We have 38 amazing organizations in the running for the 2025 Round Up For Good Grant! Click below to read each organization's mission statement, project proposal, and visit their website.
Owners will vote for 10 organizations to be featured in 2025. Voting begins on Friday, September 20th and concludes on Friday, September 27th. All eligible owners will be sent an email with an eballot to vote. If you do not receive an eballot on September 20th, please contact board@commonground.coop
Mission: Established in 2005, CATsNAP is a non-profit that seeks to reduce pet overpopulation and to improve the welfare of animals in the greater Champaign County Illinois area. We strongly advocate that all animals are spayed and neutered, regardless of breed, sex, or age. By spaying/neutering, we are reducing the number of cats and dogs born into situations of inadequate care and abuse. We are also limiting the numbers of unwanted animals relinquished to shelters, where they are often euthanized for lack of space. Since 2018, over 6,500 cats have been helped. All CATsNAP animals are in foster homes or at our building. Animals are never euthanized for space.
CATsNAP provides the following services:
1 - Referral for a low income spay/neuter service
2 - Adopts out cats
3 - Provides educational materials to promote successful pet ownership
4 - Assists feral cat caretakers with spay/neuter information and resources
5 - Limited intake from high kill shelters, strays, Animal Control and other various places
6 – Community Trapping
Project Proposal: Trapping, trapping and more trapping. Every animal rescue organization (Champaign County Humane Society (CCHS), Hospice Hearts, Moore's Rescue Ranch, Catsnap, Valor, etc) promotes some sort of spay/neuter clinics/opportunities for the community. What is not being addressed by anyone is additional trapping services. Catsnap receives literally hundreds of community requests and we cannot meet the need. Social Media platforms are full of 'Call Catsnap' comments whenever a posting of a stray cat is made. In the first seven months of 2024 alone, we have already trapped well over 400 cats. These cats have been spayed/neutered and either returned to their owners, returned to their colonies if feral or put up for adoption if friendly. We are in the midst of the worst rescue year in history due to the sheer volume of animals in need. We are the only animal organization (rescue or other) that traps. Let me be very clear. We are the ONLY organization that traps. CCHS does not. Animal Control does not. Hospice Hearts does not. And so on. The community is crying out for this assistance and while we are doing our best, we need the community's help. This funding would provide resources for additional trapping supplies & support.
Mission: The mission of the Champaign County Soil and Water Conservation District Foundation (CCSWCDF) is to provide leadership and coordinate programs helping people conserve, improve, and sustain our natural resources, primarily focusing on soil and water health. Our locally grown food and commodity crops both depend on having healthy soil and water to thrive; soil and water health is the bridge between urban and rural agriculture and CCSWCDF is committed to providing educational, technical, and financial assistance to anyone in Champaign County who is interested in the conservation of our shared natural resources.
There are five major watersheds in Champaign County, and their soil and water health are a priority of both local and national importance. The health of our citizen body is directly related to the health of the environment in which we live, and our local ecosystem is part of the larger, global environment. Soil and water health directly affects the quality of Champaign County’s recreational and drinking waters, and the viability of our agricultural products from farmers’ fields to community gardens. Locally, we have seen dust storms, detrimental outcomes from pesticide and herbicide use, decreased biodiversity, and adverse outcomes to extreme weather events. Nationally, Illinois’ contributions to the Gulf Hypoxic Zone, the “Dead Zone” off the coast of xxx, have received significant attention. The programs and resources provided by CCSWCDF to the community directly support the implementation of conservation practices known to benefit local soil and water health and reduce our contributions to the Gulf Hypoxic Zone.
In addition to the programmatic, technical and financial assistance and resources provided to Champaign County residents, CCSWCDF puts on field days and educational presentations with our various partners, including non-profits, farming associations, and local schools and businesses. Opportunities such as these provide the chance to learn about the ecosystem that our food is grown in before it hits the store, and about the practices we can all learn to help minimize the effect our diverse agricultural system has on the environment. Teaching our community about the ways we can impact and improve soil and water health is vital not only to the preservation of the large-scale ecological environment that we are connected to, but also to preserving our local environment that we work and live in every day. CCSWCDF is committed to conserving soil and water health, educating on its impact to the plants, animals, and people in our environment, and providing resources to positively change the ways that our land use contributes to those impacts.
Project Proposal: The funds from the Round Up for Good grant will be used to improve one existing tool (The Rainfall Simulator), to create a new tool (The Cover Crop Simulator), and to host a Field Day, open to the public, where both tools are used in educational demonstrations and participants are connected with conservation programs and resources. The field day's theme will be to bring together urban and rural growers alike, to celebrate the soil and water resources that unite us as growers and eaters. Both tools will be available for other community events in the future.
