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Fall 2008
Community Assistance Fund Recipients
6 applications granted
Total Amount Granted: $ 2,995
1. Kenwood
School-Champaign Unit #4
Kenwood School is a K-5 school in Champaign Unit #4
district. Kenwood School currently has 373 students with a racial/ethnic
breakdown as follows: White
51.5%, African-American 38.6%, Hispanic 3.8%, Asian/Pacific Islander 6.2%. 57.4% of students are considered low
income, and Kenwood has a 15.4% mobility rate. Kenwood is requesting $500 to
implement a school wide social skills program. Many of the children at Kenwood do not have the social
skills necessary for classroom success. Academic time is lost teaching
children cooperation, self control, and school readiness. The program will indentify the
students with the greatest social delay and increase social skill instruction
with additional curriculum and resources.
Requested: $500
2. Cunningham
ChildrenÕs Home
Cunningham ChildrenÕs Home was founded in 1895 when Judge
Joseph and Mary Cunningham left their home to the United Methodist Church to
care for children on need. It
has evolved into a place that provides around the clock counseling, support
and educations services to young people who suffer from serious emotional,
behavioral, and psychological problems.
Over 250 young people aged 6-21 are served by CunninghamÕs residential,
day treatment, and foster care programs each year. Cunningham is requesting $495 to purchase a drying rack to
improve the arts program.
Cunningham believes that art and creative expression are an important
outlet for emotional expression.
The drying rack will help the therapeutic arts program grow.
Requested: $495
3. Crisis
Nursery
The Crisis Nursery began in 1983-84 as a unique crisis
emergency childcare facility in Champaign-Urbana. The Crisis Nursery is a respite for parents, especially
women, who are in homeless or domestic violence programs to relive stress and
allow them to move forward in their efforts toward independence. Grant funds would be used to
replace the worn out cots used for children who are in overnight care. In addition, safety covers would be
purchased for the five fire alarms in the building to prevent children from
accidentally pulling the alarms.
Additional funding is requested from the Community Foundation and
funds raised by the Crisis Nursery.
Requested: $500
4. Rural
Champaign County Special Education Cooperative (RCCSEC)
The RCCSEC serves students with disabilities throughout
Champaign County, providing a variety of Special Education services. One such skill is the STEP program,
which emphasizes the development of employment skills and career goals for
adult life. To meet the needs of
students transitioning from high school to adult life the RCCSEC holds a
ÒTransition ConferenceÓ for students and parents. They estimate 300 attendees, 40% of these students have
developmental disabilities and 60% have learning disabilities or other health
impairments. The
Conference is receiving funding to cover the $4500 cost from a variety of
sources, including, DH/DRS Mini Grant, Urbana K of C Club, and funds have
been requested from a variety of other community organizations. They are requesting funds to
help underwrite the conference.
Requested: $500
5. The
Prairie Ensemble
Started in 1996 the Prairie Ensemble is a Champaign-Urbana
based professional orchestra. In
the 2007-08 season of four performances played to near-capacity crowds. The ensemble has also partnered with
other local cultural arts groups like the Champaign-Urbana Ballet, and the
Central Illinois ChildrenÕs Chorus to produce concerts to appeal to young
families. They are requesting
$500 to cover a portion of the musiciansÕ honoraria relating to the April 17,
2009 concert ÒCelebrating Mendelssohn at 200Ó. The fees paid to orchestral players comprise the
bulk of the cost of each concert.
Requested: $500
6. SmileHealthy
SmileHealthy administers the county Child Dental Access
Program, which arranges dental care for low-income children (below 200% of
the poverty level) in outlying Champaign County in dental offices of area
dentists who are reimbursed at 50% of their usual fees and some that donÕt
charge at all. Dental services
include everything from routine check-ups to oral surgery and
orthodontics. The program serves
about 1000 children a year. SmileHealthy also operates the Head Start Dental
Clinic. Eight days a month a dentist, hygienist, and dental assistant provide
care to families enrolled in any of the countyÕs Head Start Schools. They also offer mobile dental clinics
for county schools. They expect to serve 1000 children and provide them with
exams, cleanings, fluoride treatments and sealants. They are requesting $500 from JLCU to support the
partnership with Parkland College Dental Hygiene Program to actively expand
our oral health education program to target children throughout the
county. While the programs they
are currently operating are filling the need, SmileHealthy feels that age
appropriate, targeted education of young people would prevent many of the
problems they treat.
