March 29, 2021 – On Saturday, April 3, members of Young Leaders in Action (YLIA) will lead a program on safety and distribute sweet treat packages to residents at nine Marion County Horizon Center homes in Central Illinois, including Decatur and Mt. Zion. The event, including the distribution of individually packaged desserts and candies, will be held from 1–3 pm.
During stops at each facility, the YLIA Violence Prevention Team, and Leo the Violence Prevention mascot will lead a program to help empower residents regarding issues of safety. The safety program is conducted in conjunction with Sherrod’s Independent Mentoring Program (SIMP), which was founded by Dr. Jarmese Sherrod, YLIA facilitator, and is sponsored by Governor J.B. Pritzker and Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton.
“Violence prevention is of utmost importance in today’s society, and I’m pleased our YLIA Violence Prevention Team is offering messages about safety to the program’s residents,” says Weston Grohne, YLIA event chair. “Also, we hope these sweet treat care packages will brighten each resident’s day – or maybe even their week.”
Eighteen COVID-19 Care Kits, supplied by The Community Foundation of Macon County’s Dani Rubin-Kater Memorial Fund for COVID Care, will also be distributed during the event.
Additional outreach events before the conclusion of YLIA’s service year later this spring include:
● April 17 — “Food Truck Frenzy” in conjunction with United Way of Decatur & Mid-Illinois
● May 8 — “Dipper Drive” in conjunction with DOVE Inc.
Young Leaders in Action is a youth-led initiative of Macon County high school students seeking to make a positive difference in their community. The group is sponsored by The Community Foundation of Macon County and Rotary Club No. 180 of Decatur. To learn more information about this event and YLIA’s other upcoming community service opportunities, follow the group’s Facebook and Instagram pages.
