Community Wish List
The Community Foundation prides itself on bringing people who care together with causes that matter.
The Community Wish List assists the Community Foundation of Macon County in our programming because if we don’t know the needs of our community, we can’t connect donors with those causes. We will update this list quarterly, sharing specific wishes from the Macon County Legacy nonprofit members.
| Item/Purpose | $ Amount | % Funded |
|---|---|---|
| $25 Gas Cards (60) Macon County Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) — CASA's are provided gas cards to ensure the cost of fuel does not disrupt visitation with children who may be in care outside of Macon County. |
$1,500 |
|
| 12 New Office Phones with Voicemail and Multi-line Use Macon County Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) — Current office phones are out of date and do not have multiple-line access to accommodate our larger staff. |
$1,500 |
|
| 12-15 Passenger Van Old King's Orchard Community Center — This van will be used in transporting our youth and going to the Midwest food bank in Bloomington for our distribution we have every 3rd Thursday of the month. We currently have one van however we are needing 2 to meet our capacity of clients. Unfortunately, our second van has become vandalized and is not longer in running condition. |
$20,000 |
|
| 15 Children’s Life Jackets Decatur Family YMCA |
$500 |
|
| 15 Passenger Bus Decatur Family YMCA |
$25,000 |
|
| 2 Cricuts Macon Resources, Inc. |
$500 |
|
| 20 volt Cordless Drill 1/2"go Good Samaritan Inn |
$100 |
|
| 4 Wireless Vital Sign Monitors HSHS St. Mary's Foundation — Wireless monitors interface directly with EPIC and the vitals flow automatically and instantly into the documentation system. These vital sign monitors are a great time saver and reduce the risk of error in manually entering the information. |
$14,395 |
|
| 5 New Wheelchairs Macon Resources, Inc. |
$1,000 |
|
| 5 Wheelchair Umbrellas Macon Resources, Inc. |
$250 |
|
| 6 Desktop Computers with Monitors Macon County Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) — Computers are for the Advocate Supervisors working and overseeing all CASA cases and children. ($800 each) |
$4,800 |
|
| 6-8 Ft. Stepladder Block by Block |
$100 |
|
| 7 laptops for use by CASA employees Macon County Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) — Many CASA staff do work after "office" hours at home due to the nature of our assigned CASA cases. These laptops would allow CASA employees to work to work on these sensitive cases with confidential information on work-issued laptops at home, including sending emails, checking files, etc. |
$5,250 |
|
| 8 Back Stroke Wedges Decatur Family YMCA |
$2,000 |
|
| Adobe Suite Subscription Children's Museum of Illinois |
$360 |
|
| African-American Biographies and Picture Books Decatur Public Schools Foundation — District 61 schools seek to ensure that library selections for students are reflective of their community and representative of young people of all ethnicities. Intentionally providing titles that speak to these issues contributes to building dialogue between students of every background. Cost is per-building to provide age-appropriate sets for each age group: Kindergarten through 2nd Grade volumes; 3rd grade through 5th; and 6th, 7th, 8th Grades. The Decatur Public Schools have 12 buildings serving these students. (Five traditional elementary buildings, six specialty Kindergarten through 8th Grade buildings and one traditional middle school.) |
$1,460 |
|
| African-American Cultural & Genealogical Museum African-American Cultural & Genealogical Museum — The African American Cultural & Genealogical Society of Illinois, Inc. Museum operates out of a three-story building. The current building structure does not allow access for people with physical disabilities including the wheelchair bound and families with strollers. Our handicapped community (of children and adults) are deprived of the opportunity to visit the museum, learn about cultural diversity, and enjoy the many historical exhibits and other features experienced by much of the community and tourists throughout each year. |