Requested: $500
Spring
2007
Community Assistance Fund Recipients
¥ Central
Illinois Children's Chorus - $ 500
The money is being requested to provide scholarships for the tuition for the
chorus students. CICC provides choral music instruction, vocal training, and
performance opportunities for children ages six through sixteen Currently 8
of 74 singers received partial or full tuition waivers totaling $ 2645.
¥ Edison
Middle School - Reading Buddies - $950
Reading Buddies is a group of 8th graders who read to Westview kindergartners
and was sponsored by JLCU. Their budget is $ 950. ($750
transportation, $200 supplies)
¥ CU Ballet
Tickets for Kids - $ 270
Provides tickets for ``at risk" children and their families to attend
the Nutcracker ballet-tickets costs 25.60 each.
¥ Allerton
Summer Day Camps - Uof I - $ 500
To provide scholarships for children to attend the Allerton day camps for
children ages 4-15 y/o. The camps are environmental and art themed.
Scholarships typically cover between 50-70% of fees.
¥ Crisis
Nursery - $ 500
Money will be used for production of a series of training videos,
specifically presenting the ``how" and ``how not to" interact with
infants and toddlers in five areas - challenging behaviors, diapering,
bedtime, bath time, and mealtime.
¥ Community
Prenatal Program - ``Baby Basics" - $ 600
Funds will be used to purchase the ``Baby Basics" book that is to be
given out to expectant mothers on Medicaid or with no insurance who come to
Planned Parenthood of East Central Illinois for prenatal care.
¥ Urbana Park
District - Sculpture Garden School Tour Program - $ 100
Funds will be used to purchase $100 of supplies for the sculpture garden
school tour program using the Wandell Sculpture Garden in Meadowbrook Park as
an outdoor classroom. This program tries to introduce students to
three-dimensional art and integrate art and math into the existing fine arts
curriculum.
¥ Mahomet
Area Youth Club - $ 310
The funds would be used to purchase tickets to a theater show for teens from
Mahomet-Seymour and the surrounding areas who participate in the Teen Succeed
evening program.
¥ Edison
Middle School 8th Grade Girls Basketball Team - $ 500
Purchase uniforms for the girl's basketball team. The majority of
families are not able to afford the cost of a new uniform, and currently,
Unit 4 is also not able to cover such costs.
¥ Edison
Middle School 7th Grade Girls Basketball Team - $ 500
Purchase uniforms for the girls basketball team. The majority of
families are not able to afford the cost of a new uniform, and currently,
Unit 4 is also not able to cover such costs.
¥ Canaan
Academy - $ 350
Funds will be used to help prevent ``The Summer Reading Slip".
Each student will receive 2 books to read over the summer. Students are
from CU, primarily African-American, and from prekindergarten through fifth
grade.
Community
Assistance Fund
Spring 2005 Recipients
¥$500 Central
Illinois Dental Education Services
CIDES serves over 6,000 low-income, uninsured and underinsured children in
Champaign County a year. In its third year, CIDES partnered with 27
area dentists to provide comprehensive, quality dental care within their own
private practices. Many children in low-income families lack even basic
oral hygiene supplies. Rural families with well water often lack
fluoride in adequate amounts. Dental problems are the number one reason
that children miss school. Funds will be used to purchase supplies for
family dental health packets, which include toothpaste, a variety of
toothbrushes for various ages, floss, fluoride, and oral educational
materials.
¥$50 Central
High School-Peer Assistance Team
The Peer Assistance Team (PAT) is a group of students who are trained to
educate, mediate and counsel their peers. They welcome new and transfer
students, greet parents and answer questions at the 8th grade Open House,
mediate peer conflicts, participate in 8th grade Orientation by giving tours
and discussing extracurricular activities, seek creative ways to improve the
school climate and counsel students individually on personal issues. 45
students this year have served on PAT as student leaders and helpers.
Funding will cover training and field trips for this organization.
¥$500
University of Illinois-Multicultural Health Center
The Multicultural Health Center (MCHC) was established in 2001 as a
collaborative partnership between the UIUC College of Nursing and multiple
community partners that satellite services to the clinic. Onsite health
care is delivered by Nurse Practitioner faculty and collaborating
physicians. MCHC delivers culturally sensitive illness prevention and
health promotion services to an underserved and culturally diverse
community. The program services spouses of students and their
dependents living on the UIUC campus in Family and Graduate Housing (Orchard
Downs). To date, the clinic has logged over 1800 visits for clients
from 40 countries. JLCU funding will support onsite screening for
Tuberculosis. The goal is for early detection of TB and comprehensive
follow-up care for international children and adults, through an established
partnership with the C-U Health District.
