The Poshard Foundation gave $100,000 to 29 local agencies serving abused, neglected, and abandoned children.
Jo Poshard, director of the Foundation, says this is a particularly pressing issue here in Southern Illinois.
"We have at least twenty counties in what I call deep Southern Illinois with child abuse rates that are double, triple, and sometimes even quadruple the state average," she said, citing statistics from the Department of Children and Family Services.
The agencies will use funds to provide services, supplies, and activities for families and children. These include counseling, cribs, clothing, and access to extracurriculars, among other things.
