Around Illinois

Across Illinois, Meeting People Where They Are

I love traveling across Illinois—meeting people, helping return unclaimed property, reuniting families with medals found in safe deposit boxes, Operation Purple Heart, and talking with parents about saving for college.

This year, I’m making it a goal to visit even more communities. Here are a few photos from the road so far, along with images from our youth photo contest, Cream of the Crop. I look forward to meeting many more of you in the months ahead.

Treasurer Frerichs poses with Charger the horse mascot of John A. Logan College.
Treasurer Frerichs poses with Charger the horse mascot of John A. Logan College in Carterville (Williamson County)
a man and a woman sitting at a diner having a conversation
Treasurer Frerichs at Buttermilk for a Secure Choice event in Naperville (DuPage/Will Counties)
A field of yellow-green wheat, with trees and the sky taking up part of the frame
Ages 8-10: Jerry F. of Springfield (“Wheat”).
a television camera in the foreground with a man and a woman on stools in the background having a conversation
Telethon at Central Illinois TV WCIA (Champaign) for iCash in Champaign County
Two sisters hold up their banks from the Rockford 5.29 Museum Days
Two sisters hold up their banks from the Rockford 5.29 Museum Days
a man and a woman stand under an open air awning looking at a purple heart medal in a case
Army Private Stephen J. Grabowski Purple Heart Medal is returned to his family in Williamson County
Treasurer Frerichs at a Rockford press conference on Charitable Trust grants
Treasurer at Life Decisions in Rockford, a winner of a 2025 Charitable Trust grant.
a man holding a bag of groceries stands with two women in front of a food pantry van smiling
Community visit to Glen Ellyn, Illinois to return some unclaimed property to a food pantry
men and women wearing hard hats stand in front of industrial equipment answering questions
Treasurer Frerichs at Southern Illinois University – Edwardsville in Madison County
men shaking hands at a festival smiling
Bud Billiken Parade is Chicago’s back to school event (Cook County)
three men stand in front of a christmas tree holding an oversized check for 27 thousand dollars smiling
Unclaimed property outreach event in Illinois (Kane/Cook)
a man in an orange shirt stands in the middle of a crowd at a summer festival
Annual festival celebrating agriculture and country music (Perry County) • August 2025
a small pepper plant is being buried in the dirt by the hands of a small child wearing white nailpolish
“The Beauty in Planting” (ages 15-18) photographer from Kendall County
a combine farm machine harvests grain and outputs the finished product in a waiting truck pulled by a tractor
“Harvest Time” by Cream of the Crop photo contest winner John G. of Rockford, Ill.
three men standing having a conversation in an exposition fairground
Treasurer Frerichs speaks with attendees in Gordyville (Champaign County)
two long slender boats with crew on board race in the chicago river
Chicago (Cook County) • June 2025
two men look at the fields in champaign county
Champaign (Champaign County) • July 2025
a man and women sit in a diner having a conversation
Moline (Rock Island County) • September 2025
two men speaking to each other in an empty church
East St. Louis (St. Clair County) • October 2025
a team of people sitting at a long table meeting with the public
Unclaimed property outreach event (Clinton County)
Frerichs returns unclaimed money to 4 Kids Sake charity with two women in red holding a giant check
Bolingbrook (Will County) • December 2025
Treasurer Michael Frerichs addresses the crowd using a microphone
Treasurer Frerichs speaks at the Springfield and Central Illinois Trades and Labor Council event
group of people holding a giant check on the court at a college basketball game
Start saving for college now with Illinois Bright Start 529
Treasurer Frerichs stands at a podium as four people, including one using a wheelchair, are beside him
Press conference celebrating a new law that raised the ABLE age limit to before age 46, making about 6 million more people eligible nationwide.