AGE, UNITED WAY PRESENT AT CHAMBER CHRISTMAS LUNCH

The Centralia Chamber of Commerce held its annual Very Merry Luncheon at Jerrys Grill & Bar Wednesday.

The lunch was attended by up to 75 chamber members, and featured presentations from United Way of South-Central Illinois and Affordable Gas and Electric (AGE), the latter of which sponsored the event’s annual “Best Dressed Contest”.

Natalie “Nat” Shook and Megan Schmidt of United Way discussed the organization’s many programs to benefit communities, including tiny pantries and mobile markets, the 2-1-1 health line, Emergency Food and Shelter Program, and Dolly Parton Imagination Library.

Shook also spoke on the new United Way Reader’s program, which helps equip teachers with the materials and resources they need and offered an update on grant funds the organization received in 2023 from The Illinois Department of Housing Security.

“We were able to help 116 families stay in their home last year,” said Shook. “These were people who were getting ready to be evicted due to not being able to pay their mortgage. We were able to go back and pay six months of their mortgage and keep those families in their home. That’s probably the proudest moment we’ve had so far.”

During AGE’s presentation, the audience was informed on the company’s Community Solar program, a joint effort between the state of Illinois and Ameren which offers Ameren customers a up to a 15% discount on their bills.

“Community Solar is a subscription service, which you as the Ameren customer can subscribe your electricity usage to a solar farm somewhere in the Ameren territory,” Bullard said. “You take advantage of the tax incentives that those solar farms bring with clean solar energy and you get the discount on your bill without any cost and without any solar panels.”

Bullard said there was no cost to subscribe to Community Solar and the only ask is a three-year commitment.

The winners of this year’s “Best Dressed Contest”, sponsored by AGE and determined by the audience, were as follows:

Best Lit-Up Getup – Nat Shook and Megan Schmidt of United Way of South-Central Illinois

Most Festive – Pam Logullo and David Knipping

Best Duo –Sherri Bassen and Jamie Downs of South Central Transit

Honorable Mentions: Alan Betters and Chad Tippit of A&A Armory