Liesl Lytle’s children grew up alongside a boy named Mitchell through connections at school and church. When his symptoms began at age 12, his family watched with heartbreak as his health declined—but never his spirit. Mitchell Herndon continued to greet others with kindness, served as student body president of his high school, and earned a full-tuition college scholarship before passing away in October 2019.
That experience inspired Lytle, of MGI Risk Advisors, to nominate the Mitchell and Friends Foundation for MEM’s Ignite Your Impact Campaign. Nominated by MEM’s independent agent partners, 35 organizations across Missouri, Tennessee, Kansas, Illinois, and Arkansas received a total of $26,000 in donations.
Today, the Mitchell and Friends Foundation honors Mitchell’s life—he was the first person diagnosed with this genetic condition–by supporting Mitchell Syndrome patients, raising awareness, and funding research toward effective treatments and, one day, a cure.
“The foundation relies on a team of qualified and distinguished scientific advisors for guidance,” Lytle said. “They are intimately familiar with Mitchell’s story and are experts in this newly diagnosed disease. As genetic testing becomes more available and awareness of Mitchell Syndrome grows, more children will be diagnosed with Mitchell Syndrome and already have been. Each of them has a story to share.”
Local organizations benefit from agent nominations
Across Illinois and Missouri, Ignite Your Impact supported organizations addressing a range of community needs—from advancing medical research to programs supporting children and families.
Kara Viorel of First State Insurance Agency nominated the YMCA of Hannibal:
The YMCA is deeply meaningful to me because it embodies what true community looks like — a place where every person is seen, supported, and welcomed with dignity. Their programs don’t just build stronger bodies; they build confidence, connection, and hope. What moves me most is their commitment to never turning anyone away due to inability to pay. That promise transforms the Y from a gym into a lifeline.
A lifeline is what Jasmine Traylor-Bell saw when she nominated the Violence Prevention Center of Southwestern Illinois for funding from MEM.
The organization walks alongside survivors of Domestic Violence, creating a safe and supportive space where they can draw on their strengths, build confidence, and shape their futures on their own terms. Through connection and compassionate support, it helps foster safety, dignity, choice, and hope, while reminding survivors that they are not alone and that good people do exist.
MEM’s giving goes beyond one campaign
Ignite Your Impact is one part of MEM’s broader commitment to community investment. Throughout the year, MEM supports nonprofit organizations through sponsorships, employee matching gifts, charitable contributions, and in-kind services. Its corporate impact program focuses on efforts that help build a skilled workforce, improve health outcomes, and create safety and stability for people in need.
MEM also makes community impact funds available to nonprofits annually and offers a 1:1 charitable match to agents in our Signature Partner Program, helping agents extend their own community giving with additional support from MEM.
Together, these programs reflect MEM’s commitment to helping agents strengthen their local impact and support organizations that serve meaningful needs across their communities.
Illinois and Missouri organizations supported by Ignite Your Impact
Illinois
| MEM Appointed Agency Nominator | Organization |
|---|---|
| Freiburg Insurance Agency | Advocacy Network for Children, Quincy |
| OneDigital | Cal’s Angels, St. Charles |
| Imming Insurance Agency | Caritas Family Solutions, Belleville |
| Weis Insurance Agency LLC | Effingham County Humane Society, Effingham |
| Robertson Ryan | Parents and Friends of Community Integration Services, Belleville |
| Yaekel & Associates | Violence Prevention Center of Southwestern Illinois, Belleville |
Missouri
| MEM Appointed Agency Nominator | Organization |
|---|---|
| Assured Partners/Gallagher | Access Arts, Columbia |
| Ozark Insurance Inc | Disabled American Veterans (DAV), St. Louis |
| Yaekel & Associates | Guardian Angel Settlement Association, St. Louis |
| Thomas McGee Group | Harvesters Community Food Network, Kansas City |
| Brown & Brown | Risk Strategies | KC G.I.F.T., Kansas City |
| Hawkins Harrison Insurance | Knox County 4-H, Edina |
| MGI Risk Advisors | The Mitchell and Friends Foundation, St. Louis |
| Stroud Insurance Group | Pony Express Council BSA, St. Joseph |
| Kraft Insurance Services | Schroeder Family Exploreum, Joplin |