Siemer Milling Endowment Contributes to Big Brothers and Big Sisters

Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation has announced the Siemer Milling Endowment for Youth Leadership Development has granted $5,000 to Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Effingham County to help cover the costs of volunteer recruitment, training and match support services.

(LEFT TO RIGHT...AMANDA RIEMAN, SIEMER MILLING; DIANE SIEMER, SIEMER MILLING; STACY RIOS, DIRECTOR BBBS; KATIE SIEMER, SIEMER MILLING; DAPHNE GULLETT, SIEMER MILLING; HENRY SIEMER, SIEMER MILLING)

Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Effingham County provides one-to-one mentor relationships to at risk youth in Effingham County. They serve approximately 130 youth each year and currently have 96 children on their waiting list for a big brother or sister. On average, it costs $1,200 to support one match for an entire year. Funding is needed to help cover the costs of volunteer recruitment, training and match support services of their program.

Christy Mesnard, the Program Director for BBBS states, “All activities that our program and mentors provide is completely youth driven. Our matches are encouraged to try new things together and listen to our Littles in their desires to participate or learn new things.”

The Siemer Milling Company Endowment, a fund of Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation, was established in 2006 to provide a permanent source of funding to programs in Effingham County that support the development of young leaders. Since its inception, the Siemer Milling Company Endowment has contributed more than $200,000 to nonprofit organizations serving Effingham County.

For more information, please contact Maggie Meylor, the Grants Administrator at 217-342-5413 or maggie@enrichingourcommunity.org. For more information on Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Effingham County, please contact Stacy Rios at 217-540-1413 or bbbsed@joinsomethingbig.org.