Project Santa

Give to Project Santa. If Not You, Then Who?
Last year, 135 families and 412 children were served by Project Santa. Over 2,000 gifts including toys, winter coats, mittens and hats, and food baskets were delivered. For 29 years, individuals, organizations, businesses, churches, and academic institutions have supported the Project Santa Program. As a result, the program has been able to assist thousands of families in providing a happy holiday for their children and holiday food baskets for those less fortunate. With the nation's stressed economic situation and continuing unemployment in the region, families need to make ends meet first, leaving little room for a happy holiday for their children. This economic environment and its impact on families in need make the Project Santa mission more challenging and necessary than ever. As in years past, we ask that the community be as generous as possible with financial donations and personal time to help Project Santa keep its promise of providing a happy holiday for the disadvantaged. We are thankful for whatever you can give for the children and families in Hancock, Henderson, McDonough and Warren counties. Donations can be dropped off or mailed to the Western Illinois Regional Council-Community Action Agency (WIRC-CAA) office at 223 South Randolph Street in Macomb, 61455. Click on this link for a Donation Form. For more information, or to volunteer to wrap packages, call (309) 837-2997 or email wirc@wirpc.org. |
LIHEAP Offers Payment Plan Options
Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) clients will have the option of choosing between the traditional Direct Vendor Payment (DVP) plan or the Percentage of Income Payment Plan (PIPP) for their winter heating assistance. Read more...
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"NO MORE Dating Abuse" Video Contest
Know any students who create their own videos? The Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence is holding a "NO MORE Dating Abuse" video contest for teens ages 14 and up that have not graduated from high school yet. Sponsored by Verizon, the competition is looking for 30-60 videos as public service announcement formats about the topic of healthy relationships and ending teen dating violence. Winners can receive Iphones, Ipads, or Kindles. Individuals or teams of up to four are encouraged to log onto the ICADV website at www.ilcadv.org and click on the poster on the right side. Teens will be able to download all the necessary forms and rules. Once their video is complete, they can send it to ICADV by uploading it to a site on the web where ICADV staff can download it, or by sending a USB drive.
ICADV staff are hoping that local television stations will broadcast the winning videos during February, Teen Dating Violence Awareness month. Victim Services staff have already delivered information to high schools in our service area. Students can check with the principals' offices or call our office for information. The contest runs through November 30, 2012.
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TCR&WMC
Tri-County Resource &
Waste Management Council
Regional Collection Facility
Reaches New Collection Heights
The counties are continuing to recycle tremendous amounts of paint and electronics, keeping the facility staff hoppin'!
The following are totals for 2012 measured in pounds and with two months still to go.
Fulton County totals
Households: 150
Paint: 11,120
Households: 577
Electronics: 66,520
Businesses: 3
Carthage - Hancock County
Households: 250
Paint: 16,280
Households: 346
Electronics: 31,070
Businesses: 0
Gladstone - Henderson County
Households: 20
Paint: 1,260
Households: 91
Electronics: 6,350
Businesses: 0
Knox County
Households: 499
Paint: 48,735
Households: 1,549
Electronics: 136,515
Businesses: 4
Totals include Wal-Mart and Galesburg Transit collections.
McDonough County
Households: 436
Paint: 20,235
Households: 1,451
Electronics: 92,709
Businesses: 25
Warren County
Households: 253
Paint: 15,335
Households: 585
Electronics: 43,200
Businesses: 2
Remember, all connecting cords can be recycled.
Check our website for details at http://www.tricountyresource.org/.
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DIRECTIONS
- Suzan Nash, Executive Director
Poverty is on the Rise in Illinois
"As we go about our daily work, we can only hope that we are continuing to make a positive difference in the lives of those who are less fortunate."
In September 2012, the Illinois Commission on the Elimination of Poverty released its annual report on poverty in Illinois. The report presents some very sobering information regarding the increase in poverty in our state, including the following facts:
- Extreme poverty has risen dramatically since 2008, with 235,472 more persons living in extreme poverty. This represents a 38.8% increase since 2008.
- Children are more likely to live in extreme poverty than adults, and as of 2011, 289,788 children under the age of 17 were living in poverty.
- Over half of all Illinoisans in extreme poverty are children, seniors, or working-age people with a work-limiting disability, people who cannot or are not expected to work.
The Commission indicated that there are key issues which must be addressed in order to move persons and families out of poverty. Those issues include:
- Access to safe, decent and affordable housing
- Access to adequate food and nutrition
- Access to affordable and quality healthcare
- Equal access to quality education and training
- Dependable and affordable transportation
- Access to quality and affordable child care
- Opportunities to engage in meaningful and sustainable work
- The availability of adequate income support
We at the WIRC-CAA continue to see the hardship that poverty causes including the inability to maintain adequate shelter or housing, to feed and clothe one's children and the inability to have adequate access to educational and job opportunities that could help individuals and families get ahead. As we go about our daily work, we can only hope that we are continuing to make a positive difference in the lives of those who are less fortunate. And we can only hope that our state and federal policymakers continue to make sound decisions and take wise action to try and address the needs of those who are most vulnerable.