¥$160 Central
Illinois Children's Chorus
CICC is in its 27th season offering quality choral music and vocal training,
and providing performance opportunities for children ages 6 through 16 with
treble voices. The chorus presents concerts, performs with area
orchestras and with the University of Illinois Opera Program, and
participates in international children’s chorus festivals as well as local
community events. Funding will partially support a singing scholarship
for children needing financial assistance.
¥$450 Champaign-Urbana
Ballet-Tickets for Kids
CU Ballet is a not-for profit pre-professional dance company founded in 1998
with the goal of promoting classical ballet and offering training and local
performance opportunities to community youth. The Tickets for Kids
Program (TFK) is funded solely by donations and grants. TFK gives
ballet tickets to students at both urban and rural area schools with large
populations of at-risk students. Ticket recipients attend ballets with
their families and receive vouchers for refreshments and gifts from the
ballet boutique. An outreach specialist donates dance-related outreach
to TFK schools to enhance the recipients' experience at the theatre.
The goal is to provide a rich, family arts experience different from that
associated with large group/school field trips and identical to that enjoyed
by families with greater resources and/or easier access to the arts. In
2004, TFK allowed 101 children and family members from Stratton School,
Urbana Early Childhood, King School, South Side School and Middletown Early
Childhood (Mahomet) to attend a performance of The Nutcracker at Krannert
Center for the Performing Arts. CAF funding will pre-purchase tickets
for the 2005 Nutcracker.
¥$400 United
Way of Champaign County-Success By 6
Success By 6 is a collaborative effort of business, private and public sector
human service providers, and community leaders that focuses on improving the
lives of young children and their families. Success By 6 works to
ensure that all children develop the emotional, social, cognitive and
physical capacities and skills they need to enter school ready to learn and
achieve success in all areas of their lives. In collaboration with
Champaign County schools, Success By 6 is developing a School Readiness Calendar
for distribution in July to all Champaign County 4 year olds. The
calendar was developed by early childhood specialists and is based on early
learning standards. The calendar will include local school readiness
expectations, local resource information and other important information for
parents such as immunization needs and screening information. There are
over 1700 children currently attending kindergarten in Champaign
County. Particular emphasis will be placed on reaching at-risk children
including those who have had no preschool experience. Junior
League will be acknowledged as a sponsor on the back of the calendar.
¥$40 Carrie
Busey Elementary School-Awesome Authors
Carrie Busey is one of eleven elementary schools in Champaign serving approximately
400 students in Kindergarten through fifth grade. The student
population is diverse. 50% of students are minorities and 47% are low
income. Carrie Busey is planning a celebration of second grade Awesome
Authors. The celebration will be a grade level celebration during the
day and a celebration for families in the evening at the school.
Students will share their writing at the celebration. The evening
celebration will include an ``Open Mike Night" atmosphere. JLCU funding
will allow these students to receive an award and pencil for their
accomplishments.
¥$100
Hoopeston Migrant Head Start
Migrant Head Start has a site in Ludlow (Champaign County) and provides a
variety of services to migrant or seasonal farm worker families and their
children, ages 6 weeks-6 years, while in east central Illinois from July
through October each year. These farm workers are primarily Hispanic,
U.S. citizens from south Texas. Coming to a new community,
poverty-stricken, and not able to receive the services they need is
detrimental to all areas of a child's development. Services include
education, health, disabilities, mental health, social services, and parent
involvement. In the last two years, there has been a rise in the need
for crisis intervention for mental health services for both children and
parents, usually the mother. Families are largely monolingual Spanish
speakers who do not qualify for insurance or a medical card due to their
brief length of stay in Champaign County. Agencies that serve on a sliding
scale do not employ bilingual therapists. The population served will be
those children and parents who qualify for Hoopeston Migrant Head Start
services who reside in Champaign County. They will receive therapy for
enough sessions to get through the crisis and then will be referred to a
bilingual therapist within the local community where they permanently
reside. The agency contracts with Dr. Gracela Andresen, a bilingual
psychologist in the C-U community, for a reduced cost. JLCU will help
fund this mental health service.
