Purchase with a Purpose Check Presentations | Fall 2022
We recently ended our “Purchase with a Purpose” Debit Card Campaign in which a $1.00 donation was made to local charities with every Stillman Bank Debit Card transaction up to $15,000! We were excited to be able to present checks for $2,500 to 6 non-profit organizations throughout the Rock River Valley!
Focus House is a youth residential facility operated by the Ogle County Probation Department. They provide 24-hour care services for troubled youth residing throughout Northern Illinois, including residential care, on-site schooling and education, counseling, health care, leisure/recreation activities, and post-discharge (aftercare) services. Through their commitment to children, their residents are given the opportunity to develop self-worth, responsibility, and respect — enabling them to successfully return to their families and communities.
Rockford Area Habitat for Humanity
Formed in 1988, Rockford Area Habitat for Humanity is the local Habitat affiliate for Winnebago County. Their work is not about the houses; it is about the homeowners and the community. The RAHFH is dedicated to building homes, neighborhoods, and lives through improved housing opportunities. Their mission is to build simple, decent, affordable homes to be sold to families currently living in substandard housing.
In addition to their hands-on work, the Rockford Area Habitat for Humanity also has a ReStore in Rockford that sells new and gently used furniture, appliances, home accessories, building materials, and more at a fraction of the retail price. Proceeds from the ReStore are used to build homes and improve our surrounding communities.
In 1973, a Rock Valley College student, concerned about hunger, conceived the idea of collecting food and distributing it to needy families in the Rockford community. When the Rock River Valley Pantry opened in 1974, it was run exclusively by volunteers, and food was supported mainly by churches. During the first year, 1,745 individuals were given emergency food.
Today, the Pantry is operated by three full-time and four part-time staff members along with the help of volunteers who provide thousands of hours of service. The Pantry receives food and financial support from all segments of the community including churches, businesses, individuals, local retailers, foundations, and organizations.
Habitat for Humanity of Ogle County
Habitat for Humanity of Ogle County is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to eliminate poverty housing by building simple, decent affordable houses for people in need, helping to revitalize neighborhoods and communities. With volunteer labor and tax-deductible donations of materials and money, Habitat builds and rehabilitates houses with the help of partner families. The organization broke ground on its 14th home build in Ogle County this past October. Once complete, the house will belong to a mother and her four children in Rochelle.
The Veterans’ Drop-In Center was founded in 2009 when a group of people decided that Rockford area veterans and their families needed a place to gather and meet with their peers – without some of the formalities that come with other veterans’ organizations. At the Drop-In center, local veterans can take advantage of a positive social environment – TV, games, and computer usage – as well as lunch and dinner served each night.
Since 1969, the Village of Progress has been serving adults with developmental disabilities in Ogle County. They strive to offer innovative vocational skills, exceptional recreational programs, and engaging social activities, to each of the men and women who attend here. The people the Village serves are given a place of mutual respect, a place where they have a voice, and an opportunity to create purpose in their lives.
