Calendar

Food Not Bombs Springfield, IL is holding a potluck meeting to discuss and plan upcoming community events and food shares. New members are welcome and encouraged to join. Food Not Bombs rescues edible food that would otherwise be discarded and shares it freely with the community to address food insecurity, and to protest systems that prioritize militarism, systemic barriers exacerbating inequity, and profit over the well-being of the people.

Bringing a dish is not required for attendance, but it is requested that the food be vegan-friendly. Virtual option available; e-mail foodnotbombs.spi@proton.me for details.

Food Not Bombs Springfield, IL is meeting in the Bicentennial Room on the 3rd floor of the library. New members are also welcome. Food Not Bombs rescues edible food that would otherwise be discarded and shares it freely with the community to address food insecurity, and to protest systems that prioritize militarism, systemic barriers exacerbating inequity, and profit over the well-being of the people. We will be planning our future events and community involvement centering on food waste reduction and building mutual aid structures.

The history and restoration of Clayville Historic Site will be discussed by Josh Pryer. He will share the remarkable story of Clayville--from its early frontier and stagecoach years through periods of restoration, uncertainty and renewal. Their work represents the very heart of grassroots historic preservation, not just saving buildings, but preserving the stories, character and sense of place that connect one generation to another. Sponsored by the Sangamon County Historical Society.

GRIEFSHARE grief recovery and support group will meet at the Parish Hall at Trinity Lutheran School, 515 S. MacArthur Blvd., Springfield. The fall session will begin on Tuesday, September 1, 2026 from 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm and meets weekly for 13 weeks. GriefShare features nationally recognized experts on grief recovery topics including "Is This Normal?," "The Challenges of Grief," "Grief and Your Relationships," "Why," and "Guilt and Anger." Thanks to a grant from Thrivent Financial, the workbook fees for this session will be waived.
This event is free and open to the public, but pre-registration is required to ensure there are enough materials for everyone.
For more information or to pre-register, please call 217.899.9418 or register at trinitygriefshare@yahoo.com.

The Ameren Illinois Market Development Initiative (MDI) Grant Writing Support and Solutions team is excited to help Central and Southern Illinois businesses and community organizations access federal, state, local and private funding opportunities. We are hosting two free grant writing workshops in Taylorville on September 17 and 18, both days beginning at 9 A.M. Workshops will be inside the Christian County Illinois Extension office at: 1120 N. Webster St., Taylorville, IL 62568.

On September 17, anyone interested in learning more about grant writing can attend an Introduction to Grant Writing Workshop. This workshop provides practical skills to secure funding and create lasting impact for projects and initiatives.

Attendees can expect to learn:
1. Grantsmanship and Grant Writing: Techniques for crafting compelling proposals.
2. Budget, Evaluation and Management: Developing strong budgets and evaluation plans.
3. Partnerships: Strategies for building collaborative relationships.
4. Program Development: Designing impactful and viable programs through logic models.

You are welcome to reach out directly to our team, Josalin Wills and Marissa Stanger at: MDI-Team@ameren.com. To learn more about the Ameren Illinois Market Development Initiative, please visit: AmerenIllinoisSavings.com/Grants.

World Affairs Council of Central Illinois (WACCI) presents: Ghosts of Glasnost: A Veteran Journalist Revisits the Collapse of the USSR for clues to the Rise of Putin's Russia - Sept. 17

The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum invites you to spend an evening with a leader in underwater archaeology, who has documented some of the most significant shipwrecks from the Transatlantic Era of African Enslavement -- including the Guerrero in southern Florida and the Clotilda in the Mobile River in Alabama -- and has been featured by National Geographic in the award-winning documentary DESCENDANT.

Join us on Thursday, September 17, as Kamau Sadiki shares how the compelling combination of underwater archaeology, history, and storytelling can deepen our understanding of the past and inspire the future.

This program is free to attend but advance registration is required. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. Program begins at 6:30 p.m. in the ALPLM Union Theater.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER: Kamau Sadiki is a Board member and Lead Instructor with Diving With A Purpose (DWP), an organization committed to documenting shipwrecks involved in the Transatlantic Era of African Enslavement (TEAE) through underwater archaeology. He is the DWP representative on the Slave Wrecks Project International Leadership Team. Kamau has worked on five TEAE shipwrecks including the Guerrero in southern Florida and the Clotilda in the Mobile River in Alabama, the last ship to bring captured Africans into the USA. He is featured in the documentary film “DESCENDANT” that tells the story of the Clotilda descendant community of Africatown, AL. Kamau has conducted numerous lectures and presentations on TEAE shipwrecks, memory and resistance. He is a chapter co-author in Citizen Scientist in Maritime Archaeology: The Power of Public Engagement, University Press of Florida (2023) and published an article in DAN Alert Diver magazine (Q3 2022). Kamau is dedicated to de-colonizing the historical narrative of underwater archaeology, with emphasis on interpreting the spiritual dimensions of interrogating TEAE artifacts.

Bluegrass Gospel is coming to Pekin! 🎶
Join us for a special evening with The Mulkins Family at Gethsemane Church on Friday, September 18 at 5:00 PM!
Bring your family, invite a friend, grab your lawn chairs, and enjoy an evening of uplifting Bluegrass Gospel music in a relaxed outdoor setting.
🌳 Outdoor Event — Weather Permitting (If it would rain it will be inside & same location)
🪑 Bring a Lawn Chair
📅 Friday, September 18
⏰ 5:00 PM
📍 Gethsemane Church
600 State St., Pekin, IL
Whether you already love Bluegrass Gospel or you’re just looking for something wholesome and encouraging to do with the family, we would love to have you with us.
Come enjoy great music, Christian fellowship, and an evening centered on the Lord!
👉 Learn more about Gethsemane Church and our upcoming events at TGC1611.org
Everyone is welcome — make plans now to join us!
#PekinIL #GethsemaneChurch #BluegrassGospel #GospelConcert #PekinEvents #FamilyEvent #ChristianMusic

In recognizing Constitution Day, the Center for State Policy and Leadership (CSPL) is partnering with the Performing Arts Center (PAC) for their production of What The Constitution Means To Me. The performance on Constitution Day, September 17th, will convene a panel discussion to follow, which will include Dr. Lindsey Cormack who visited Springfield last year to discuss her book How to Raise a Citizen. We invite friends and partners of CSPL to use this code to purchase tickets during this pre-sale time period. You will not want to miss this event!

What does the Constitution mean to you? The Constitution isn’t just history—it’s personal. Part memoir, part history lesson, and part lively conversation, What the Constitution Means to Me brings America’s founding document to life in unexpected ways. Funny, moving, and engaging, it’s theatre that sparks conversation long after the curtain falls.

Playwright Heidi Schreck’s boundary-breaking play breathes new life into our Constitution and imagines how it will shape the next generation of Americans. Fifteen-year-old Heidi earned her college tuition by winning Constitutional debate competitions across the United States. In this hilarious, hopeful and achingly human new play, she resurrects her teenage self in order to trace the profound relationship between four generations of women and the founding document that shaped their lives.

Presented by: UIS Performing Arts Center in partnership with the UIS Center for State Policy and Leadership

What the Constitution Means to Me is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc.

Art @ the Market provides a free weekly, make-it, take-it art/craft activity to the public each week. Our activity booth will be at the Bloomington Farmers' Market (near the intersection of Jefferson and Center Streets). This activity is for youth to the young-at-heart adult. Our volunteers will be there to help with the activity which will take about 15 minutes. Drop by during the scheduled time to participate. If the weather is poor, the activity will be held in the lobby just outside our gallery in the Monroe Center.