¥$400 Parents
Resource Organization for the Understanding of Disabilities and Developmental
Delays-Lending Library
PROUDD provides education, training, support and community awareness about
disabilities in C-U and surrounding areas. 312 people were served in
2004, with a goal of serving 587 people in 2005. Monthly mini-seminars
are presented by local and regional provider/professionals on a variety of
topics that are related to living or working with people with a disability or
developmental delay. PROUDD annually hosts 4-6 full day free seminars
with childcare provided by qualified staff at no charge. PROUDD also
works collaboratively with other local and state organizations to provide
training, develop new programs, resources and bring community awareness about
disabilities to the community. Resources provided include a lending
library, functional living skills training manual, community outings and
consultations at no charge. PROUDD also speaks at in-services, parent
support groups and schools. CAF funding will be used for additional
disability materials (books, adapted books, videos and training materials)
for families, educators and professionals through the lending library.
These resources allow families the latest materials for learning and teaching
at home children with disabilities without the additional expense of
purchasing these materials. This helps to offset the high cost of
therapy, medical bills and equipment.
¥$100 East
Central Illinois Refugee Mutual Assistance Center
The Refugee Center provides services to immigrants and refugees living in
Champaign County. The program helps immigrant families to find jobs and
housing, to enroll their children in school, to find affordable daycare, to
navigate a variety of governmental and social service agencies such as WIC,
DHS and Social Security, to find doctors and dentists, to enroll in English
classes, and to procure other services that may be new to them. They
also work as language interpreters until clients become fluent in English,
teach immigrants about American laws and social traditions and publish a
monthly newsletter in 5 languages to help immigrants to acclimate to American
culture and to inform them about important issues. The Refugee Center
also assists with applications for permanent residency, family reunification
papers, citizenship applications and citizenship test preparation, and
tutoring in English. The Spanish speaking population of Champaign
County has doubled in the last several years. Many of the Spanish
speaking families have young children and also have low incomes. The
Mental Health Center’s Healthy Families Program is working in collaboration
with Success By 6 at United Way, Urbana School District 116, Washington
School Early Childhood Program and the Mental Health Center’s Healthy
Families Program to translate and expand a Parent Resource Guide into
Spanish. The resource directory will list which organizations have
Spanish speaking staff to assist families that do not speak English.
Funding will help to defray the printing costs of 1000 directories.
¥$300 C-U One
to One Mentoring Scholarship Foundation
The mission of C-U One to One Mentoring Scholarship Foundation is to provide
the focus and funding for continuing education for students participating in
the C-U One to One Mentoring Program. The relationship-building program
focuses on an adult mentor fostering the development of character and
competence in a young person. Mentors, who receive training,
orientation, and ongoing support, commit to spending one hour per week during
the school day on school grounds with their student. There are
currently over 200 mentor pairs with over 50 pairs in the elementary
schools. The goal of the program is to help at-risk kids succeed and
stay in school until they graduate from high school. The program
recently was awarded a Department of Education grant to expand and strengthen
mentoring in Champaign and Urbana public schools. These grants were
used to hire part-time coordinators at each elementary and middle
school. Research shows that mentoring produces the greatest positive
outcomes (increased attendance, better focus on school, better relationship
with peers) when the bond is greatest between the student and the
mentor. Mentors report that spending time in activities such as
educational games, reading, and doing projects and crafts not only strengthen
this bond, but also provide time to talk about issues that the student is
facing. Many schools have very few supplies that are available for use
by mentors. JLCU will purchase educational support materials, books,
craft supplies and storage bins for six elementary schools.
Community
Assistance Fund
Fall 2004 Recipients
¥$300
Illinois Radio Reader
IRR is a free radio service for the blind and physically handicapped
community of east central Illinois. 65 volunteers read out loud from
local newspapers, magazines and books. IRR serves 350 listeners by
broadcasting these readings via a sub-carrier signal provided by WILL-TV.
There is a list of visually impaired individuals waiting for radio
receivers. The waiting time is 2-3 months. Funding will pay for 3
special sub-carrier radio receivers.
¥$100
National Alliance for the Mentally Ill
NAMI-Champaign County is a nonprofit organization run completely by
volunteers. NAMI has approximately 60 members whose lives
are touched by mental illness, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major
depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, anxiety disorder, etc.
People diagnosed with brain disorders (consumers), their families and friends
are welcome to join the organization. Members organize educational and
support groups, mail a monthly newsletter to 400 people and advocate on a
local, county and statewide level for improvements in the care and treatment
of people with brain disorders. Consumers pay $3 in dues annually and
family dues are $35 per year. Volunteer instructors attend state
training conferences. These volunteers bear the financial burden of
driving to classes and teaching unpaid for nine to twelve weeks at a
time. Funding will pay for two teachers to attend the Piecing It
Together conference in Fairview Heights ($50 registration fee per
teacher).
