Smithfield Foods and its Employees Raise $118,848 for United Way of West Central Illinois Successful leaders realize that when everyone feels as though they are part of something, the outcome is successful. This is no exception when it comes to profit and nonprofit business working together to improve the region in which they
live. A sense of pride and belonging comes when neighbors and friends commit to each other. Areas focused on “all of us” are those that reach monumental success — even when challenges come their way.
This spirit of partnership is deeply rooted at Smithfield Foods. The company is committed to supporting the communities where its employees live, work and raise their families, and that commitment shines in Monmouth, Illinois. Each year, Smithfield provides tens of thousands of dollars in nutritional food and monetary donations to regional nonprofits in the greater Monmouth, Illinois, community. This list includes: ReCharge Teen Center; Special Olympics; River Bend Food Bank; Western Illinois Animal Rescue; Monmouth-Roseville, United, Abingdon, Aledo, and Galesburg school districts; Jamieson Community Center’s annual toy drive (serving over 400 families); Western Illinois University FFA;, and United Way of West Central Illinois, where 100% of all funds raised each year are reinvested locally to organizations and programs supporting families in the region. These generous donations come from both the company and the incredible extent to which regional employees are willing to give.
Over the years, Smithfield has led the largest corporate campaign in the area – raising millions of dollars for United Way of West Central Illinois over time. Smithfield’s dedicated team, led by Bruce Rundle, general manager, assists United Way in raising hundreds of thousands of dollars each year.
Rundle, who also serves as vice president and an executive committee member on United Way of West Central Illinois’ board of directors, realizes the impact the annual campaign makes on the region. “We continue to be strong supporters of United Way of West Central Illinois because we know how much they are doing to support families in the area. They share in our belief that everyone should have a voice and the opportunity to create a good life.”
Rundle and his team of supervisors and translators donate generously to the campaign themselves and encourage others both at the plant and in the community to do the same.
During the annual campaign, which normally takes place right before the holidays, United Way of West Central Illinois’ executive director, Jeannie Weber, is doing more than raising money while at the Monmouth plant. She spends hours talking honestly with employees about what the organization can do as one of the leading nonprofit supporters in the region. As a result of these conversations and others, United Way of West Central Illinois benefits other nonprofits and continues to develop new programs that enhance everyone’s wellbeing. Their consistent focus is to provide a sense of trust, understanding, and belonging to every individual living and working in West Central Illinois.
Weber, who has led the organization for eleven years, has seen the commitment – Smithfield Monmouth, Illinois’ employees bring to feeding people around the world. She also realizes that helping others comes naturally to them.
Weber says, “Over the years, so many team members here have become more like family. They work hard and take great pride in helping others. They understand that we are only as strong as our weakest link and that by extending ourselves just a little, we can do so much. What Smithfield Monmouth does for the region demonstrates perfectly how United Way becomes a force for goodness a few dollars at a time.”
By focusing on “all of us,” Smithfield Monmouth is playing a major role in ensuring that the future is nothing but bright.
***Courtesy of the United Way of West Central Illinois***
