Bloomington, Mackinaw Residents Named 2022 Philanthropists of the Year
To Be Honored at Philanthropy Day Celebration Nov. 17
BLOOMINGTON — Janice (Jan) Meadows of Bloomington and Kevin Jones of Mackinaw, all who have given generously of their time and talents to many local organizations, have been named the 2022 Philanthropists of the Year by the Illinois Prairie Community Foundation (IPCF). They will be honored during the Celebrating Local Philanthropy luncheon at noon Thursday, Nov. 17, 2022, at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, 10 Brickyard Dr., Bloomington.
Again this year, the Community Foundation will be awarding two Philanthropist awards – one for Bloomington-Normal and the other for outside the Twin Cities (other parts of McLean County, plus DeWitt, Logan and Livingston counties).
The criteria for the award are: outstanding civic responsibility through philanthropic efforts; serving in leadership roles, providing vision and the ability to involve others in philanthropic activity; and voluntary commitment of time and contributions of financial resources. Current IPCF board members and staff are not eligible to be nominated.
Jan Meadows
Jan Meadows of Bloomington exemplifies the spirt of philanthropy through her leadership and involvement in numerous community programs and organizations supporting students, families and educators in Bloomington-Normal. She will receive the 2022 IPCF Philanthropist of the Year –Bloomington-Normal award.
For the past 11 years, Jan has chaired the Back 2 School Alliance, which is a coalition of groups that annually provides more than 4,000 backpacks with school supplies to low-income families in Unit 5 and District 87 school districts. She coordinates the year-round collection of funds and school supplies, culminating in the Back 2 School Party where the backpacks are distributed and where local agencies are present to provide information and assistance to local families. Jan’s efforts with Back 2 School Alliance also provide opportunities for the high school students in Eugene Field School.
Jan retired in 2011 from Unit 5 Schools, after 35 years in the district – 20 years as a behavior specialist at Colene Hoose Elementary School and 15 years as a first-grade teacher at Glenn Elementary School. For 20 years, she also taught night courses at Illinois State University, retiring in 2021. Jan continues to mentor student teachers and honors students from ISU.
For the last 10 years, Jan has also been involved with the Promise Council, an independent school support program, which develops a sustainable network of caring adults to connect and engage community resources that remove barriers to learning so all children can achieve success through education. She currently serves a chair for two Promise Councils and is on the board of two other councils. In addition, she created Promise Shoes, a shoe bank of new and gently used shoes for students at Unit 5 and District 87 schools.
She created a 10-week course called WOW to develop leadership skills and confidence in elementary school aged girls. Jan wrote the curriculum, orientation and training sessions, recruits leaders to work with the girls and wrote a grant to cover the costs. She also serves on the Jill Hartke Better to Give Than to Receive Holiday Program, which provides clothing, toys, household items to 150 Unit 5 families in need.
After serving on the executive committee of the Unit 5 Education Association for many years, Jan continues to serve as vice president for the IEA Retired Teachers. She collaborated with Camille Taylor to bring Not In Our School programming to Unit 5 students, volunteers at McLean County Museum of History’s Cemetery Walk, and is a member of the philanthropic group 100 Women for Good. She taught pre-school religion classes at St. Patrick Church of Merna and Holy Trinity Church, both of Bloomington.
In all her volunteer work, Jan uses a network of community helpers who are willing to donate, volunteer or do whatever necessary to fill immediate and long-term needs of students.
She is married to Joe Luber, who is her support system in all her endeavors. They have three children – Sarah Imhof, Mark Meadows and Elizabeth Heidemann – and five grandchildren.
Kevin Jones
Kevin Jones of Mackinaw exemplifies the spirt of philanthropy through his leadership and involvement in providing forums throughout Central Illinois and beyond for people to express their feelings and truly hear one another. He will receive the 2022 IPCF Philanthropist of the Year – Outside Twin Cities award.
Jones has facilitated Listening Circles, a restorative justice practice, to provide people an opportunity to speak and listen to each other in an atmosphere of safety, respect and equality. He facilitates Listening Circles in communities, workplaces, schools, nonprofit organizations, neighborhoods, universities and families. Since 2015, he has done more than 2,500 trainings, most recently after George Floyd’s murder, after the 2020 presidential election and attacks on the Asian American Pacific Islander community related to the pandemic.
Jones’ work with restorative justice is a culmination of his 35-year career serving children and families through such agencies such as The Baby Fold, the Children’s Foundation, the Department of Children and Family Services and the Regional Office of Education.
Training, coaching and educating schools, agencies and businesses across the country in restorative practices is Jones’ passion. He has facilitated several restorative practices trainings for Illinois State University, Bloomington Police Department, Carle BroMenn Medical Center, Western Avenue Community Center, Boys and Girls Club of Bloomington-Normal and several churches in McLean County.
He earned a master’s degree in Restorative Practices through the International Institute of Restorative Practices in 2017. Jones serves on the executive board for Project Oz.
According to his nominator, “Kevin understands that if people can have a positive way to heal from whatever issues they have, he can ultimately contribute to having a more peaceful world and making it a better place. His vision and ability to get others involved is a true philanthropist.”
Jones and his wife, Kim Jones, have one son, Tre Jones, and one daughter, Haleigh Jones, plus one grandson, Wesley Jones.
Philanthropy Day
The Celebrating Local Philanthropy events will take place at a new location this year – the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, 10 Brickyard Dr., Bloomington. Cost of the Philanthropy Luncheon is $40 per person.
A morning workshop for staff, board members and volunteers of nonprofits entitled “Communicate, Collaborate, Connect: Invest in Building a Better Organization” will be held from 8:30-11:30 a.m. Nov. 17 at the hotel. Cost of the workshop is $30 per person; two people from the same nonprofit organization may attend for the price of one. For more information or to register for either event, visit www.ilprairiecf.org/local-philanthropy, or contact IPCF at [email protected] or call 309-662-4477. Registration deadline is Nov. 8.
About Illinois Prairie Community Foundation
Illinois Prairie Community Foundation, now in its 24th year, encourages and facilitates philanthropy in McLean, DeWitt, Livingston and Logan counties by connecting donors who care with causes that matter to them. The Foundation manages funds including endowments and donor advised, fiscal sponsorship and scholarship funds. More information is available at www.ilprairiecf.org.
Contact
Michele Evans, Grants & Communications Director | 309-662-4477