Dieterich Bank’s Charity of Choice program, developed in February 2019, allows one branch or department within the Bank to give $1,000 to an unsuspecting not-for-profit organization or charity of the group’s choosing each month. Below are the organizations that our employees have made their donations to: 

2022 Charity of Choice Recipients

May: Effingham Chooses Crisis Nursery June: Teutopolis Chooses Teutopolis Civic Club

Effingham’s Charity of Choice is the Crisis Nursery. Crisis Nursery of Effingham County provides protection from and prevention of childhood trauma, abuse and neglect through 24 hour emergency shelter care to children birth through six. They offer a unique and nurturing space equipped with safe hands and open hearts to all children and families in need. A crisis can happen to anyone, and for that reason there are no income guidelines or demographic guidelines.  Their services are free and open to any family or child in need.  Anyone with children ages birth through six may use their services. They service Effingham and the surrounding counties including but not limited to: Fayette, Jasper, Cumberland, Clay, Coles, Marion, and Shelby Counties.

The Dieterich Bank Teutopolis branch continues to support the Teutopolis Civic Club. The Teutopolis Civic Club is involved in the community helping people in need. They provide family support, develop community excellence, and are supporters of youth. We appreciate the difference they make in the Teutopolis School District area!

January: Red Bud North & South Chooses Musketeer Market and The Royal Table

February: Edwardsville Chooses Got Your Six Support Dogs

The January Charity of Choice for Dieterich Bank’s Red Bud branches are the Musketeer Market/The Royal Table. The Musketeer Market serves Red Bud High School students who may rely on free or reduced cost school breakfast and lunches as their primary source of nutrients, while The Royal Table provides similar services for Red Bud Elementary School students. These organizations, and the amazing people behind them, do such amazing good for our Red Bud students and we are proud to support them!

Edwardsville chose Got Your Six Support Dogs as their Charity of Choice recipient. Got Your Six Support Dogs is committed to providing specialized service dogs to veterans and first-responders suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and/or sexual trauma. Their mission is to help these men and women regain their lives through the healing power of dogs. Through donations alone, this organization offers highly skilled service dog and life-changing programs to veterans and first responders at no cost to them. They not only train service dogs and then match them with their lifelong owners, but they also train therapy dogs so that they can serve local area residents in nursing homes, hospitals, schools, etc. To learn more about Got Your Six Support Dogs, check out https://gotyoursixsupportdogs.org/.


2021 Charity of Choice Recipients

December: Waterloo Chooses Dude's Playground


Waterloo has chosen Dude’s Playground as their Charity of Choice! Dude's Playground is a non-profit organization for disabled Veterans. They provide an experience specifically geared for Veterans with disabilities to enjoy the outdoors, fishing, and camaraderie of their fellow veterans.


October: Breese Chooses Coping 4 Kids Coping 4 Life
November: Chester Chooses Chester Area Christian Food Pantry
The team at Breese chose Coping 4 Kids Coping 4 Life as their Charity of Choice recipient. This organization provides support groups and counseling for a wide variety of circumstances, including grief and loss, parenting, growing up, anger, anxiety, depression, suicide, coping, trauma, and many others. Their goal is to provide accessible resources for overcoming the barriers to mental health, and Dieterich Bank proudly supports this mission. We are thankful to have an organization like this, who provides counseling and support in our community. Learn more at www.coping4life.com.

Our Chester branch has chosen the Chester Area Christian Food Pantry as their Charity of Choice! They are a non profit organization that relies on volunteers and donations. We thank Bob Koenegstein and the rest of the volunteers for their dedication and hard work to meet the needs of our community. Presenting the check is Jessica Buatte, Chester Branch Manager (left), and Kristy Baldwin, Dieterich Bank Regional Manager (right).

July: Edwardsville Chooses Habitat for Humanity
August: Columbia Chooses Songs4Soldiers

Our team at the Edwardsville branch has chosen Habitat for Humanity – The Edwardsville/Glen Carbon Chapter as their Charity of Choice. Habitat for Humanity is a great organization that directly improves and strengthens our community. They are a nonprofit that helps families build and improve places to call home. They plan to break ground on a new build in the Edwardsville area this fall (2021). Habitat for Humanity is always looking for volunteers, so please consider supporting your local chapter.