$850,000 |
|
| Aprons Good Samaritan Inn |
$1,200 |
|
| Arts in the Park participation Public Painted Pianos Project in Macon County — Arts in the Park was a success last year with 6 pianos located at Central Park during the entire event. The cost is to cover moving pianos to and from Central Park. |
$1,500 |
|
| Baby Dolls Boys and Girls Club of Decatur |
$300 |
|
| Ball Bags Special Olympics Illinois — Prices range from $5-$10. Need 5. |
$50 |
|
| Barcode scanner with software Decatur Area Arts Council |
$750 |
|
| Basketball Jerseys with numbers two set, two colors- youth sizes and adult sizes -4xl Special Olympics Illinois |
$3,000 |
|
| Basketball Uniforms Boys and Girls Club of Decatur |
$1,000 |
|
| Basketballs Boys and Girls Club of Decatur |
$400 |
|
| Buffed Concrete Dining Room Floor Good Samaritan Inn |
$20,000 |
|
| Bulk Printer Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Illinois |
$550 |
|
| CAE Aria mannequin – School of Nursing Millikin University |
$23,000 |
|
| Camp Sokkia Summer Field Trips Decatur Family YMCA |
$1,130 |
|
| Can Openers Good Samaritan Inn |
$160 |
|
| Car Seat Ripple Foundation, The — We would like to provide a new and safe car seat to recipient of RMS Donation Van, if applicable. |
$250 |
|
| Car Seats Webster Cantrell Youth Advocacy |
$1,500 |
|
| Chain Saw Block by Block |
$150 |
|
| Cheerleading Uniforms Boys and Girls Club of Decatur |
$1,000 |
|
| Christmas Care & Share Dove, Inc. — A partnership with Dove, Inc., Northeast Community Fund and Salvation Army for assisting area families in need with Christmas items (and food). (This program has been the distribution site for the Macon County Toys for Tots for the past two years.) We are needing additional funds to purchase last-minute items to "fill in the gaps" and to fill a direct need. |
$2,500 |
|
| Christmas Toy Giveaway and Dinner for Youth and Families Shemilah Outreach Center |
$10,000 |
|
| Classroom tables and chairs Boys and Girls Club of Decatur |
$3,500 |
|
| Cleaning/Car Care Kit Ripple Foundation, The — Chris Ripple was notoriously known for having a Grade-A vehicle care kit. Anytime you needed to clean or detail your car on a budget, you could always borrow supplies from him. We would like to keep this memory alive by putting together a well-stocked cleaning kit for recipient of RMS Donation Van. Items will include: quality carrying caddy. interior wipes, tire shine, air fresheners, carpet cleaner, turtle wax, drying cloth and other car care essentials. |
$100 |
|
| Commercial Stove Boys and Girls Club of Decatur |
$2,500 |
|
| Compact floor scrubber Macon Resources, Inc. |
$3,500 |
|
| Computer Laptop Decatur Area Arts Council |
$550 |
|
| Computer Workstation Decatur Area Arts Council |
$800 |
|
| Computers Salvation Army of Decatur & Macon County — Job training. Computers preloaded with Microsoft software |
$1,000 |
|
| Computers Good Samaritan Inn — 6 computers at $1,000 each |
$6,000 |
|
| Conference Room Chairs Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Illinois |
$1,000 |
|
| Dawn Dish Soap for Bubble Table Children's Museum of Illinois |
$480 |
|
| Diapers and Wipes Webster Cantrell Youth Advocacy |
$450 |
|
| Digital Timers, Markers, Pencils, and Paper Project Read Plus — Richland Community College Foundation — Materials to be utilized for Project Read Plus |
$500 |
|
| Dining Room Mural Project Good Samaritan Inn — g |
$15,000 |
|
| Doorbell Camera System For Backdoor of The Careage House God's Shelter of Love, Inc. |
$300 |
|
| Dove Financial Assistance – DFA Dove, Inc. — Dove’s emergency financial assistance program used for first month rent and deposit. |
$25,000 |
|
| Drop Ceiling Insulation Good Samaritan Inn |
$12,000 |
|
| Dry Cabinet Salvation Army of Decatur & Macon County — This cabinet is used for clothes and other items. The cabinet is used regularly to immediately kill any germs or bed bugs, etc., so our environment can be kept clean and healthy |
$7,500 |
|
| Electronic Table Top Score Boards Special Olympics Illinois |
$400 |
|
| Enclosed Trailer to Store Tools and Supplies Block by Block |
$7,000 |
|
