Starved Rock Country Community Foundation honors its founder in Giving Day kickoff

The Starved Rock Country Community Foundation kicked off its inaugural Giving Day on Thursday morning with a breakfast celebrating its co-founder, along with other contributors.

Pamela Beckett co-founded the regional foundation, along with her husband Chuck, that now has 110 established charitable funds and more than $2 million in assets under management. For her work in transforming an idea eight years ago into a full-fledged community foundation across La Salle, Bureau and Putnam counties, she was presented a lifetime achievement award – and the award will be named the Beckett Lifetime Achievement Award moving forward.

Beckett helped sprout little free libraries across three counties, encouraged Bob Eschbach and his sister Sharon Coleman to create the Robert M. Eschbach Legacy Fund in Ottawa, launched the Arts of Starved Rock Country Fund to sustain local arts, established the Women Inspired Network to back causes important to women, offered a lifeline to the Starved Rock Country Marathon, provided a relief fund for victims of the 2017 Ottawa-Naplate tornado within hours of the storm, set up a COVID-19 response fund and helped acquire a state grant that enabled Maitri Path to Wellness to open a 24-bed residential drug treatment center in Peru, among other accomplishments.

Mostly, the foundation provided philanthropists such as John Ross, Karen and Nelson Nussbaum, Ethel McConnell and George and Cindy Lamb an avenue to set up charitable funds and tackle the causes dear to them.

“Leaning into her awe-inspiring persuasive skills, gritty persistence and nonprofit know-how, Pamela Beckett gradually, relentlessly built the Starved Rock Country Community Foundation one fund, one cause at a time,” said Fran Brolley, president and CEO of SRCCF, in his introduction of Beckett as the lifetime achievement award winner.

Brolley also said Pamela’s husband Chuck has been at her side every step and Pamela said he is the “wind beneath her wings,” in accepting the award.

While many hours have gone into building the foundation, Beckett said the work was more passion, than job.

“Everyone who comes to me through the foundation has a dream or they have a purpose, and or they want to make a change in the world, whether it’s $500 or $5 million,” Beckett said. “I’ve never worked in an environment like that. And that’s how almost every conversation starts out, so that’s been absolutely phenomenal.

“ ... We are able to make their dreams come true in a lot of ways, we are able to help them get through A to Z for what they have planned or what vision they have, so we’re a solution for them,” Beckett said. “I didn’t expect or anticipate that impact. It’s more than just numbers.”

Beckett said the generosity of others and kindness of strangers are what the foundation depends on.

“I thank you from the bottom of my heart,” Beckett said. " ... it’s truly an honor and a very humbling experience. I appreciate everybody’s faith in what I’ve done personally, but more so in everybody who has supported this organization from the very, very beginning as we continue to grow.”

Rick Brooks, the co-founder of the little free library movement and founder of Midwest Partners in Princeton, praised Beckett’s work in a speech that went from A to Z listing her qualities. At the letter P, he said perseverance twice.

“You help many of us be better people,” Brooks said. “Your reach has reached many more ZIP codes than you originally thought it would.”

In giving a keynote address before awards were handed out, former Ottawa Mayor Bob Eschbach recited a Margaret Mead quote: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed individuals can change the world. In fact, it’s the only thing that ever has.” Beckett referenced the Mead quote in thanking those who have contributed to the foundation and said the quote is given to all board members on a plaque, serving as inspiration to the foundation.

Volunteer of the Year

Kevin Corrigan, of Streator, was given the foundation’s volunteer of the year award. He is married to Janice, the foundation’s director of operations.

Brolley said Corrigan, who taught at Illinois Valley Community College for three decades, was indispensable setting up, handling registration and tearing down the Disco Ball fundraiser, helping with mailings for year-end, Spring Appeal, scholarships and quarterly reports, copying, filing and shredding documents, among other tasks.

“He lovingly lightens the clerical load for Director of Operations Janice Corrigan,” Brolley said “And when his work is done, he graciously asks, ‘What do you need now?’”

“I hope I make a difference and I certainly enjoy my time spent,” Corrigan said in accepting the award.

Awareness builder / media excellence

Derek Barichello, news editor at Shaw Local News Network for The Times, NewsTribune and Bureau County Republican, was given the awareness builder/media excellence award.

“His coverage of the Starved Rock Country Community Foundation is above the masthead exceptional,” Brolley said. “He’s provided in-depth reporting on our funds, activities and milestones – including a beautiful five-page spread entitled ‘5 years of giving’ – he’s been quietly present at our disco balls, OmniHonors and quilts of valor ceremonies – and willin gto get articles in for us last minute.”

Barichello thanked the foundation for the recognition and said he believes the organization is an important one in the community to cover.

To donate

To donate to the Starved Rock Country Community Foundation online, visit srccf.org/make-a-donation and scroll down to “Fund that I am donating to.” Select the first option, “2024 Spring Appeal” and fill out the remainder of the form.

Checks can be mailed to 2024 SRCCF Spring Appeal, 241 Marquette St., La Salle, IL 61301.

To receive the appeal, including SRCCF’s “Genuine Impact” publication, call 815-252-2906, ext. 2, or email Janice Corrigan at janice@srccf.org.