Lorianne Bauer founded and chaired the Eastern Illinois Foodbank Prom Benefit in 2009 at a local VFW and raised $2,500 with 80 attending. The next year, she moved the event to Stonecreek Church in Urbana where it generated approximately $7,000 with 150 attending. The third year, she secured a reduced rate at the Hilton Garden Inn. She also recruited Jackson Chiropractic as a supporting sponsor, making Jackson Chiropractic and Hilton premiere sponsors and official co-hosts of the event. These two organizations are now largely responsible for the annual planning of the event.
Now in its 9th year, Lorianne remains very involved in the Prom Benefit as a member of the planning and décor committees. She participates in promotion activities and assists in securing and maintaining sponsors/vendors. This year the Prom Benefit raised $95,000. Each $1 donated to the foodbank equals $10 of food the average person would buy in the grocery store. The impact on the community, therefore, will be equivalent to nearly 1 million dollars or 500,000 meals served.
In addition to her contribution to the Eastern Illinois Foodbank, Lorianne also is the Workforce Investment Director for Central Illinois Human Resources Group (CiHRG), a local SHRM chapter. She founded the News- Gazette/CiHRG/RPC Annual Spring job fair three years ago when Parkland College discontinued its job fair. This year’s job fair will feature approximately 90 employers and more than 700 job seekers. A new feature will provide additional assistance to job seekers. Resume workshops, mock interviews, and assistance with job applications will be provided on site all day long. Lorianne secured in-kind sponsorships that will provide computers, a network and wireless service for this new aspect of the job fair called the Job Seeker Resource Center.
Lorianne is also a licensed foster parent and is in the process of adopting an 11-year-old girl from the foster system.