1,000 Hearts, $250,000 Hope Campaign
We’re in the final stretch of our campaign, and we’re so close to reaching our goal of 1,000 donors. We need just one last push to unlock the full $750,000 match from Lilly Endowment Inc. Right now, every single dollar you give to the Benton Community Unrestricted Fund is matched with $2. That means your $250 gift becomes $750, creating a powerful, lasting impact right here in our community. After 25 years and $10 million in assets, we’re just getting started. Be part of Benton’s next chapter and help us reach this goal, until all matched dollars are exhausted.
Junior Achievement Receives $15,000
Junior Achievement, serving the greater Layfette area, was awarded a $15,000 community grant through Benton Community Foundation. The amount was used to fund 25 programs facilitated at Prairie Crossing Elementary School for graded pre-K through sixth during the spring of 2025. The JA BizTown Learning Experience is a dynamic educational program by Junior Achievement that combines classroom instruction with a hands-on simulation to teach financial literacy and work and career readiness. Students actively engage in running businesses, managing finances, and participating in civic duties like voting, helping them connect school learning with real-world concepts. The program includes emphasis on foundational business practices, money management, understanding the free enterprise system, and developing essential soft skills. Volunteers guide students through the simulation. The program also provides a variety of student materials, such as checkbooks, payment cards, and a Citizen Guide, along with take-home resources like a family newsletter to extend learning beyond the classroom.
