Mount Vernon Awarded $14,500 T-Mobile Hometown Grant – Celebration Event on September 26

Posted By: Withers Syndication
September 19, 2025 @ 5:57 am
Local News

MT. VERNON, IL — T-Mobile (NASDAQ: TMUS) today revealed the latest 25 towns to score a Hometown Grant, bringing the total to 425 recipients since the company launched its five-year commitment to small towns and rural communities in April 2021. With each town getting up to $50,000 to help fund local projects, T-Mobile has now given over $19 million in grants to towns across 48 states and Puerto Rico, supporting initiatives that strengthen communities and improve lives.

In the years since Hometown Grants started, small towns have used the funding on projects like building new hiking trails, upgrading tech at local libraries, revitalizing historic buildings, creating community centers and way more. The program has led to 169,000 volunteer hours and 1,288 jobs.

The project was submitted by the United Way of South Central Illinois, and it was selected from more than 1,000 applicants this round. Each quarter, T-Mobile awards 25 Hometown Grants to small towns with populations of 50,000 or less.

There will be a celebratory check presentation at 5:00 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 26 at the 9th Street Festival Zone during the Mount Vernon Fall Fest. Representatives from the United Way and T-Mobile will be there to talk about the impact this grant will have on the community and celebrate with attendees.

Nat Shook, Executive Director of the United Way of South Central Illinois, shared her excitement about the grant, saying: “This grant jump-starts a Teacher Library that will put more books directly into local classrooms and homes. When educators have what they need, kids read more—and that changes everything. We’re grateful for T-Mobile’s investment and proud to build a space that strengthens literacy across South Central Illinois.”

Any town in the U.S. or Puerto Rico with a population of less than 50,000 can apply for Hometown Grants by visiting www.t-mobile.com/hometowngrants.

To select recipients, T-Mobile teams up with Main Street America, a nonprofit organization that works to advance shared prosperity, create resilient economies and improve quality of life through place-based economic development and community preservation. Grant applications are reviewed based on their level of detail, community impact, feasibility and other considerations.

T-Mobile’s Commitment to Small Towns

As America’s Best Mobile Network, T-Mobile is all about keeping small towns and rural areas connected — not just through coverage, but through meaningful investments that make a difference. From Hometown Grants to Project 10Million, , the Un-carrier is fueling growth in places that need it most.

T-Mobile Home Internet, T-Mobile Business Internet and T-Mobile Fiber are also aimed at small towns, delivering affordable and reliable broadband options to rural communities while T-Satellite with Starlink connects people even the hardest-to-reach places — keeping them connected nearly everywhere they can see the sky.

Together with programs like Friday Night 5G Lights, these initiatives show the scale of T-Mobile’s commitment to connecting people, powering small towns and helping communities of every size thrive.

To see how Hometown Grants are creating change, visit here.

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