Our Columbia branch presented their Charity of Choice donation to Songs4Soldiers. Songs4Soldiers raises money through benefit concerts, fundraisers, donations, and merchandise. Their mission is to enrich the lives of combat veterans and their families who have limited resources. They honor soldiers' service through effective assistance in everyday situations. Dieterich Bank proudly supports this mission and cause. Dustin Row, Columbia native and Founder of Songs4Soldiers is pictured here, receiving the donation. If you’re interested in supporting Songs4Soldiers, check out their website.

May: Effingham Chooses Effingham County Relay for Life
June: Lake Sara Chooses Freedom68
The Effingham County Relay for Life is an event that gives the community a chance to celebrate the lives of people who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and fight back against the disease. We're proud to support this organization and event!
Dieterich Bank's Lake Sara branch proudly chooses Freedom68 as their Charity of Choice. This organization is made up of local community members who aim to say "Thank You" to veterans and active duty service members. Freedom68 organizes retreats for veterans and their families. These retreats are fun-filled days full of outdoor activities, team-building, and evening entertainment.
March: Dieterich Chooses Village of Dieterich Pocket Park
April: Teutopolis Chooses Teutopolis Civic Club
The donation from our Dieterich branch will be used in building a pocket park in the vacant alleyway near our branch drive-up. This pocket park will feature space for people to gather, visit, relax, and even eat!

Our Teutopolis branch has chosen the Teutopolis Civic Club for their Charity of Choice. The $1,000 donation will support the Civic Club in its mission to develop community excellence and promote the youth of Unit 50 schools. Some of their past support includes sponsoring Catholic Heart Work Camp, transportation and lodging for families with medical emergencies, bleachers for the Junior High School, eye exams and glasses for underprivileged individuals, and helping diabetic children in need. This is a great organization we are proud to support and are thankful to have them in our T-Town community!
January: Red Bud North & South Branches Choose Red Bud Volunteer Fire Department
February: Newton Chooses Jasper Together

Red Bud North and Red Bud South branches Charity of Choice for the Month of January is the Red Bud Volunteer Fire Department.  The Red Bud Fire Department provides Fire Suppression, Rescue & Medical services for the City of Red Bud and surrounding communities.  Receiving the donation are members of the Fire department, Rick Shemwell, Tyler Hess, Mark Guebert & Orville Heller.  Representing Dieterich Bank are Cindy Roth, Joy Prigge, CEO Chuck Deters, Karla Mueth, Kristy Baldwin & Stuart Langrehr.

Our Newton branch chooses to support Jasper Together. Through a series of engaging meetings last year, Jasper Together challenged the community to create a long-range vision for economic development in our community and a plan of action for achieving it. The Jasper Together group looks to revisit and build upon those initial outlined goals and work towards building momentum for Jasper County in 2021 and beyond.
 

2020 Charity of Choice Recipients

January: Accounting, Training, HR, & Marketing Choose Big Brothers Big Sisters of Effingham County February: Credit Department Chooses Fear Nothing
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Effingham County is a one-to-one mentoring program that serves all of Effingham County. They match screened, trained, volunteer mentors with children, ages 5-13, who just need someone in their corner to encourage and support them. All children have potential, and the hope of Big Brothers Big Sisters is that their program and mentors can help the children, or Littles, achieve their biggest possible future. These are great kids, who just need someone who can focus on them, to support and encourage them, to inspire them, and to have fun with them for a couple of hours a week. The Charity of Choice donation can assist with the recruitment, screening, and training of volunteer mentors, or Bigs. Our Credit Department presented Jody Waymoth of Fear Nothing a check for $1,000! This Charity of Choice organization provides support for cancer patients in our community by sending gasoline and grocery cards to patients enduring cancer treatment. They serve Effingham, Shelby, Fayette, Jasper, Clay, and Cumberland counties. Fear Nothing will use all of these funds to send gasoline and grocery cards to patients. Working on a 100% volunteer basis, every dollar raised in the community goes back into the hands of a cancer patient!
 