| Equipment and T-Shirts for Student Intramural Sports Richland Community College Foundation |
$1,500 |
|
| Expresso Recumbent Bikes Decatur Family YMCA |
$9,000 |
|
| Extension Ladder Block by Block |
$260 |
|
| Fall College Road Trip Boys and Girls Club of Decatur |
$5,000 |
|
| Family Mini-Van Ripple Foundation, The — 2022 Ripple Motor Show Donation van. This vehicle can be under 10k range. Must have decent mileage, body, minimal rust and be mechanically sound. It will be given a proper facelift prior to big reveal at Ripple Motor Show. After event, vehicle will be donated to Northeast Community Fund. |
$10,000 |
|
| First Floor Bathroom Renovations Children's Museum of Illinois — Update layout to increase usage and be more accessible as well as create a more easily accessible closet for repairs, leaks, and storage. |
$50,000 |
|
| Floor Buffer Northeast Community Fund |
$5,000 |
|
| Football equipment upgrades Decatur Junior Football League — Football equipment needing upgraded include, but not limited to, helmets, shoulder pads, blocking sled and tackling dummies. |
$20,000 |
|
| Funding to support prescription assistance Salvation Army of Decatur & Macon County — Supports Prescription Cost Assistance. Up to $300 per client. |
$25,000 |
|
| Funds to be Used Towards Children's Clothing Room Dove, Inc. — Funds will be used to provide new socks and underwear |
$1,800 |
|
| Garden and Landscaping Tools Block by Block — We are needing 5 of each item: Loppers - $25, Clippers - $25, Shovels - $30, Hoes - $25, Rakes - $25, Bow Saws - $15, Pruners - $20 |
$825 |
|
| Gas Cards Ripple Foundation, The — These gas cards will be given to the recipient of our RMS Donation Van. Our goal is to cover their gas expenses for their first year of ownership. |
$2,000 |
|
| Gift Cards Block by Block — Gift cards from any home improvement store will be used to purchase supplies needed for home projects. |
$10,000 |
|
| Grand Piano Blanket Decatur Area Arts Council |
$300 |
|
| Grand Piano for Anne Lloyd Gallery Decatur Area Arts Council |
$30,000 |
|
| Handheld or portable musical instruments Salvation Army of Decatur & Macon County |
$500 |
|
| Heavy Duty Office Paper Shredder Macon County Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) — Current shredder is smaller and cannot keep up with the capacity of shredding the CASA office must do per day. We must shred all case and court documents. All materials in the office are considered confidential. |
$150 |
|
| Heavy Duty Power Washer Block by Block |
$300 |
|
| Hip Roof Shade Structure for the Outdoor Eating Commons Boys and Girls Club of Decatur |
$15,000 |
|
| Historical Agency Timeline Macon Resources, Inc. |
$5,000 |
|
| Homeward Bound Program Dove, Inc. — Funds will be used for gas cards for clients for school transportation |
$2,500 |
|
| Human Brain Model Richland Community College Foundation — To be utilized for Biology Class |
$1,375 |
|
| HVAC system at Blessingdales Thrift Store God's Shelter of Love, Inc. — Our thrift store provides over 50% of our total revenue to run both of our shelters |
$60,000 |
|
| Indoor Outdoor Carpet for Event Tents (Wayfair 6’x23’) Special Olympics Illinois — Need 10 rolls |
$1,600 |
|
| Insta Benches Special Olympics Illinois — Need 15 |
$450 |
|
| Insulated Tractor Cab (Snow Removal) Good Samaritan Inn |
$5,200 |
|
| Insurance Policy Ripple Foundation, The — Insurance Policy covered in full for first year of ownership of RMS Donation Van. |
$1,500 |
|
| Inventory Management System Northeast Community Fund |
$5,000 |
|
| Items to stock Personal Essentials Pantry Empowerment Opportunity Center |
$1,000 |
|
| Juice (8 Gallons) Decatur Day Care Center |
$24 |
|
| Lab Research Study: Potential Treatments for Rhabdomyosarcoma Cancer Millikin University — Rhabdomyosarcoma is a debilitating cancer found primarily in children and teens, especially in children under age 10. This lab research student study, under the direction of MU Associate Professor of Biology Jennifer Schroeder, seeks to evaluate cardiac glycosides as a potential treatment for this disease. This research is conducted by a Millikin student who lost his young brother to rhabdomyosarcoma. Funding is requested to purchase the materials needed to complete the research. |