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Housing Rehabilitation Funding Awards Announced
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The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity recently announced that five communities in the Western Illinois Regional Council region will receive funds through the Community Development Assistance Program (CDAP) Housing Rehabilitation component. The program assists low income families, especially the disabled and elderly, to make improvements to their homes, which also helps to stabilize neighborhoods and the housing markets in rural communities. Housing rehabilitation prioritizes work that makes energy improvements to the home, reduces lead hazards, and brings the home to within various codes such as electrical, plumbing and other local and national building codes.
The following communities will receive funding from the CDAP Program:
- The Village of London Mills will receive $278,550 to rehabilitate a minimum of six homes in targeted neighborhoods.
- The City of Colchester will receive $342,720 to rehabilitate a minimum of seven homes in targeted neighborhoods.
- The Village of Avon will receive $293,760 to rehabilitate a minimum of six homes in targeted neighborhoods.
- The City of LaHarpe will receive $440,482 to rehabilitate a minimum of nine homes in targeted neighborhoods.
- The Village of Kirkwood will receive $440,482 to rehabilitate a minimum of nine homes in targeted neighborhoods.
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NonPoint Source Pollution Funding Available
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The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) has grants available to local units of government and other organizations to control nonpoint source pollution in drinking water. Nonpoint source (NPS) pollution can come from different sources, but primarily by rainfall or snow melt moving over and through the ground. As the runoff moves, it picks up and carries away natural and man-made pollutants, eventually depositing them into our lakes, rivers and even our underground drinking water. Studies have found that 60% of the nationally documented water pollution can be traced to nonpoint sources. Read more...
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CDAP Grant Changes
Funding Amounts Increase in 2013
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WIRC recently attended a State of Illinois Public Hearing on the 2013 Community Development Block Grant Action Plan. During this meeting, some Community Development Assistance Program changes were made known. Below are the highlighted changes:
- Emergency Public Infrastructure grants now have a $200,000 grant ceiling instead of a $100,000 grant ceiling. These are rolling grants with no deadline.
- Public Infrastructure (non-emergency) grants now have $450,000 grant ceiling instead of a $400,000 grant ceiling. Also, the competitive grant deadline for 2013 will be February 15, 2013.
- Design Engineering/Planning grants will once again have a grant ceiling of $150,000. The competitive grant deadline for 2013 will be April 12, 2013.
Those interested in any of these programs should contact the WIRC staff as soon as possible at (309) 837-3941.
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Human Trafficking - How Much Do You Know?
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Throughout history, there have been numerous atrocities perpetrated by one group and/or individuals on other human beings. We are aware of the persecution of individuals through slavery, genocide, beatings, rape and female genital mutilation and much more. But when talking about slavery, most think it ended, at least in the United States (U. S.), with President Lincoln and the Emancipation Proclamation. However, there are more slaves today than at any other time in history. In 2012, it is estimated there are over 27 million slaves living today.
Many Americans will say, "That really doesn't affect me. That happens in other countries, other parts of the world. Why should I be concerned about it?" We all need to be concerned about it because whether we are aware of it or not, slavery affects all of us.
Men, women, and children are enslaved today for multiple purposes. Traffickers use violence, threats, and lies to force people to work against their will in many different industries such as farm labor, manufacturing, textile factories, restaurants and food service, the hospitality industry and domestic labor in homes. Victims have all been found in these industries within the U. S.
Sex trafficking occurs when an individual is forced into the commercial sex trade against their will. This includes not just adults, but millions of children. Sex trafficking is found in a variety of venues including brothels, hostess clubs, strip clubs, brothels disguised as massage parlors, online escort services, and street prostitution.
Interestingly in the U.S., an increasing number of sex trafficking incidents occur at truck stops and highway rest areas. Individuals are moved by their traffickers from state to state, and traffickers use truck stops as ways to make money by selling their victims for sex or sex masquerading as massages. Children and adolescents are often found in these locales. For more information, visit the website where truckers are fighting against this type of illegal activity called Truckers Against Trafficking at www.truckersagainsttrafficking.org. Read more...
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NetWIRC Newsletter - Volume 21/Issue 1
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Western Illinois Regional Council 223 South Randolph St. Macomb, IL 61455 (309) 837-3941 patti@wirpc.org Go to our website!
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Thank your customer, tell them how valuable they are to you, but don't go overboard. Insincerity is easy to spot.
Western Illinois Regional Council
c/o Western Illinois Regional Council
Macomb, Illinois 61455
309-837-3941
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