Benton High School

JILG Report
Volume 4 Issue 5 December / January 2009

JILG students learn by serving others.

By: Hannah Bradshaw, Benton Jilg Reporter

The Benton High School JILG students have been spending quite a bit of time helping
the needy in our community. Our local food
pantry is operated by the Benton/West City
Ministerial Alliance.
Most of the individuals who work at the
food pantry, do so as volunteers. These volun-
teers usually spend a week or more unloading
food and sorting it into containers so it can be
shared with the people in our community. Our
JILG classes, since taking over these responsi-
bilities, have been able to cut that chore down
to only a few short hours.
Vicky Seagull, program director, said
that our JILG students have truly been a bless-
ing. “Some of us here are unable to spend as Above: Students hard at work during
much time on our feet as we would like to. These students one of our recent trips to the Benton/
are able to work so fast, and get so much done in a short pe- West City Ministerial Alliance food
riod of time. They are invaluable. We now look forward to Pantry.
delivery day because our building is full of youthful excitement.”
The thought of being a good citizen has taken on new meaning for myself and some of
my classmates. There are several students in our school that
receive food from the food pantry. There is a need for volun-
teers, and it makes us feel like we are making a difference when
we know we are helping some of our own. We are the second
JILG class to work with the food pantry and there is a growing
sense of tradition in regards to this service learning activity. Mr.
Groves does not force us to volunteer with any certain organi-
zation, but we feel like we have a responsibility to continue the
work that last year’s class started.
We have done more than just unload trucks as well. The
pantry had a huge stock pile of cardboard boxed that needed to
be recycled. We contacted Save-A-Lot food store and asked
them to compact and recycle the boxes for us. They agreed and
we flattened two truckloads of boxes and took them in to be
recycled. We also helped remove an old, broken down freezer
Above: Benton High School JILG students and hauled it to the recycling center. The new one
Seth Brandon and Josh Picklesimer discussing was brought in the next day and filled with food to
how to sort items at the Benton/West City feed members of our community. (Cont. on Pg. 2.)
Ministerial Alliance Food Pantry. 1
 Benton High School
JILG Report
Volume 4 Issue 5 December / January 2009

We also took part in a group effort with fourteen other JILG schools to raise funding for
St. Jude’s Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. St. Jude is unlike any other pediatric treatment and
research facility. With research and patient care under one roof, St. Jude houses many of to-
day’s most gifted researchers along with pediatricians who can provide treatment without re-
gard to the family’s ability to pay. Many doctors send their sickest patients to this facility
where cutting-edge research and revolutionary discoveries happen every day.
Each one of the fifteen schools listed below hosts a Jobs for Illinois Graduates Program
which fosters service learning activities as a key part of their total program. At a Leadership
Development Conference conducted early in the fall, Service Learning Coordinators from each
participating school selected a project so that all schools could strive together to have a strong
impact.
Upon return to their respective schools, each Service learning Coordinator and Career
Specialist worked within the boundaries of their own school and community and conducted
their own local activities to raise money for the group project. After creating awareness of St.
Jude’s Hospital and helping people understand the uniqueness of this facility, each school
worked to secure funding and combine their totals for a presentation to St. Jude’s Hospital. Mi-
chelle Trueblood, President of the Jobs for Illinois Graduates Company located in Springfield,
Illinois along with Tom Welch, Director of Operations, presented a check for $ 13,873 to Amy
Svendsen from St. Jude Children’s Hospital on Jan. 13, 2009.
The Jobs for Illinois Graduates Program sponsors are very proud of these students who
have strived together to make a difference. The representatives of these schools and people of
these communities have partnered with St. Jude’s Hospital to lengthen the life of young chil-
dren who life in all areas of the United States.

The following JILG programs participated in the fund raiser:

Anna-Jonesboro Flora Litchfield

Benton Red Hill Marion
East Richland Goreville Massac County
Eldorado Sesser– Valier Nashville
Herrin
Thompsonville
Highland
Right: JILG Students along with Mi-
chelle Trueblood, President of Jobs for
Illinois Graduates and Tom Welch, Di-
rector of Operations presenting a check
for $13,873 to Amy Svendsen from St.
Jude Children’s Hospital on January
13th.

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Benton High School
JILG Report
Volume 4 Issue 5 December / January 2009

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 Benton High School
JILG Report
Volume 4 Issue 5 December / January 2009

Jordan
McMahon
Jordan McMahon has been se-
lected as our student of the month for
January. Jordan is not only a hard
working JILG student, but he is also a
standout wrestler on the Benton High
School Wrestling team, and one of the
top wrestlers in the state.
Jordan has been wrestling since
he was five years old and all of his
hard work and dedication is really
starting to pay off. Jordan is ranked
among the top ten wrestlers in the state
at 160 pounds. He is very close to his
100th win and will be among the top 5
wrestlers all time at Benton High School.
Jordan is more proud of his team’s success than his own. “We won our first conference
championship in school history this month. I know that this accomplishment will be remem-
bered longer than any of my individual wins.” Jordan is looking forward to the postseason and
the opportunity to qualify for state. We would like to wish him all the best.

Coming Next Month….

We are finalizing plans for our “Senior Prom” at Heritage
Woods and Extravabandza. We will get you caught up on
this and the rest of the action in the February edition of
The Benton High School Jilg Report.
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