$1,178 |
|
| Laminated Sheet Music Public Painted Pianos Project in Macon County — Lamination of sheet music for 5-6 of the locations for public access when music desired to play pianos (will not need music at some sites) |
$200 |
|
| Lamination Machine Special Olympics Illinois — Machine needed to laminate 8 1/2 x 11" and larger pieces 11 x 24". |
$500 |
|
| Large Diamond Storage Building Decatur Junior Football League — Storage building will be used to store practice and game equipment. All of our equipment was being stored in our storage shed and concession building in a location that is now unavailable. It is now piled into a large box truck until we can secure a storage building. |
$10,000 |
|
| Large office Paper Shredder Special Olympics Illinois |
$200 |
|
| Leaf Bags Block by Block — 50 Leaf bags |
$100 |
|
| Long-Vanderburg Scholars Program Scholarship for Macon County Students Millikin University — The Long-Vanderburg Program is named in honor of Millikin's first two African-American graduates, Fred Long and Marian Vanderburg. The scholarship is renewable for up to four years as long as the student maintains a 3.0/4.0 cumulative GPA and actively participates in the program. |
$5,000 |
|
| MacArthur High School Greenhouse Decatur Public Schools Foundation — Two generous local donors have contributed $40,000 to fund the purchase of a greenhouse for MacArthur High School’s Agriculture program. The initial $40,000 contribution covers the purchase cost and engineering for the structure. An additional $17,500 will provide sitework, footings, water and electric to erect the building. Eisenhower’s greenhouse has served both high school buildings to date, but the program has grown from 202 students Year 1 (2018) to 435 students currently (Year 4); adding this matching greenhouse at MacArthur will accommodate program expansion and provide the same horticulture courses at both high schools. |
$17,500 |
|
| Multi-use 6 passenger golf cart Millikin University — • A replacement 6-passenger golf cart for Millikin’s Campus Safety and used by others units on campus needing to transport VIPs and guests while on campus. |
$11,500 |
|
| National Fitness Campaign Outdoor Fitness Court Decatur Family YMCA |
$140,000 |
|
| New Blow Up Screen Decatur Day Care Center |
$150 |
|
| New Energy Efficient Windows for Careage House God's Shelter of Love, Inc. |
$13,000 |
|
| New Ford Transit Salvation Army of Decatur & Macon County — This vehicle will be used especially for youth programs but also for Christmas bell ringing shuttle service. |
$45,000 |
|
| New Office Swivel Chairs Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Illinois |
$1,000 |
|
| New refrigerator at the main shelter God's Shelter of Love, Inc. |
$1,000 |
|
| New Set of Tires Ripple Foundation, The — Cover cost and installation of brand new all-weather tires on RMS Donation Van. |
$500 |
|
| New T-Shirts for volunteers and staff Children's Museum of Illinois |
$500 |
|
| NuStep Recumbent Cross Trainer Decatur Family YMCA |
$6,000 |
|
| Official Coins for Toss at a sports event Special Olympics Illinois — Need 20 coins at $10 each. |
$200 |
|
| Oil Changes/Vehicle Maintenance Ripple Foundation, The — Oil change gift cards or comparable to cover first year of maintenance of RMS Donation Van. |
$500 |
|
| Outdoor Basketball Court Decatur Family YMCA |
$25,000 |
|
| Outside camera at the main shelter God's Shelter of Love, Inc. |
$1,500 |
|
| Park Bench for Children's Memorial Garden Baby TALK |
$1,500 |
|
| Part-Time Developmental Therapist Baby TALK — salary & benefits to expand enrollment capacity in STEPS Program which provides educational and therapy services for young children who have been identified with developmental delays |
$19,000 |
|
| Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for staff and clients Heritage Behavioral Health Center |
$25,000 |
|
