If you’ve lived in central Illinois for any length of time, you know these businesses. They’re where we shop and eat, the people we call when we need help with our taxes or our insurance, and the familiar faces who greet us around town. What’s easy to miss is how many of them also quietly give back to their neighbors.
At United Way of Central Illinois, 20 local businesses have joined our 365 Small Business Circle, and I want to take a moment to say thank you.
The idea is simple. A business gives a little each day, and together it adds up. A 365 Member gives $1 a day, a 365 Partner gives $2 a day, and a 365 Leader gives $3 a day. Right now, our 20 businesses give a combined $43 every day, which comes to $15,695 a year to support the work of United Way!
That money goes to work right here in Sangamon and Menard counties. It helps put books in the hands of children through Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, it helps working families who hit an unexpected setback get through it thanks to our ALICE Emergency Fund, and it connects neighbors with help any time of day through 211. Every dollar stays local, and it reaches the people who live down the street from these businesses. Multiply that by 20, and you can see how far it reaches.
We are proud to recognize these local small businesses:
365 Leaders ($3 per day)
TPH Strategies; Eck, Shaefer & Punke, LLP; Carrollton Bank; OOT Box; Kuhn & Trello Consulting Engineers, LLC; Mosquito Joe; Always On Consulting; Body Symmetry; Evergreen Wealth; Reliable Environmental Solutions; and American Bank of Freedom
365 Partner ($2 per day)
Edward Jones- Duane Sieren
365 Members ($1 per day)
Damon Priddy State Farm; ChangeBridge Consulting; Robert’s Seafood; Pole Barn Chic; Property Tax Advisors, LTD; Christen Owen- LPL Financial Advisor; Resource One; and Evan Lloyd Associates
To every one of you: thank you. You chose to give back to the community we all call home, and that means more to us than we can easily say.
Our campaign theme this year is The Way Begins With You, and these businesses live it. They didn’t wait for someone else to step up. They saw a need, decided to be part of the answer, and made giving a regular part of how they do business.
Supporting your community doesn’t have to be complicated. These businesses show that a small, steady gift can do a lot of good. They also show something bigger: what it looks like to care about the place where you do business and not just work in it.
To our 365 Leaders, Partners and Members: thank you for believing in this community and for helping build a better future for the people who live here.
To learn more about the United Way of Central Illinois 365 Small Business Circle, visit https://www.uwcil.org/365.
Jean Bruner-Jachino is director of strategic partnerships for the United Way of Central Illinois.
This article appears in October 22-28, 2026.