March: Effingham Branch Chooses Meals on Wheels

April: Operations Department Chooses Claws & Paws
Charity of Choice recipient, Claws & Paws
The Meals on Wheels of C.E.F.S. Program provides roughly 200 meals per day to senior citizens in Effingham County. Not only does this organization provide nutritious meals, but this also serves as a daily check-in for home-bound seniors. Keeping Seniors healthier longer their primary mission. Since adequate nutrition is critical to health, functioning, and quality of life, Meals On Wheels of C.E.F.S. is an important component of home and community-based services for seniors over 60 years of age.  
The Operations Department wanted to switch things up a little and allow our Facebook followers to help select the April recipient of our Charity of Choice donation. Claws & Paws out of Olney, IL won with 321 votes.

Claws and Paws is an all-volunteer certified 501(c)(3) organization. Their resale shop sustains itself by utilizing gently used items donated by the community and making them affordable to low-income communities in Richland County and abroad. These donations thus support the Animal Rescue Center. Their mission states, “We strive to ensure abandoned and unwanted animals live with comfort, compassion, and companionship through Community Education, Accountable Pet Ownership, and reducing the irresponsible pet population by implementing our Spay/Neuter/Micro-chipping & Adoption Programs.”
Dieterich Bank’s donation will help with vaccinations, the Spay/Neuter Program, micro-chipping, fostering, adoptions, and the daily upkeep of their rescued animals and the

May: The Dieterich Branch Chooses Dieterich's 4th of July Fireworks 

June: The Teutopolis Branch Chooses Community Support Systems
Dieterich Bank's Check presentation to Dieterich Fireworks
Dieterich Bank's check presentation to Community Support Systems
Dieterich’s annual 4th of July festivities for 2020 were canceled, but thanks to a committee led by Kiersten Goodman and the support of local businesses, the Dieterich community was able to enjoy their famous fireworks display. These were  held on July 4 at 9:15 PM.
Community Support Systems, CSS, is committed to enhancing opportunities to live, learn, work, and play. CSS serves infants, children, and adults with developmental disabilities and their families through advocacy, housing, employment, training, and family support programs. Dieterich Bank’s donation will help provide services and programs to the individuals that CSS serves.

“We LOVE being a part of this community! The integration and inclusion provided to the individuals we serve is first-rate. Area businesses open their doors to program participants and provide the link needed for putting learned job skills to use. In the neighborhoods where our homes are located, neighbors have jumped in to help residents feel welcome and part of the neighborhood. One set of neighbors even lets their dogs come over daily for pet therapy. And generous people, like those at Dieterich Bank, provide funds to help us provide the highest quality of service we can,” states Lisa Siemer with Community Support Systems.

July: The Lake Sara Branch Chooses Enduring Freedom Ministries

Dieterich bank's Check presentation to Enduring Freedom Ministries

Enduring Freedom Ministries is a 501(c)(3) faith-based mission that serves as a food pantry, clothing pantry, and soup kitchen in Shumway, IL. All items are free to those in need, and 70% of families served by EFM are from Effingham County. The organization has seen a 30% increase in families using their service during the COVID-19 pandemic. While they are trying to stay prepared and fully stocked during these times, their annual fundraiser has been canceled. All of the Bank’s donations will be used to purchase food, make foodbank deliveries, and cover overhead. If you would like to help their cause, you can call (217) 240-0059.


