North Mac Neighbors Feeding Neighbors Initiative

07/16/2026

There are some big things coming. And we are excited to be a part of it.

We are thrilled to share some wonderful news with our community — the Virden Historical Society has officially completed Stage One and Stage Two of securing our 501(c)(3) nonprofit status!

We are now entering the final federal stage, which can take anywhere from a week to a year. So please send all the good luck, good vibes, and encouragement our way as we move through this last step.

In the meantime, we’ve been hard at work building a 3–5 year plan filled with meaningful projects, community improvements, historical preservation, educational programs, and some truly amazing things we cannot wait to reveal.

This journey will not happen overnight, but it will happen — and it will happen with transparency, intention, and heart. Once everything is finalized, we’ll be sharing all the incredible plans we have in store for our wonderful town.

Thank you for your patience, your support, and your belief in what Virden can become. Great things are coming. We are so excited. ❤️

Join our Membership:
https://airtable.com/appKXQxKAbsM4Th5D/shr8YYRhgPLuCRLHc

Join our Volunteer Squad:
https://airtable.com/app9zAFpSVGo141dC/shryR9KcLwf1zlbay

06/23/2026

What a great way to get involved within the community. We need help. Please fill out the form to help us out as well. Let’s work together.

💚 Join Our Volunteer Squad — We Need You!
Our community projects are growing fast, and we’re building a Volunteer Squad to help keep everything moving forward. If you’ve been wanting to get involved, now is the perfect time.

👉 Volunteer Form:
https://airtable.com/app9zAFpSVGo141dC/shryR9KcLwf1zlbay

We have room for every skill level — physical labor, organizing, helping at tables, checkouts, events, errands, sorting, community outreach, and more. If you’ve got a heart to help, we’ll find the right spot for you.

💛 Become a Member or Supporter
Our organizations are growing, and memberships help us build long‑term stability for everything we’re doing — from Roots & Renewal to the Virden Historical Society.

👉 Membership & Donation Form:
https://airtable.com/appKXQxKAbsM4Th5D/shr8YYRhgPLuCRLHc

And yes — donations are always appreciated. Every dollar goes right back into community projects, beautification, food support, and historical preservation.

🌱 Together, we’re building something special.
Whether you volunteer, donate, or become a member, you’re helping create real change right here in our town. Thank you for being part of this movement.

06/21/2026

Happy Birthday Virden 🎊🥳

🎉🎂 HAPPY 174th BIRTHDAY, VIRDEN! 🎂🎉

Founded on June 21, 1852, our town has officially been home for 174 incredible years — filled with grit, history, community, and heart. Today, we celebrate all of us who make Virden the special place it is. 💛✨

🎈 Fun Facts About Our Hometown

Each one of these is a little piece of what makes Virden truly one‑of‑a‑kind:

Founded in 1852 — Virden was officially surveyed and became a town on June 21, 1852, named after John Virden, who ran a well‑known stagecoach stop for travelers heading between Springfield, Vandalia, and St. Louis.

Route 66 Roots — From 1926–1930, the Mother Road itself ran right through Virden, connecting our little town to one of America’s most iconic highways.

Coal Country Legacy — Virden once supported over 20 coal mines, and the first shaft was sunk in 1868. Coal shaped our growth, our families, and our identity.

The 1898 Virden Mine Battle — A defining moment in U.S. labor history happened right here on October 12, 1898. The conflict between miners and strikebreakers became so significant that October 12th was later declared Miner’s Day.

A Town That Grew Fast — By 1859, just seven years after founding, Virden already had 124 buildings, multiple hotels, stores, churches, and a bustling railroad depot.

Community From the Start — Our first school was taught in 1853 in a local home, and the first sermon was delivered in the Junction House hotel before churches were built.

💛 A Message to Our Town

Today isn’t just about looking back — it’s about celebrating the people who keep Virden strong:
our families, our small businesses, our volunteers, our history lovers, our teachers, our workers, and everyone who chooses to call this place home.

Happy 174th Birthday, Virden!
Here’s to our past, our present, and the bright future we’re building together.

