Long named Dot Foods’ Volunteer of the Year at first Giving Festival

MOUNT STERLING, Ill. — Dot Foods, Inc., held its first Giving Festival on Thursday, June 1, at the Mount Sterling distribution center. More than 30 West Central Illinois non-profit organizations showcased their organizations’ missions.

Dot Foods also recognized its employees for their dedication to giving back to their community and announced the 2022 Volunteer of the Year winner and finalists. The new event was co-sponsored by Dot’s Mount Sterling charitable committee and the company’s Teaming with Local Charities volunteer program, which is celebrating its 15-year anniversary this year. Dot’s charitable group and TLC reach into 11 West Central Illinois counties to volunteer and provide grants and food donations.

At the Giving Festival, each attending non-profit organization received a surprise grant from Dot Foods as a thank you for their ongoing partnership. A total of $45,000 in grants were awarded. Non-profits that participated in the event included the United Way, the American Red Cross, the Alzheimer’s Association, various school districts and multiple food pantries, including the Central Illinois Food Bank and the new Beardstown Food Pantry.

In a press release, Jessica Mock, director of the TLC program, said, “Supporting the community was an integral part of Dot Foods co-founders Robert and Dorothy Tracy’s lives, and volunteerism is a part of Dot Foods’ culture. We are always looking for ways to encourage employees to volunteer and always looking for organizations that could use Dot’s support through grants, donations and volunteerism. The giving festival allows us to connect some of the amazing groups doing important work in our community with our incredible employees.”

Becky Long from Camp Point was named the 2022 Volunteer of the Year winner. As part of the program, Dot Foods awarded her a $1,000 donation to the charity of her choice, which she directed to St. Mary’s in Mount Sterling to be used in support of veteran memorials at their cemetery. Dot Foods will send Long on a celebratory vacation at RT’S Cove, Dot Foods’ private resort in Osage Beach, Mo.

Long has worked at the Dot Foods headquarters in Mount Sterling for 33 years. She is a senior team leader on Dot’s single case fulfillment team. Long has given her time to many groups over the years. When she was young, her brother died in Vietnam, and she is now the creator and keeper of the St. Mary’s and the Mount Sterling City Cemetery’s database of veterans’ markers.

“Becky has volunteered a total of 484 hours through Dot’s TLC Program, and her passion for volunteerism is second to none,” Mock said. “Her dedication is visible across each of our programs, from food pantries to schools, and also supporting the local cemeteries in her community. Becky’s volunteer spirit precedes her in all she does, inspiring others to get involved in their communities by supporting local charities.”

More than 180 Dot Foods employees at the Mount Sterling, Burley, Idaho, and St. Louis locations, volunteering for a combined 2,810 hours in 2022 as part of Dot Foods TLC program. Employees donated $23,000 to local charity organizations via employee program incentives.

The other Volunteer of the Year finalists were Tana Parsano, Jennifer Knapp, Brandon Scranton, Amber Elliot, Daniel Koch, Stacey Volk, Patty Barchak, Lora Decker and Celia Eicken.

Dot Charitable made $11.2 million in donations of money and product in 2022 in the communities the company calls home across the U.S. and Canada. The Mount Sterling charitable committee donated $1.4 million to local groups in 2022. Groups interested in partnering with Dot Foods can share more about their needs and upcoming projects at https://www.dotfoods.com/about/social-responsibility/charitable-giving/#apply-for-a-grant.