In This Issue

Directions

Making Drinking Water Safe

Grant Awards

Tri-County Contract Up for Renewal

DIRECTIONS - Suzan Nash, Executive Director

On August 20, 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Economic Opportunity Act which created a variety of programs, including Community Action Agencies, as part of his War on Poverty. He knew then as we know now, that the war against poverty must be won in the field, in every private home, in every public office, from the courthouse to the White House. "Community Action Month is a wonderful time to honor and celebrate the impact Community Action has in the lives of families and communities across the country," stated Denise Harlow, National Community Action Partnership CEO. "Agencies are successful every day in helping families achieve economic security. Given that the needs of each family and community are unique, Community Action is able to use a range of resources and programs to meet local needs in creative and impactful ways." Read more...

Making Drinking Water Safe in Rural Communities

Household Water Well System Program

Through the Household Water Well System Loan Program households can make improvements to their well to ensure clean, safe drinking water.

The Western Illinois Regional Council, with funding provided by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Utilities Service (RUS), can assist income eligible households in Fulton, Hancock, Henderson, Knox, Warren and McDonough counties with the loan application process.

The program offers a one percent loan with a term of 20 years to homeowners in the six counties that do not have wells that meet current safe drinking water regulations or need other well improvements to obtain safe drinking water. Funding for each loan is capped at $11,000. An application must be completed with relevant documentation, including income, to determine eligibility.

Contact the WIRC office at (309) 837-3941 to request an application packet or to be put on the waiting list should additional funding become available.

Grant Awards Enable Communities to Improve
Homes and Stabilize Housing Stock

Every home is tested for lead hazards. At the conclusion of the work, the home is again tested to ensure lead clearance.

It was recently announced that five communities in west central Illinois have received funding to rehabilitate housing from the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity - Community Development Assistance Program. The communities and amount of funding is listed below.

City of Abingdon $393,120
Town of Astoria $393,120
City of Farmington $399,550
Village of Norris $352,170
Village of Smithfield $301,860

Approximately 38 homes will be rehabilitated in the five communities. The program prioritizes the elderly, disabled and very low income in a targeted area of the community. The targeted area is determined by random surveying to best determine where the lower income, elderly and disabled is most concentrated, along with the housing most in need of rehabilitation. The overall goal of these housing rehabilitation programs is to stabilize the housing stock in the community and improve housing that would have otherwise continue to deteriorate.

Tri-County Resource & Waste Management Close to Renewing Five-Year Intergovernmental Contract

The counties of McDonough, Mercer and Warren are poised to renew the Tri-County Resource and Waste Management Council (TCR&WMC) with a new five-year intergovernmental agreement. Mercer County has formally approved the agreement with McDonough and Warren counties scheduled to consider the unanimous committee recommendations at the next meetings of the full board.

The TCR&WMC was formed 20 years ago and tasked with developing and implementing a regional solid waste plan. The Western Illinois Regional Council (WIRC) was contracted to assist with the creation of the plan and to provide professional staff services for the implementation and management of activities developed to meet elements of the plan. Some of the early activities included ordinance creation, data gathering, educational programs, state reporting, grant writing assistance, solid waste contract bidding services for communities and rural township cleanups. Many of those activities are still available today, but the primary focus has become the tremendously successful Tri-County Regional Collection Facility. Renewal of the agreement will ensure the continuation of these popular programs and activities.

Economic Abuse is Also Domestic Abuse

As Victim Services looks to the end of another fiscal year, it knows the number of individuals and families it has been able to assist with its various services such as civil and criminal legal advocacy, counseling, emergency shelter, and so much more. There have been returning clients and new ones; ones who have dealt with serious physical injuries, others with more psychological and emotional abuse. One of the often unnamed abuses is that of financial abuse, sometimes called economic abuse.