Flea-Esta sale, need for donations announced by The Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary:
The Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary will be hosting their yearly Flea-Esta Sale on Friday, May 26 from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. and Saturday, May 27 from 8 a.m.-noon at the Morgan County Fairgrounds in the 4-H building.
Donation of items may be dropped off Monday-Wednesday, May 22-24 from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. daily. Accepting used but still useful items. No clothing or electronics, please!
Call 217-245-7124 with any questions. Proceeds are used to fund The Salvation Army Youth Programming of Jacksonville.
Jacksonville Main Street receives 2023 Main Street America accreditation:
Jacksonville Main Street has been designated as an Accredited Main Street America™ program for meeting rigorous performance standards. Each year, Main Street America and its partners announce the list of Accredited programs to recognize their exceptional commitment to preservation-based economic development and community revitalization through the Main Street Approach™.
“We are very proud to acknowledge this year’s 862 Accredited Main Street America programs, and their steadfast dedication to nurture economically and culturally vibrant downtown districts,” said Hannah White, interim president and CEO of Main Street America. “The increase in the size and impact of our network speaks volumes to the power of the Main Street movement to respond to the needs of local communities and drive innovative solutions.”
In 2022, Main Street America programs generated $6.2 billion in local reinvestment, helped open 7,657 net new businesses, facilitated the creation of 29,174 net new jobs, catalyzed the rehabilitation of 10,688 historic buildings and leveraged 1,528,535 volunteer hours. On average, for every dollar that a Main Street program spent to support their operations, it generated $24.07 of new investment back into their downtown communities.
Collectively, 2 million people live or work within the boundaries of designated Main Street America districts. An estimated workforce of 1.1 million people contributes their skills and expertise to advancing the missions of these historic downtowns and commercial corridors.
Jacksonville Main Street’s performance is annually evaluated by Illinois Main Street, which works in partnership with Main Street America to identify the local programs that meet rigorous national performance standards. To quality for accreditation status, communities must meet a set of rigorous standards that include commitments to building grassroots revitalization programs, fostering strong public-private partnerships, nurturing economic opportunity for small businesses and entrepreneurs, and actively preserving historic places, spaces and cultural assets.
“This marks the 22nd consecutive year that Jacksonville Main Street has met the criteria for national accreditation. Thanks to the work of hundreds of volunteers over the years, the independent non-profit has made great strides in downtown rehabilitation,” says Jacksonville Main Street Executive Director Judy Tighe.
With its primary sources of funding being local donations and event proceeds, the organization is the only area charity that reinvests all of its resources into sustaining and enhancing downtown, enabling the entire community to reap the benefits. Each year, various public events highlight downtown businesses and enrich the historic central business district’s sense of place.
Since 1999, Jacksonville Main Street has earned more than 60 state and national awards, including the Great American Main Street Award, and was named the Jacksonville Area Chamber of Commerce Non-profit of the Year for 2022. It’s Maifest, Downtown Concert Series, Fundfest, Pumpkin Festival and Christmas activities bring over 13,000 people downtown each year. Jacksonville Main Street also helps downtown businesses and property owners gain access to financial incentives and program services at no cost. Through their efforts, public/private reinvestment in the 44-square block district exceeds $65 million to date, vacancy rates have dropped to less than 5% and over 120 property and business improvements have occurred downtown, while partnerships have been strengthened throughout the community. More information about Jacksonville Main Street can be found at www.jacksonvillemainstreet.com.
