Heart of Illinois United Way celebrates a century of giving back to the community

EAST PEORIA (25 NEWS) - The Heart of Illinois United Way is celebrating its 100th anniversary.

The celebration took place Wednesday night at the Par-A-Dice Hotel in East Peoria and coincided with an announcement that the organization raised $9.1 million last year to address community needs.

There was a display of mementoes from the past century. Much has changed over the years, but the importance of United Way volunteers remains a constant, said HOI United Way President Jennifer Zammuto.

“The culture here in central Illinois is very unique and special, and back when we started in 1921, we had lots of volunteers going door to door helping raise money so we can address needs in our community,” Zammuto said.

“And that is still the same, we still have an incredible group of volunteers,” she added.

The United Way brings together people from business, labor, government, health and human services to raise money for various community needs. The Heart of Illinois chapter serves Peoria, Tazewell, Woodford, Marshall, Putnam, and Stark Counties.