06/20/2026

Come show support for our community.

06/11/2026

We love our little Community. What a blessing to be a part of this.

06/08/2026

What????

05/28/2026

🌱 North Mac Summer Produce Project – Growing All Summer Long!

🌿💛 North Mac Neighbors Feeding Neighbors

Fresh produce is one of the hardest things for families to access — especially with food prices rising, SNAP cuts happening again in Illinois, and school being out for the summer. But our community is full of gardeners, and together we can make a real impact.

This year, we’re launching the North Mac Summer Produce Project — a season‑long effort to get fresh, nutritious food into the hands of local families.

👉 Plant 2–3 extra food‑bearing plants
👉 Harvest what you grow
👉 Donate it locally to our micro pantries, both food banks, and families in need

Because Facebook only allows events to run for two weeks at a time, you’ll see six separate events listed on our page — one for each two‑week segment of the summer.
But it’s all part of ONE big project running June through August.

Whether you garden a little or a lot, every tomato, pepper, cucumber, herb, squash, or berry helps. Many of you already share your harvests — now we’re inviting the whole community to join in and grow a little extra for our neighbors.

Let’s make this a summer of abundance.
Planting kindness. Harvesting abundance. 🌞💛

(We just cleared out an extra 25’x5’ section to help this year.)

Join our event
https://www.facebook.com/share/1CHBQrQ44T/?mibextid=wwXIfr

05/26/2026

Wow… you all never cease to amaze me.
Our June food drive hasn’t even kicked into full swing yet, and we already have donations rolling in. The generosity pouring out of this community is something truly special.

Every can, every box, every bag of groceries helps a neighbor right here in North Mac. With food stamps being cut again and summer break stretching family budgets thin, your kindness is making a real difference.

💚 Thank you for showing up. Thank you for caring. Thank you for being the heart of this community.
We’ll keep collecting all month long at Neatos Elements, the micro pantries, and both food banks.

Let’s keep the momentum going — together we feed our neighbors.

05/25/2026

🥫💛 It’s time to rally again, North Mac.
With food stamps being cut again and school out for the summer, many families in our area are facing real food insecurity. Prices keep rising, and for some households, June is going to be tough.

That’s why we’re launching our June Food Drive Campaign — stocking every micro pantry, both food pantries, and the new food boxes being added around town.

If you can donate even one item, it truly matters.
If you can share the event, it helps even more.
If you can host a mini‑drive, you’ll make a huge impact.

🛒 Most‑needed items: pantry staples, kid‑friendly snacks, hygiene items, baby supplies.
📦 Drop‑off: Micro pantries, Neatos Elements, Kaylee Cafe, Girard Food Pantry, and Virden Food Pantry.

Let’s lift each other up this June.
Neighbors feeding neighbors — that’s who we are.

Check out our event page
https://www.facebook.com/share/1EQVTbzLMg/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Can’t purchase local here is an Amazon wish list.
https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1ZJXIW8OKT1JN?ref_=wl_share

Our community has made an impact and a huge difference in the past. So we look forward to working with you in the future. 

12/25/2025

🎄✨ MERRY CHRISTMAS, NORTH MAC! ✨🎄

From all of us at the North Mac Christmas Meal Project, we want to wish each and every one of you a very Merry Christmas filled with love, warmth, and community spirit. ❤️

Because of YOU — our generous sponsors, donors, volunteers, and neighbors — we were able to serve 150 complete Christmas meals to local families this season. That is 150 households wrapped in care, dignity, and holiday magic.

This project is proof that when a community comes together, incredible things happen.
You showed up.
You showed out.
One meal at a time.

To every sponsor who believed in this mission, thank you for helping us reach this moment. Your generosity didn’t just put food on tables — it put hope in homes and smiles on faces.

And to every volunteer, every donor, every person who gave a can, a dollar, a prayer, or their time — you are what makes this community home.

May your Christmas be as full as the hearts you helped fill.
From our hearts to yours — Merry Christmas and thank you for being part of something truly special. 🎄💚

Neighbors feeding neighbors — always.