¥$300 TALKS
Mentoring of Champaign County
TALKS Mentoring is a program of Provena Behavioral Health. TALKS
purpose is to enroll, educate and facilitate instructive interaction between
adults and young people. Mentors in Champaign County are recruited to
serve youth in the public schools. Mentors are trained using the TALKS
Curriculum. Currently 108 mentors are serving 302 children in the
county. While some mentoring programs target only at-risk youth, the
TALKS program serves all children. Children are paired in groups of
three incorporating all academic levels in one group. Children are also
mixed racially and socio/economic levels are mixed. Each child will
receive a yearbook at the year-end banquet. Funding will help cover
this expense.
¥$100 Agape
Love Corner
Agape Love Corner is a program designed to instill the integrity and
character of men and women who are victims of domestic violence brought on by
substance abusers. The goal is to provide a structured year long
program to assist victims in overcoming domestic violence and carrying the
message of recovery to those who are still suffering. All counseling
sessions are facilitated by Pilgrim Baptist Church. There is no cost to
attend this program. Men, women and children who are victims of
domestic violence by substance abusers are referred by social service
agencies such as Women In Transition, TIMES Center and Jesus Is The Way
Prison Ministry. Funding will purchase literature, materials and
supplies that will be used to run group study sessions focusing on Client
Centered Therapy, Reality Therapy, Logo Therapy and Growth Therapy.
¥$400 Frances
Nelson Community Health Center
Frances Nelson's mission is to provide quality primary healthcare to all ages
of the uninsured and medically underserved residents of Champaign
County. The majority of patients are self-pay based on Federal Poverty
Guidelines and most are charged 10% of prevailing community fees. In
Fiscal Year 2004, Frances Nelson recorded 19,500 medical visits, an
approximate 19% increase over the previous year. Funding will help to
purchase prenatal books (What to Expect When You're Expecting and Caring for
Your Baby and Young Child) in English and Spanish.
¥$469
Champaign County Court Appointed Special Advocate
CASA is an organization which recruits, trains and monitors volunteers who
advocate for the best interests of abused and neglected children. 96
volunteers work through the juvenile court system to facilitate prompt
delivery of services and make independent recommendations to the Court
concerning the child's well-being. The advocates serve as the court's
eyes and ears, gathering relevant information about the child. To
ensure the quality of contact, CASA volunteers are assigned to no more than
two cases at any given time, serving on average 2-3 children per case.
CASA also serves as the Guardian ad litem for the children of Champaign
County. As of October 11, CASA is providing advocacy and legal
representation for 523 abused and neglected children. Volunteers are
trained in courtroom procedure, social services, the juvenile justice system and
the specials needs of abused and neglected children. The training is 40
hours over 5 weeks. Funding will pay for 45 reference books. A
Question of Balance: Decision Making for CASA/GAL Volunteers will be
used to train at least 60 new advocates in 2005.
¥$199 Urbana
Adult Education-Even Start Program
Even Start is a cooperative project between Champaign County Head Start,
Champaign Unit 4 Schools, Urbana School District 116, Parkland Community
College and Urbana Adult Education. The families served in Even Start
are residents of Champaign or Urbana and are working on completing the GED
exam, their high school diploma, or are studying English as a Second
Language. Just over half of the families speak a language other than
English at home. Women who are enrolled in the Adult Education program
are eligible for child care with an educational component for their children
under age three and a partnership with Head Start for pre-Kindergarten
students. Also available are Parenting Classes, Interactive Literacy activities,
and home visits that round out the family literacy program. Even Start
families have limited access to computers. The program was able to
recently add several used computers at the Columbia School facility, but no
money was available to purchase a printer. Funding will buy a HP
DeskJet printer that will contribute to the ongoing curriculum by providing
students with an opportunity to print and take home the projects they work on
at school.
¥$297.50
Stratton Elementary School
The enrichment specialist at Stratton Elementary is requesting funds for a
Parent-Student Book Club. The primary goal is to extend and enrich the
curriculum by providing a Family Reading Night, an event which promotes
greater family involvement in the area of literacy. The book club was
started last year by the enrichment staff and was overwhelmingly received by
both students and parents. Program funding was cut as a result of the
Unit 4 budget crisis. Funds are being requested to continue the
``Literacy Live!" program which will put emphasis on reading books and
then promote activities that bring the book ``to life". The
following books were chosen based on their overall theme and both books are
being made into movies: The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket, The
Reptile Room by Lemony Snicket, The Wide Window by Lemony Snicket and The
Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg. The movies (50 tickets for
$297.50) will allow for the book club to compare/contrast the book with the
movie. The enrichment specialists would like the students to experience
that no movie is better than the ``movie in your head" following the
reading and understanding of a good book.
