Local non-profit receives State Farm Neighborhood Assist Grant

Posted on September 25, 2018
State Farm has announced the Promise Council as one of its top-40 community causes to receive $25,000 from the Neighborhood Assist Grant. (State Farm)

 

By Neil Doyle

BLOOMINGTON – A local group that tries to help students in District 87 and Unit 5 has been awarded a grant from State Farm.

Promise Council of McLean County is one of 40 other community causes that will receive a $25,000 grant from the State Farm Neighborhood Assist.

A crowd-sourced philanthropic program, the State Farm Neighborhood Assist empowers communities to identify causes that will have a positive impact if funded.

Formed in 2009, the Promise Council was built to address the declining high school graduation rates in Bloomington-Normal. The non-profit revolves around five promises which include caring adult relationships, healthy childhoods, safe surroundings, effective education and opportunities to serve others.

In McLean County there are 13 schools that already have councils but that looks to change with the additional funding.

“So with this grant we are probably going to implement additional tutoring programs and mentoring programs which bring adults into the children’s lives and help to give them support,” said Promise Council board Vice President Linda Bowman. “Additionally, we’re going to have funds to give too the schools wish lists as each school develops a wish list of things they can’t afford and we’ll now be able to give them money to get some things off their wish lists,” said Bowman.

With the grant the organization said they’ll be able to impact nearly 10,000 new students.

Neil Doyle can be reached at [email protected]

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