Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation Awards Emergency Grant to Support Mattoon Restaurants Amid Water Crisis

For Immediate Release

MATTOON, IL — July 17, 2025 — The Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation has awarded an emergency relief grant to the Mattoon Chamber of Commerce Charitable Corporation to support locally owned restaurants affected by the ongoing environmental situation impacting the municipal water supply.

The funding provided immediate financial assistance to 18 independent restaurants in the Mattoon area, each receiving $1,500 to help sustain themselves during the crisis. The $27,000 grant was issued in response to the urgent needs of those whose livelihoods have been disrupted by the crisis.

“At the Mattoon Chamber, we cannot thank the Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation and Alex Pleasant enough for the immediate support they provided our locally-owned restaurants,” said Ed Dowd, Executive Director of the Mattoon Chamber of Commerce. “Alex hand-delivered a check from Effingham yesterday that we were able to divide up and provide to 18 different local restaurants. This made a huge difference in helping each restaurant weather the storm. Many were so grateful they were in tears. What a blessing for our business community!”

The Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation’s response underscores its commitment to strengthening local communities and responding to critical needs in real time. The Foundation’s CEO, Alex Pleasant, emphasized the importance of taking quick and decisive action to aid these critical parts of our community:

“When we spoke to leadership at the City about how we could help, they immediately highlighted the impact on family-owned restaurants in Mattoon. These vital centers of the community have endured so much disruption, and with uncertainty about when other relief might be available, our Board made the decision that we needed to respond in the moment to provide what assistance we could,” said Pleasant. “We knew we could rely on Ed and the team at the Chamber to have the relationships and expertise in how best to get immediate help to the community, and we’re deeply grateful for his leadership during this crisis.”

Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation manages more than 200 funds for the immediate and long-term benefit of communities in southeastern Illinois. For more information, contact Alex Pleasant, President/CEO of Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation, at 217.342.4988 or alex@southeasternillinois.org.