| Piano Clinics Public Painted Pianos Project in Macon County — Piano clinics held in conjunction with the Millikin School of Music piano students and professors are for the DPS students at Hope Academy and Johns Hill. The event would involve 5 painted pianos at each event for students interested to have time to explore the pianos as well as play a few notes and talk to the piano students from Millikin. The cost would be affiliated with moving the pianos to the schools for the events. |
$2,000 |
|
| Picnic Tables for the Outdoor Eating Commons Boys and Girls Club of Decatur |
$10,000 |
|
| Pipe Dreams Studio Theatre LED lighting equipment – School of Theatre and Dance Millikin University |
$15,000 |
|
| Pipe Dreams Studio Theatre ticket scanner – School of Theatre and Dance Millikin University |
$1,300 |
|
| Pool Table Boys and Girls Club of Decatur |
$5,000 |
|
| Popcorn Decatur Day Care Center |
$10 |
|
| Portable Movie Screen Decatur Area Arts Council |
$80 |
|
| Power Loppers Block by Block |
$50 |
|
| PP Projectors Salvation Army of Decatur & Macon County — Four projectors must be replaced -- three of them are used in the community room – which needs to be kept professional and appropriate for usage. The fourth projector is needed for the chapel used each Sunday. |
$55,000 |
|
| Printer Paper Macon County Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) — CASA prints and files all court reports for every hearing for each foster child for whom we advocate. We are needing 24 boxes of paper to cover a year's supply. |
$720 |
|
| Printer/Scanner God's Shelter of Love, Inc. |
$250 |
|
| Printer/Scanner/Copier Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Illinois |
$450 |
|
| Promotional Retractable Banners Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Illinois |
$800 |
|
| Purchase 2 school buses from Robertson Charter School Decatur Junior Football League — We have previously rented the buses from Robertson Charter School to transport teams for away games. We have been notified that the school will be discontinuing their bus service and selling their buses this year. |
$12,000 |
|
| Refinish/refurbish Gymnasium Floor Decatur Family YMCA |
$25,000 |
|
| Refrigerated Box Truck Good Samaritan Inn |
$100,000 |
|
| Refrigerated Food Truck Salvation Army of Decatur & Macon County — Food truck will be used to transport meals. |
$56,242 |
|
| Remaining Funds for Tower Crane Exhibit Children's Museum of Illinois — $15,000 has already been raised. Will be placed in the Ready, Set, Build! exhibit space |
$5,000 |
|
| Repairs and Updates to Drainage System for Building Children's Museum of Illinois — We need to dig and install PVC piping around a majority of the building to reduce leaks and flooding caused by improper drainage of our current drainage system. |
$30,000 |
|
| Replace windows and blinds in three rooms Decatur Area Arts Council |
$6,700 |
|
| Replacement van to transport families Baby TALK |
$50,000 |
|
| Research Study: Effects of Metolachlor on Development Millikin University — Beyond extensive studies of the effects on frogs from exposure to atrazine, a widely used herbicide to control broadleaf and grassy weeds, by Tyrone Hayes (Hayes 2010, 2011), the amount of published, repeatable research examining other pesticides in a variety of model systems is minimal. This lab research student study, under the direction of MU Associate Professor of Biology Jennifer Schroeder, seeks to advance this research by testing the effects of metolachlor, a pesticide widely used in Illinois, on the early development of tadpoles. Funding is requested to purchase the materials needed to complete the research. |
$108 |
|
| Research Study: Thyroid Cancer Treatment without Surgical Removal of Entire Thyroid Millikin University — This study evaluates the possibility of a medical thyroid cancer treatment that does not require removal of the entire thyroid for patients with less severe cases of thyroid cancer. This research is conducted by a Millikin student who is currently in treatment for thyroid cancer. Funding is requested to purchase the materials needed to complete the research. |
$643 |
|
| RSVP / SCP Program Dove, Inc. — (Retired and Senior Volunteer Program and Senior Companion Program) Volunteer Appreciation/Recognition Materials |
$2,500 |
|
