The Southern

The Beautify Southern Illinois Campaign, in conjunction with the Southern Illinois Community Foundation, soon will be able to provide a little financial assistance to help local teenagers and college students organize recycling projects, plant flowers along sidewalks and pick up trash from roads and ditches.

And campaign officials also will recognize the efforts of volunteers throughout Southern Illinois with its first Beautify Southern Illinois Awards program.

Anyone is encouraged to submit nominations using the form here or by going online to www.beautifysouthernillinois.org, said Paul Restivo, chairman of the campaign.

Nominations should be received by Oct. 5. Winners will be presented certificates during the Oct. 19 Community Leaders' Breakfast sponsored by the Southern Business Journal at John A. Logan College.

The cleanup and environmental organization started by Southern Illinois University President Glenn Poshard and other area leaders will expand its reach to area community colleges and schools through the startup of the Beautify Southern Illinois Fund, which will award grants to educational institutions that sponsor beautification projects. The fund is set up through the Southern Illinois Community Foundation.

"It will give a mechanism so that people can give money to support these beautification organizations in schools and community colleges," Restivo said.

Restivo, also the director of SIUC's Center for Environmental Health and Safety, said the campaign is trying to give schools the knowledge and resources to form their own volunteer organizations and will also support existing student-led organizations. He said the objective is to have multiple groups with the same goal of beautifying their communities and the region.

Illinois Community Foundation, a local not-for-profit charitable public foundation that receives, holds and distributes funds for charitable giving to enhance the region, will manage the fund. All contributions to the fund are tax deductible.

"People can donate whatever they want. We would like to pool donations so we can at least give $200 to each supported project," Restivo said. "If a company, civic group, or individual donates money and they're from Jackson County, they can mark that they want it to support a Jackson County project and then we can know who to give the grant to."

SIUC's student group, Beautify Southern Illinois Student Alliance, will head the effort to start the volunteer groups in area schools and community colleges. Restivo said that the student alliance has taken a similar leadership role in the past.

To give to the Beautify Southern Illinois Fund, make donations payable to Southern Illinois Community Foundation: Beautify Southern Illinois Fund, 201 W. DeYoung St., Marion, IL, 62959. Specify if the donation may be used to support any approved project or if the donor wishes to support a project in a specific county.

To make donations to the SIUC Beautify Southern Illinois Student Alliance, mail checks to the SIUC Center for Environmental Health and Safety, Mail Code 6898, 1325 Radio Drive, Carbondale, IL, 62901.