Prairieland United Way campaign tops $517,000, best in nearly a decade

Prairieland United Way’s $517,539 campaign will send more money into the local safety net at a time when family-support, crisis and basic-needs agencies are still facing steady demand. The total beat the $475,000 goal by $42,539 and pushed the organization past the $500,000 mark for the first time since 2018, a sign that donors in Jacksonville and across Morgan County were willing to stretch further this year.

Executive director Karen Walker said the result was the strongest campaign total in nearly a decade. That matters because the money does not sit on a shelf. It helps fund the agencies that absorb the daily pressure of rent trouble, food insecurity, utility shocks and emergency needs for local households that can least afford another setback. Walker also said the extra money was already needed as allocation meetings began, underscoring how quickly those dollars move from fundraising to service delivery.

The campaign was led by co-chairs Ryne Turke and Daniel Hackett, who worked closely enough that they were in contact nearly every day. Their effort carried the theme Team United, and the result marked a clear step up from the 2022 campaign, which closed at $469,500. In a fundraising environment where nonprofits compete for attention and household budgets remain tight, topping last year’s total by more than $48,000 gave Prairieland United Way a stronger base going into the year ahead.

The annual meeting was held April 15 at Twisted Tree Music Hall in Jacksonville, with a social hour starting at 4:30 p.m. and the program beginning at 5:30 p.m. The Jacksonville Area Convention & Visitors Bureau listed tickets at $20 each. The event also recognized Reggie Benton with the Helen Baldwin Award for his leadership and long-term work on the campaign, a reminder that the organization’s fundraising machine depends on volunteers who keep showing up year after year.

That local continuity has shaped recent campaigns. In 2022, the Helen Baldwin Award went to David and Nicole Meyer, who were honored for creating Price Is United and the Arenzville Run 4 the Goo 5K. A 2023 report also noted a food drive that ran through May 26, with distribution planned for Summerfest on June 14 in Community Park. Prairieland United Way, listed by United Way Worldwide as organization 15255 with its Jacksonville office at 200 W. Douglas Avenue, has become one of the clearest gauges of how well Morgan County is supporting its own network of help.