 
¥$125 Prairie
Elementary School
Prairie Elementary School in Urbana has 340 students, with 80% qualifying for
free and reduced lunch. There are families in the low to moderate
income range. There is also a high mobility rate. The school is constantly
working on enhancing student achievement for students who come into school
with abilities 1-2 years behind grade level. The Family Center
Committee promotes parental involvement by implementing academic and social
events at Prairie such as, effective parenting support groups, 5th grade
transition meeting for parents and students and school in-services directed
to assist parents help their children at home. The Committee's main
objective is to provide families with opportunities to interact with other
parents and augments their parenting skills. The Family Center
Committee and Title I Parent Coordinator at Prairie Elementary School have
requested funding for a kindergarten bedtime reading night ($25 for a
facilitator) and will provide every family with reading materials (66 story
books for $100).
¥$256.50
Thomas Paine Elementary School
The music teacher at Thomas Paine is requesting funds for an ongoing project
with the 5th grade music class and the Care Center Nursing Home in
Urbana. The students have become pen pals with the patients and visit
them during the year. The 5th grade students have improved their
writing skills, are learning about others in their community and are becoming
caring individuals. Many of the nursing home residents have difficulty
writing letters, but dictate them to the activity director. A tape
recorder is being requested to help the nursing home patients to dictate
($30). The students would use the requested music books and instruments
at school and share them with the nursing home patients ($35 for Come On,
Let's Sing, $20 shipping cost, $171.50 for 10 Finger Drums). The music
can help bridge the difficulty in communicating for the students and
residents. It is a year long project designed to let the elderly know
that others care about them and to teach the 5th grade students how important
it is to help others. The program has received in kind funding from the
Urbana schools in the form of paper for writing, buses for visits, and
teacher time to prepare and transport students.
¥$250 Garden
Hills Elementary School
Garden Hills is an elementary school with 55% of students receiving the
free/reduced lunch program. Budget cuts for Champaign Unit 4 Schools
have eliminated certain funding. Many students encounter life
difficulties that impact their ability to attend school on a
consistent/regular basis. Consistent school attendance is directly
related to school success and achievement. The funding will be used for
the purpose of improving school attendance. Initiatives established by
the attendance program would be afforded to the 350 students in attendance at
Garden Hills. A comprehensive attendance program would be established
and in operation within one month of program guideline establishment.
The program would continue throughout the 2004-05 school year. Money
would be used for attendance incentive rewards, alarm clocks, paper and
printing of materials for students and families, and printer cartridges for
students to be able to print educational materials in the computer lab
(additional computer lab time is used as an incentive for improved
attendance).
¥$197 Leal
Daisy Girl Scout Troop 372
Leal School covers part of the central Urbana area and has families from a
mix of socioeconomic situations. Most of the girls in the troop are
from low income families who cannot afford to pay for workbooks, field trips,
etc. Daisies are not permitted to generate money (like cookie sales)
and therefore their parents are expected to fund the activities. In addition
to the same general goals as the national Girl Scouts movement, the Leal
troop plans to supplement rather than duplicate the kind of experiences the
young girls get at school. They are focused on community service and
useful life skills. The troop brings together girls from different
neighborhoods (some more financially needy) and plans to build bridges of
understanding and cooperation at this early age that will provide invaluable
learning experiences for all the girls. The leaders also want to use
the troop as a way to promote parent involvement in the lives of the girls
and will plan several trips and activities the include parents and extended
family. Funds requested will purchase uniforms ($16.50 each) for
2004-05.
Community
Assistance Fund
Spring 2004
$3,058 awarded!
¥
Scoutreach Initiative, Boy Scouts of America The Scoutreach
Initiative is a program that plans to organize new Scouting units for low
income, African American and Hispanic students. The program will
collaborate with religious groups, schools and community-based
organizations. Targeted areas include Restoration Urban Ministries,
Lakeside Terrace, Douglass Center, Garden Hills, and Champaign County Public
Housing units. The Prairielands Council, Boy Scouts of America wants to
affect the lives of more minority boys between the ages of seven and
twenty.