| S.T.E.M. Van Greater St. Louis Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America — Serving the greater Decatur area, a S.T.E.M. van would help deliver hands-on, innovating programming to youth in the area. The donation includes the price of a van ($36,000), program materials ($19,000), and staffing for a year ($5,000) |
$60,000 |
|
| Safety Radios Baby TALK — for teachers in (2) Classrooms |
$1,600 |
|
| Senior Center Wellness Classes Empowerment Opportunity Center |
$10,000 |
|
| Shelter Residents of the Domestic Violence Program Dove, Inc. — Funds will be used for meals which are no longer covered under funding source |
$12,000 |
|
| Shelving Good Samaritan Inn — 20 shelves at $500.00 each |
$10,000 |
|
| Shuttle Bus for Senior Services Transportation Empowerment Opportunity Center |
$80,000 |
|
| Small 3-D Printer Children's Museum of Illinois |
$400 |
|
| Small PA Sound Systemart Decatur Area Arts Council |
$800 |
|
| Sound-Dampening Stage Curtains Decatur Public Schools Foundation — South Shores Elementary and American Dreamer STEM Academy are both in need of sound dampening curtains to improve the stage areas at each building ($3,000 per set, $6,000 to fund purchases for both schools). Both buildings benefitted from renovations during the past year, but internal funding has not been available to cover this request. |
$6,000 |
|
| Special Education High School Theatre Decatur Public Schools Foundation — Instill inspiration for those who truly appreciate a great audience! Your gift will encourage special needs students to step outside their comfort zone and into the spotlight. |
$2,500 |
|
| Special Project: Mums (2023 Season) Good Samaritan Inn |
$7,500 |
|
| Spoons Good Samaritan Inn |
$255 |
|
| Staff Earnings - (8 staff for 3 hours at $20/hour) Decatur Day Care Center |
$480 |
|
| Start-Up Costs for Student Mental Health Services Richland Community College Foundation |
$58,000 |
|
| Sturdy Flip Score Boards Special Olympics Illinois |
$25 |
|
| Sturdy Plastic Folding Chairs from Sam’s Club Special Olympics Illinois — Need 100 |
$3,000 |
|
| Summer Camps for Macon County Students Richland Community College Foundation |
$15,000 |
|
| Surveillance Cameras Millikin University — • In an effort to enhance the safety of Millikin students south of campus near Wood Street and Oakland Avenue, purchasing and maintaining surveillance cameras would help minimize violent crimes in the campus-town area. $10,000 initial cost and $8,000 annually for upkeep and maintenance |
$18,000 |
|
| Synthetic Playground Grass Decatur Family YMCA — Playground grass will replace the current wood mulch under the CDC playground |
$65,000 |
|
| Tables and Chairs Good Samaritan Inn |
$16,000 |
|
| Tankless Hot Water Heater Decatur Family YMCA |
$50,000 |
|
| The Beginning Awareness Basic Education Studies Program (BABES) School program Dove, Inc. |
$50,000 |
|
| Tiller Block by Block |
$150 |
|
| Toys, Games, and Books Boys and Girls Club of Decatur |
$500 |
|
| Toys, Video Games & Board Games Boys and Girls Club of Decatur |
$500 |
|
| Transportation Expenses Baby TALK — for children & families enrolled in STEPS (includes gas, insurance, repairs and personnel) |
$5,000 |
|
| Two Updated Computers God's Shelter of Love, Inc. — The Computers will be utilized in God's Shelter of Love's Offices |
$1,000 |
|
| Uline Label Machine Special Olympics Illinois |
$75 |
|
| Updated Catering Equipment Good Samaritan Inn |
$1,500 |
|
| Used Utility Mini-Van Northeast Community Fund |
$15,000 |
|
| Utility and Water Assistance Northeast Community Fund |
$75,000 |
|
| Utility Cart/Wagon 900lbs Good Samaritan Inn |
$130 |
|
| Warmline Program Supplies Baby TALK — diapers, wipes & formula distributed at no cost to families in need |
$1,000 |
|
| Warmline Program Supplies: diapers and wipes for 12 families Baby TALK |
$500 |
|
| Weed Barrier Block by Block — 5 100 ft. rolls of weed barrier |
$125 |
|
| Wheelchair Ramp and Front Porch Repair for Transitional House Empowerment Opportunity Center |
$10,000 |
|
| Wheeled Trimmer Mower (Brushhog) Good Samaritan Inn |
$550 |
|
| Wooden Rocking Chairs for Visiting Room (No fabric) Webster Cantrell Youth Advocacy |
$400 |
|