2019 Charity of Choice Recipients

February: Newton Branch Chooses Limitless  March: Dieterich Branch Chooses Dieterich Civic Center
Limitless Institute for Functional Education is a therapeutic day program which provides functional education, vocational training, and therapy support within an inclusive, community-based setting. They serve ages 2-22 in a 5-county area within Southeastern Illinois. The program is located within the historic Arndt's building on the square in Newton. Also found in the building is LIFE Café, a cafe and boutique ran by volunteers and students. Proceeds from LIFE Café as well as the donation by Dieterich Bank’s Charity of Choice program, are used for housing and developing Limitless Institute for Functional Education. The Dieterich Civic Center is home to several community events on a weekly basis, including serving as the Golden Nutrition Circle’s nutrition sites. With so many people using the Civic Center regularly, they plan to use the donation to purchase an AED, Automated External Defibrillator. An AED is a portable device that is used to help those experiencing sudden cardiac arrest. This medical device can analyze the heart's rhythm and, if necessary, deliver an electrical shock, or defibrillation, to help the heart re-establish an effective rhythm. With so many people using the facility, having an AED on hand will serve as a great precautionary measure.
 
April: Teutopolis Branch Chooses Fear Nothing

May: Effingham Branch Chooses CSS
Fear Nothing, founded by Jodi Waymoth, is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing support for cancer patients and their families in Effingham, Cumberland, Jasper, Clay, Fayette, and Shelby counties. 100% of their funds stay in the community in the form of gift cards for local cancer patients who are currently enduring treatment. Since its inception, Fear Nothing has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to assist local cancer patients. Community Support Systems (CSS) is committed to providing all people with disabilities the opportunity to choose and realize their goals of where and how they live, learn, work, and play. They offer employment programs and residential services for individuals with disabilities. Family support services are also provided by Community Support Systems.

June: St. Elmo Branch Chooses St. Elmo Library

July: Lake Sara Branch Chooses Lake Sara Forever Fund
The St. Elmo Public Library, which started over 60 years ago as a city library, moved to its current location at 311 W. Cumberland Road in 2003. In addition to a wide selection of books, magazines, local newspapers, DVDs, and audiobooks, the library has a children's area and offers various programs and crafts year-round. With our donation, the Library plans to provide a reading garden outside of the facility, which would include flower gardens and picnic tables.
The Lake Sara Forever Fund supports the multiphase beautification and development of the Lake Sara Beach and the surrounding Pearson Peninsula. This project will bring recreation for all ages and abilities. “The goal is to get it back so that the community can enjoy the beach and the property around it the way it was enjoyed before,” says Tom Ryan, member of the Lake Sara Forever Fund Advisory Committee. Lake Sara Forever is a fund within the registered 501c(3)
non-profit Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation.

August: Red Bud Chooses Life Network of Southern IL

September: Belleville Chooses Belleville Food Pantry
Life Network of Southern Illinois is a resource center that was established in 1993, which offers compassion, love and truth to anyone who is in need. For many years the Belleville Union United Methodist Church has reached out to feed those in need through their Sack Lunch Program. They supply around 1,000 lunches per month to all who ask.

October: Credit Department Chooses Crisis Nursery

November: Operations Department Chooses CASA
Crisis Nursery of Effingham County protects and prevents childhood trauma, abuse, and neglect through 24-hour emergency shelter care for newborns through age six.

A crisis can happen to anyone, which is why Crisis Nursery offers free services to any family or child in need without income or demographic guidelines. They are located in the city of Effingham, but their services are available to all surrounding counties,
CASA of Effingham County is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing highly trained volunteers to advocate for the best interests of abused and neglected children in the Effingham County Circuit Court System. CASA volunteers work cooperatively with the Effingham County Circuit Court System to ensure prompt delivery of services and to make independent recommendations to the court concerning the child’s well-being.

December: Accounting, HR, & Marketing Choose Catholic Charities and FISH Christmas Store


For over forty years, Effingham FISH has provided a unique Christmas shopping experience for those families that may need a little extra help during the holiday season. With the help of Catholic Charities, they strive to achieve their goal of insuring that every Effingham County child has a Christmas toy, and every resident has food on their table on Christmas day. Parents are given the opportunity to shop at the store in order to provide their children with a personalized Christmas experience. As a result of the store, all families receive toys, coats, food, stockings and more for free. 
This year, the Christmas Store requested gifts for teenage girls, so Dieterich Bank employees focused on providing gifts for that age range. The remainder of our Charity of Choice funds were used to purchase any items that were still needed after donations were collected.