¥
Rantoul Area Project (RAP) Rantoul Area Project is a grassroots effort which
empowers residents to organize, develop and carry out a plan to alleviate conditions
that put youths at risk. RAP committees are recruited and organized to
provide positive activities for educational and recreational purposes, which
build stronger, more effective families and individuals. The grant will
fund equipment and programs for their Hobson Drive Neighborhood Association
kids after-school program and summer program.
¥
University of Illinois - Child Care Resource Service (CCRS) Quality Counts
program CCRS is a program of the Department of Human and Community
Development and UI Extension. The CCRS 1)provides families seeking
child care with a list of local child care options and information on how to
select quality care, 2) supports child care providers with training
opportunities and resource development, 3) maintains current local data on
child care supply and demand, and 4) administers the state subsidy program,
which offers financial assistance for child care to qualifying
families.
¥ The
Quality Counts program, one unit of CCRS, provides direct services to family
child care providers and centers. The is accomplished through the use
of the CCRS Quality Counts van, which travels around Champaign-Urbana and its
surrounding communities. The Quality Counts program plans will be
working to further support early literacy by setting up Reading Corners in
low-income child care provider homes.
The funding
will be used to purchase beanbag seats and book bins to be used to set up
Reading Corners in low-income child care provider homes.
¥
Lutheran Social Services (LSSI) LSSI is the social service agency of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. They provide care to over
150,000 people through various child welfare and family service programs
across the state. The mission of LSSI is to bring healing, justice and
wholeness to people and communities. Their services include counseling,
mental health programs, substance abuse treatment, residential treatment for
children and adolescents, child care services, foster care and adoption,
nursing care, etc.
LSSI provides
foster homes for over 175 children in Champaign-Urbana. Many of the children
served are in need of support services to help them come to terms with their
experiences and find strength. Their needs range from physical and
developmental disabilities to severe behavioral disorders that have stemmed
from abuse and or neglect.
LSSI is
asking for money to purchase equipment for their play therapy program in
Champaign-Urbana. Play therapy counseling is offered to children ages
3-11. LSSI has offered play therapy for the past ten years. Over the
years, the toys used become worn, broken and need replacing. The funds will
be used to purchase toys, books, dollhouse and storage containers.
¥
Champaign-Urbana Theatre Company (CUTC) CUTC is a volunteer-based, nonprofit
theatre company. In addition to the Broadway-style productions
that CUTC puts on annually, they also host mystery dinners, deliver singing
Valentines, take part in C-U's Fourth of July Parade, give presentations on
community theater to clubs and community groups, host a haunted house, give
workshops and loan costumes, props, etc. to schools, churches and
organizations. CUTC provides the opportunity for anyone, regardless of
age, race, health, time available or skills, to be part of theater – backstage,
onstage, or anywhere else they desire.
The grant
will be used to purchase plastic tubs for storing and protecting props and
costumes, plastic sheeting to protect larger props, an overhead projector to
facilitate set design and a handcart to make transportation of items safer.
¥
Champaign Urbana Ballet - Tickets for Kids (TFK) CU Ballet is a
pre-professional dance company with the goal of promoting classical ballet
and offering training and local performance opportunities to community
youth. The Tickets for Kids program donates ballet tickets to students
and community elementary schools with large populations of at-risk
students. Ticket recipients attend ballets with their families and
receive vouchers for free refreshments and gifts from the ballet
boutique. TFK seek to serve children and their families in the
Champaign County area who would otherwise be unable to attend a ballet
performance. Their goal is to have at least 100 TFK recipients attend
the 2004 Nutcracker.
The money
will be used to pay for 10 tickets for the 2004 Nutcracker at Krannert.
¥
Champaign Consortium - Workforce Investment Act (WIA) The Workforce
Investment Act (WIA) through the Champaign Consortium strives to prepare
eligible youth , adults, and dislocated workers for entry/re-entry into the
labor force. Job training and job search assistance services have been
developed to meet the needs of area business and industry as well as job
seekers.
WIA is
planning a ``Transition Conference" for students with disabilities and
their parents, to be held in the Fall of 2004. All high school juniors
and seniors in Champaign County who receive disability-related services and
their parents will be invited to the Transition Conference. WIA
estimate 300 attendees.
The money
will be use to help cover the cost of the student/family information packets.
Westview
Elementary School - 5th grade The 5th grade classes at Westview
Elementary in Champaign have planned a trip to Chicago. Their field
trip includes going to the Museum of Science and Industry and to the Omnimax
Theater. Of the 75 fifth graders, 31 are presently on free lunch.
