantry, Du Quoin
Friends of Jesus Food Pantry, Eldorado
Gallatin County Food Pantry, Shawneetown
God’s Pantry, Olmsted
Good Samaritan Ministries, Carbondale
Grace Baptist Fellowship Food Pantry, Benton
Grand Tower Food Pantry
Greater Galatia Food Pantry
Harvest Deliverance Center Pantry, Harrisburg
Herrin Community Pantry
Herrin House of Hope
Hope’s Entourage, Mt. Vernon
Hurst Community Food Bank
JC Manna Mission, Johnston City
Jesus es el Senor UMC – Joe’s Mall Food Pantry, Cobden
Jesus Helping Hands Mobile Food Market, Tamaroa
K-Lees Food Pantry NFP, Goreville
Landmark House of Praise, Carrier Mills
Least of the Brethren Food Pantry, Pinckneyville
Loaves and Fishes at Anna United Methodist Church
Marion Ministerial Alliance
Murphysboro Food Pantry, Inc.
Park Avenue Baptist Church Food Pantry, Mt. Vernon
Purpose House – Love Goes, Colp
Refuge Temple, Marion
Roads Food Pantry, Norris City
St. Kateri Weekend Snackpack Program, Ridgway
Salem Lutheran Church Food Pantry, Jonesboro
Sesser Valier Area Lifeline
724 Ministries NFP, Murphysboro
Shawnee Development Council, Inc., Karnak
Southern Illinois Resource and Advocacy Center Neighborhood Food Pantry, Shawneetown
Sparta Area Food Pantry
Table and Grace, Olive Branch
The Promise Mission, Marion
Thebes Food Pantry
Victory Dream Center, Carbondale
Vienna Food Pantry
Wabash Area Development, Inc., Fairfield
Waltonville Free Will Baptist Church
Weekend Blessings, 1st Methodist Church, Metropolis
We Love White County, Carmi
Whiteash Food Bank, Marion
Williamson Baptist Association, Marion
APRIL IS CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION MONTH POWERED BY HOPE, STRENGTHENED BY PREVENTION APRIL CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION MONTH KICK-OFF
(Carterville, IL | April 1, 2025)
On April 1st, Prevent Child Abuse Illinois and the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, in partnership with The Poshard Foundation for Abused Children and other community organizations, will be holding a press conference to launch April Child Abuse Prevention Month 2025
Guest speakers include Dr. Kirk Overstreet, President, John A. Logan College; Jo Poshard, Executive Director, The Poshard Foundation for Abused Children; Brittney Hale, Home Visiting Specialist, Prevent Child Abuse Illinois; Holly Mulvany, Acting Regional Administrator, Child Protection, Illinois Department of Children and Family Services; Casey Bloodworth, first Assistant State’s Attorney, Jackson County State’s Attorney’s office; and Megan Ragan, Executive Director at Southern Illinois Resource and Advocacy Network. The event will include a proclamation reading and information regarding the prevention of child abuse and neglect.
“This year’s theme, Powered by Hope, Strengthened by Prevention, emphasizes the importance of prevention efforts that support families, strengthen communities, and ensure every child has the opportunity to reach their full potential. By investing in prevention, we not only protect children, but also provide families with the strength and resilience to overcome challenges. When families thrive, communities thrive. It is through prevention that we can ensure a bright future for generations to come.” said Tarra Winters, Executive Director of Prevent Child Abuse Illinois.
Child Abuse Prevention Month has been observed each April since its first presidential proclamation in 1983. Since that time, millions of Americans have participated in this national campaign. Individuals, organizations and communities across the United States plant pinwheels, tie ribbons, organize trainings, host fundraisers, and support a multitude of other activities celebrating healthy, happy childhoods and raising awareness that all children deserve to grow up in nurturing, safe homes.
“This year’s theme goes hand-in-hand with our department’s vision: for every child and youth to grow and thrive in a family,” said Illinois DCFS Director Heidi E. Mueller. “We know that when parents are supported, their families are stronger and safer – and we also know that children do better when they are able to remain at home safely. In 2024 we served 4,034 families through our family preservation programs, enabling them to stay together. DCFS also connected parents to counseling, substance abuse recovery, mental health, Family Advocacy Centers and other services so 5,374 children could return home. By working together with our community partners and connecting families to the services and programs that meet their unique needs DCFS continues to strengthen and support families.”
Please join us April 1st to show your support for all children and their families. This event will be open to the general public.
The following organizations and individuals were instrumental in planning this event: Prevent Child Abuse Illinois, Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, The Poshard Foundation for Abused Children, and Perry-Jackson Child Advocacy Center. To learn more about child abuse prevention, visit www.preventchildabuseillinois.org.
Please help us raise money for abused, abandoned, and neglected children in Southern Illinois, with a secure credit/debit card donation.