ROCHELLE — The From the Heart Board recently announced the addition of Community Action Network (CAN) to the list of area nonprofit organizations it raises money for each year.  

CAN serves area youth with an annual Christmas shopping trip along with providing gym shoes, backpacks and winter coats throughout the year. CAN joins the Rochelle Area Community Foundation, Pegasus Special Riders, The Hub City Senior Center, HOPE of Ogle County, the Rochelle Christian Food Pantry, Shining Star Children’s Advocacy Center, CASA and Foundation for Focus House as a From the Heart recipient.

From the Heart raises money each year through its cash calendar sales and annual gala. The 2024 gala raised a record $90,000 and $11,250 checks were presented to each benefiting nonprofit. The list of nonprofits has grown over the years and CAN was previously a From the Heart beneficiary. 

“Now that we've gotten ourselves to a point where we're raising more funds each year and reaching a place we never thought we'd be in, we needed to look at expanding,” From the Heart President and Founder Dave Eckhardt said. “Because it was part of the original From the Heart group and because of the success of our event, we felt we could add another group back in. And everybody on our board and all of our current nonprofits were all for it. It's a great cause. We're just pleased that we have the ability to bring CAN back in. Without the success of From the Heart and the generosity of all of the people in our community, we'd never be where we are today. We never dreamed we'd get to $90,000. Our goal for next year is $100,000.”

CAN President Michelle Pease said her organization is “extremely grateful” to be a new recipient of From the Heart. The annual CAN Christmas Shopping Trip brings in children in need in the community and provides backpacks, coats, shoes, toys, dinner and time with Santa Claus. 

“Our work touches the lives of a lot of kids,” Pease said. “That night is a whole production. We like to take the kids that are a little less fortunate in the community shopping that night and make them feel special. Our work is all things that directly benefit children.”

Eckhardt said From the Heart is excited to add another group to its recipient list and to be able to touch more lives in the community with the funds it raises. 

CAN Treasurer Mike Dale said a donation like From the Heart makes yearly would make up half of CAN’s current operating budget. 

“It's huge,” Dale said. “This money will help to serve more kids and it will help us get them more with rising prices at the store when they go shopping. And we've talked about potentially doing other programs for families and kids around town, so that would be more support for that too.”

Pat Burch is involved with both CAN and From the Heart. She said the new funding will allow CAN to possibly raise its gift card amount for each child’s shopping trip above $75, which it has been set at for about the past 10 years. 

“The cards have been for $75 each for a long time and we haven't raised that amount,” Burch said. “We send out letters for donations for them and we'd have cards left over each year. This year we're starting from scratch and have no leftover cards. This is our opportunity based on how much money we have to raise the dollar amount of each card. $75 doesn’t go as far now as it did 10 years ago when we started doing that number for each card. We're up to 250 kids each year for the shopping trip.”