Giving Tuesday – or National Day of Giving – is celebrated every year the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, and serves as a time to give back to our communities and others in need. Giving Tuesday was started in 2012 by a cultural and community center in New York City. It was established in order to bring back focus to what the holidays are all about. Following the commercialized Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Giving Tuesday provides people the opportunity to be charitable after scouting for material products.

To commemorate the day, many organizations across Illinois gave back to their communities.

Across the state, countless organizations handed out food products in anticipation of the Thanksgiving holiday. From turkeys, to pumpkin pies and full dinners, thousands of families in Illinois were able to enjoy a wonderful Thanksgiving, courtesy of local business and community service-based organizations in their area.

Although Giving Tuesday comes around once a year, it is important to be charitable all-year-round and give back to the community at any given opportunity. Giving back can be simple through volunteering, donating and collaborating with local organizations.

Big or small, any act of kindness goes a long way!

Earlier this month, Illinois was ranked the second state in the nation for corporate investment and projects. Site Selection Magazine, an international business publication, announced there were 487 projects in Illinois in 2022. Illinois was in the number three spot the year before. The publication also named Chicago as the Top Metro area for the 10^th year in a row.

This comes after the state announced $40 million in grants toward the development of mega sites, distribution centers and industrial centers. The state has also invested record-breaking funding in training programs and workforce facilities.

These investments have also earned Illinois the title as the top state in the Midwest for workforce development by Site Selection. These yearly analyses are considered the “industry scoreboard” by real estate analysts.

For projects to qualify for the yearly analyses, they must meet at least one of the following criteria: an investment of at least $1 million, or the creation of at least 20 new jobs or 20,000 square feet of new space.

Earning a bachelor’s degree takes hard work and dedication, and choosing the right school can be difficult. Online schools can be an incredible opportunity for students who are busy in other aspects of life and could use a more flexible schedule. University of Illinois Springfield has one of the best online schools in the nation, according to Forbes Advisor. UIS offers 52 online undergraduate and graduate programs, and currently has 1,961 students taking classes fully online. Fully online students make up almost 40% of the UIS student body.

The pandemic made online learning a more popular and suitable option for many students. While the pandemic also pointed out some of the challenges of online learning, UIS has wonderful and dedicated professors who work hard to provide the highest level of service to their students. UIS’s mission is to provide a uniquely student-centered educational experience both in and out of the classroom through active learning, meaningful research and impactful civic engagement that prepares graduates to contribute fully to society. Their online and hybrid class programs help them to achieve this mission. 

Online undergraduate programs include degrees such as Business, Computer Science, Political Science, Teaching and Psychology. Online graduate degrees at UIS comprise of Business, Cybersecurity Management, Education, Environmental Studies, Legal Studies and Public Health and Administration.

Forbes determined the best online colleges using a collection of data from the National Center for Education Statistics and the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Choosing the right college can be hard; it lays the groundwork for one’s future. UIS offers an affordable and flexible program that will set its students on the path to their dreams.

The Illinois Air National Guard joined six guard units in receiving the 2020 Air Force Organizational Excellence Award, which serves as one of many means of validating the work and dedication of service members across the country.

Guard aviation units were first mobilized in the early 20th century, but it wasn’t until 1947 that the National Security Act created the United States Air National Guard to respond to domestic and foreign conflict and crises. Since its inception, Air National Guard units have been comprised of driven individuals who take great pride in improving the lives of their communities and country through humanitarian efforts, disaster response and international defense.

The Air Force Organizational Excellence Award recognizes the achievements and accomplishments of U.S. Air Force organizations and their activities. ILANG received this recognition because of the execution of its missions despite COVID-19 response operations, including civil disturbance missions, election support, flood operations and overseas missions. More than 700 members of the ILANG were mobilized in 2020 as part of the largest domestic operations activation in Illinois history. This is the third time ILANG has received the AFOEA, following awards in 1999 and 1986.

ILANG also engages in community service. Airmen volunteered with local organizations to expand health and wellness opportunities in addition to providing education services to communities statewide and donating goods to local libraries and homeless shelters. They also laid wreaths and flags at Camp Butler National Cemetery in Springfield to honor the veterans buried there.

Information about the Illinois Air National Guard and its services can be located on its website.