““Curb Painting for a Cause” supports Prairieland United Way
Jacksonville and South Jacksonville residents can make their homes easier for first responders to identify while supporting local programs through “Curb Painting for a Cause,” a new fundraiser benefiting Prairieland United Way.
The project is part of this year’s Friends United campaign and gives residents two curb-painting options:
Classic – $60: A clean black background with four-inch white address numbers for improved visibility.
Signature – $100: An elevated design featuring a black background, four-inch white address numbers and a white border for a premium look.
Each painted area will measure approximately 16 inches wide by six inches tall. The service is available exclusively to homes in Jacksonville and South Jacksonville.
“This fundraiser is a simple way for neighbors to help neighbors,” said Jennifer Pool, Friends United campaign co-chair. “Residents will receive a practical improvement that can help first responders locate their homes more quickly, while every dollar raised supports programs serving people throughout our community.”
To participate, residents must complete the online order form and submit payment in advance through Venmo, check or cash. Check or cash can be dropped off at the Prairieland United Way office at 200 W. Douglas, Jacksonville. QR codes linking both the order form and payment information are available on the event flyer. Those paying through Venmo should write “Curb Painting” in the “What’s this for?” field.
Orders will be organized by neighborhood and assigned to volunteer painting teams. Deadline to register is September 30, 2026. Painting will take place on October 17 with a rain date of October 24.
One hundred percent of the proceeds will benefit Prairieland United Way programs that strengthen the community and assist neighbors in need.
For information or to request an order link, contact Karen Walker at 217-245-4557 or info@prairielandunitedway.org.
Prairieland United Way Drive-Thru Breakfast returns Oct. 15
Start your Thursday with breakfast and support Prairieland United Way at its Drive-Thru Breakfast on Oct. 15 from 7-9 a.m. at the Jacksonville Hampton Inn.
For $10, guests will receive a “breakfast to go” bag with 10 items, including breakfast foods, snacks, drinks and a newspaper. Guests can drive under the hotel awning for pickup or, new this year, reserve a spot to dine in.
Dine-in seating is available by reservation only, with up to 12 reservations every half hour from 7-9 a.m. Call 217-291-0415 to reserve a spot. Delivery is also available for pre-orders of 10 or more breakfasts. Delivery orders must be placed by noon Friday, Oct. 9, by calling 217-291-0415.
Only 300 breakfast bags will be available, and they will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. The event is sponsored by the Jacksonville Hampton Inn and is part of Prairieland United Way’s Friends United campaign.
For more information about Prairieland United Way, visit prairielandunitedway.org.
Toni Long to exhibit in Jacksonville
The Art Association of Jacksonville is pleased to welcome Toni Long to The David Strawn Art Gallery, 331 W. College Ave. in Jacksonville, October 3-25. An opening reception will be held on Saturday, Oct. 3 from 6-8 p.m., with a “Gallery Talk” by the artist at 6:30 p.m. Gallery openings and gallery hours are free and open to the public.
This will be Toni Long’s third solo show at The David Strawn Art Gallery. Her current body of work is titled “Outside the Lines,” which was influenced by impressionist interpretation of flora and fauna.
Long feels that works included in this show “tightened” up the lines and present more details and crisper brush strokes.
Long has included more floral still lifes, letting other objects like fabric and water be a part of her work. She continued to include poppies as a theme as their brilliant color continues to be an inspiration to her.
Long graduated from Southern Illinois University, where she was fortunate to study with R Buckminster Fuller, designer of the geodesic dome. She was also fortunate to study with Monique Gobert (Cezanne’s great-granddaughter) on a trip to Provence, France.
Even though Long was an art major at SIU, she also majored in Interior Design with a career in both Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles. She belongs to the American Society of Interior Designers.
Using primarily acrylic paints, Long likes the fact that acrylics dry quickly which allows her to paint over a mistake quickly. She continued to feel that her work is “semi-impressionist.”
Long has continued to paint and practice interior design throughout her time in Jacksonville and is very proud to be featured at The David Strawn Art Gallery. She hopes to stay healthy enough to exhibit at 90 just like Charlotte Cleeland!
Gallery hours October 4-25: Sundays, 1-3 p.m., Tuesday-Saturday, 4-6 p.m.
MFAA grants support Fellowship of Christian Athletes mission trip
The MacMurray Foundation & Alumni Association (MFAA) has awarded a 2026 community grant to the Jacksonville Area Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), supporting FCA’s annual college mission trip and its commitment to community service and leadership development.
Led by Todd Sweatman, the Jacksonville Area FCA has taken college students on an annual mission trip to the Gulf Coast for approximately 12 years. What began in 2015 with six students has grown to 44 college students participating in this year’s trip.
The grant helped cover general expenses associated with the trip, allowing students to participate in a variety of service projects in Alabama.
Students worked with several community organizations, including the Exceptional Foundation in Gulf Shores, which serves adults with disabilities; local schools where FCA conducted sports camps; and Ruth Lake Farm, a Panhandle safe house serving people who have been removed from human trafficking situations.
Students assisted with projects including painting, building fences and maintaining housing.
“The MacMurray Foundation & Alumni Association was pleased to support the 2026 Fellowship of Christian Athletes Mission Trip because it aligns with one of MacMurray College’s core values: service,” said Jane Nickerson, chair of the MFAA Community Grants Committee.
“The young people on this trip were committed to helping others through a variety of community service projects, including volunteering at a safe house, a center for adults with disabilities, a youth sports camp, and a local food pantry.”
Nickerson added that the experience also provides students with opportunities to develop and demonstrate leadership while learning the value of serving others.
For Sweatman, the grant represents a continuation of a program with a direct connection to MacMurray College. Sweatman served as MacMurray’s chaplain from 2015 to 2020, and the mission trip began during his time at the college.
“When I saw this pop up in one of the mailings or one of the emails, I thought this would be perfect,” Sweatman said. “The mission trip started at MacMurray College and this has been a way to sort of continue it as part of that legacy.”
Sweatman said the trip has developed lasting relationships with the organizations it serves. Some of the partnerships are now in their third or fourth year, creating connections between the students and the people and organizations they return to serve.
“The people that work there remember us and it’s sort of a reunion when we arrive,” Sweatman said. “So it’s been a great experience for the kids.”
The growth of the mission trip has also provided increasing opportunities for students to develop as leaders. Sweatman said students who participate have returned to their campuses to take on leadership roles, while graduates have carried the lessons of community service into their professional and community lives.
The financial support provided by the MFAA and other organizations also helps make the trip accessible to students who might otherwise be unable to participate.
“We try to make this an affordable trip for our students,” Sweatman said. “We don’t want money to keep any student from having this experience.”
Sweatman said the MFAA grant is another example of how the Foundation continues aspects of MacMurray College’s legacy after the college ceased operations in 2020.
He also pointed to the Foundation’s scholarship program, including scholarships benefiting descendants of MacMurray graduates, as another way the organization continues to extend the college’s influence into the future.
The Foundation is definitely keeping that legacy alive for MacMurray College,” Sweatman said.
The MFAA Grants Program provides funding to nonprofit organizations and educational groups whose work reflects the values and legacy of MacMurray College and contributes to communities served by those organizations.