They expect to collect approximately $440.00 from the participating children.
The total cost of the trip is $1882.75. ($60 of Westview's League Locker Field
Trip fund is being used for this trip).
The money
will be used to help them reach the total cost of the trip.
¥
Urbana School District #116 Multiculural Program - The World in Our Feet:
Bridging Cultural Differences through Dance (Artist in Residency)
The World in Our Feet is a program that will involve the students in
participating schools, Martin Luther King elementary and Leal elementary.
Despite language barriers, economic and cultural differences, the students
will share a common dance experience outside the realm of spoken language.
The program
will enrich students outside the traditional classroom by providing
interactive arts education experiences with highly qualified
professionals. Each school will work with professional dance educator
and will create and perform dance/music events that stimulate awareness of
and appreciation for the diversity of cultures represented at King School,
and the distinct qualities of the three dominate cultures (Latino,White and
African American) represented at Leal School. The project will take
place between February 7- March 8, 2005, coordinated by a steering committee
of teachers, administrators and parents.
The money
will be used to help fund the Artist in Residency Program.
¥
Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra The mission of the Symphony is to
enhance the quality of life in the community through music performance and
music education. Through live performances, education programs and
radio broadcasts on WILL FM, the Symphony serves an audience of 45,000 community
members annually.
The
Champaign-Urbana Symphony is presenting the second annual Family Concert at
Krannert in January 2005. The Family Concert is a collaborative program with
members of the Champaign-Urbana Ballet Company acting out portions of the
children's stories through dance as the music is played. Before the
concert, there will also be an ``Instrument Petting Zoo" that will
encourage children and parents to experiment with orchestral
instruments.
The grant
will be used for partial support of The Family Concert.
¥ Girl
Scouts - Green Meadows Council Girl Scouts is an all girls organization
that offers an accepting, open and nurturing environment in which girls build
skills for success in the real world. Girl Scouts has provided girls with
the encouragement to dream big and given them the skills to make those dreams
a reality since 1922. JLCU has helped the Green Meadows Council reestablish
Girl Scouting as an available activity for girls in the north end of
Champaign. Three troops within a specific geographical area have been
supported by JLCU in the past, Don Moyer's Boys and Girls Club, troop 55,
Douglas Center, troop 429, and Columbia Center School, troop 326.
The money
will be used to continue to strengthen the programs of these Girl Scout
troops.
Community
Assistance Fund
Spring 2003
$4,300 awarded!
$500 - Delta
Sigma Omicron - The funds will be used to purchase a puppet group that will
be used in an educational program based on Autism and will be used in local
schools.
$500 - Education
for the Homeless Children Youth Program - This grant will support children
during summer months when other funding is not availble.
$500 -
Champaign County Dental Access Program - This grant will help needy children
receive dental care, toothbrushes, toothpaste, fluoride, education and
prevention.
$475 -
Cunningham Children's Home - This grant will be used to purchase character
costume hats, puppets, and dolls for the play therapy room.
$400 - Safe Kids
Coalition - These funds will help Safe Kids provide teacher curriculum to
implement the Risk Watch Program in Champaign Unit 4, Urbana Unit 116 and
Unity Unit 7 school disctricts.
$400 - Girl
Scouts Green Meadow Chapter - The grant will establish custodial accounts for
new troop in the north end of Champaign to help purchase badges the girls
have earned.
$400 Campaign
for Better Health Care - This grant will be used for the printing and postage
of the Children's Mental Health Directory.
$400 - A
Woman's Fund - These funds will be used to distribute
``Project-In-A-Box" tool kits to medical professionals.
$200 -
Champaign Central High School PTSA - These funds will be used to start a
thrift shop for Central students.
$125 -
Illinois Radio Reader - The IRR is a free radio service for the blind and
physically handicapped community of East Central Illinois. Local
newspapers, magazines and books are read out load and recorded for
broadcast. This grant will subsidize operating expenses.
$100 -
Champaign Urbana Symphony - This grant will help support The Family Concert,
an inaugural event designed to introduce younger audience members to the
world of classical music.
$100 - Senior
Services - This grant will support the distribution of the Senior Guide, an
invaluable resource used to access a myriad of federal, state, and local
programs available to the seniors in Champaign County.
$100 - CU One
to One Mentoring Program - This fund will help support the Elementary School
End of Year Mentor Banquet.
$100 -
Champaign County Chamber of Commerce - This grant will help support a summer
leadership workshop for teachers and high school students of Champaign
County.
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