Our Rainfall Simulator is already a vital resource for community events, used recently in the Sangamon River Showcase, Ag in the Classroom at Parkland College, and Earth Stewardship Day. It is a small trailer built to show the runoff water outcomes, soil loss, and possible pollution stemming from rainfall onto surfaces or soil that has been cared for with and without conservation practices in place. It is one of two available for community use in the state and desperately needs maintenance.
The Cover Crop Simulator will feature living plants with visible root systems that improve soil and water quality in different use cases. It will be a beautiful mobile demonstration that can be transported long distances in the Rainfall Simulator trailer or in a car and will be on wheels to move throughout a building. Currently, there is no such tool in the state. CCSWCDF volunteers recently saw one in Morgan County, Indiana, and ours will be modeled after their successfully maintained demonstration tool. Both tools greatly enhance educational presentations on soil and water health, letting us show the interaction between rainwater, soil, and runoff in tangible ways. Seeing truly is believing when it comes to conservation practices.
Champaign County is fortunate to be home to multiple farms and organizations working on soil and water quality, and on agricultural resiliency. It is more important than ever to work together and to nurture our local communities. Hosting a field day would provide a celebratory way to bring together organizations like Common Ground Food Co-Op itself, U of I Extension, Champaign County Farm Bureau, The Savannah Institute, The Land Connection, Prairie Rivers Network, The U-C Sanitary District, USGS and all the other advocates working in our county to represent the prosperity of our land, growers, and eaters.
The Round Up for Good grant would allow us to strengthen the resources and education we provide to our community. Getting back to the land and connecting with our agricultural system in a sustainable and equitable way starts with understanding soil and water health.
Mission: The Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra (CUSO) was founded in 1959 by music lovers in the community who had the dream of establishing a permanent and professional local symphony orchestra. CUSO is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life in the community by providing symphonic music of the highest caliber through live performances and music education in the schools, the concert hall, and the community. CUSO is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and charitable donations provide more than 60% of its funding. Each year, CUSO concerts showcase the talents of more than 100 local classical musicians.
The Guild of the Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra is a volunteer organization founded in 1962 to support the orchestra's mission. Recognizing that youth music education is vital to our community, the Guild has been CUSO's lead partner in supporting the orchestra's youth music education programs. The Guild membership is composed of men and women of all ages, united by their appreciation of music and dedicated to providing volunteer and financial support of programs that have enriched the cultural life of thousands of children in the Champaign-Urbana community.
Over the years, the Guild has provided hundreds of scholarships to young musicians to attend the University of Illinois Summer Youth Music camps, supported the annual CUSO Youth Concerts at Krannert Center, and brought music into local schools with free In-School concerts performed by CUSO ensembles. In 2022, the CUSO Guild received the “Guild of the Year” award presented by the Illinois Council of Orchestras in recognition of their outstanding volunteer service and commitment to youth music education.
Project Proposal: The Guild of the Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra offers area schools free 45-60 minute In- School Concert music programs during the school year. “Music in Schools” ensemble concerts, performed by Champaign Urbana Symphony Orchestra musicians, bring the special experience of live music to young children. Teachers can select from a variety of musical programs that include story narration and an illustrated Power Point presentation. Children have enjoyed Prokofiev’s popular “Peter and the Wolf” classic, performed by a costumed woodwind ensemble, Norman Rockwell’s “Willy was Different” story of self-acceptance performed by flute, clarinet and keyboard, “Musical Critters” animal songs for voice, cello and piano with story slides in English, Spanish, and French, and “Read it Again Mommy” featuring classic children’s stories paired with famous classical music.
The Guild of the Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra offer area schools free 45-60 minute In- School Concert music programs during the school year. “Music in Schools” ensemble concerts, performed by Champaign Urbana Symphony Orchestra musicians, bring the special experience of live music to young children. Teachers can select from a variety of musical programs that include story narration and an illustrated Power Point presentation. Children have enjoyed Prokofiev’s popular “Peter and the Wolf” classic, performed by a costumed woodwind ensemble, Norman Rockwell’s “Willy was Different” story of self-acceptance performed by flute, clarinet and keyboard, “Musical Critters” animal songs for voice, cello and piano with story slides in English, Spanish, and French, and “Read it Again Mommy” featuring classic children’s stories paired with famous classical music.
Last year, CUSO ensembles performed seven free concerts for students in grades K-5 in local schools, which were attended by nearly 650 children. Since 2018, free Guild CUSO In-School concerts have been performed at more than 15 local schools, including Urbana Early Childhood School, Barkstall Elementary, Leal Elementary, Bottonfield Elementary, Kenwood Elementary, MLK Jr. Elementary, Dr. Preston L. Williams Jr. Elementary, Garden Hills Elementary, Booker T. Washington STEM Academy, and The Urbana Free Library.
Bringing music to the schools enriches the education of our youngest community members. The CUSO Guild asks Common Ground Food Co-Op to partner with us as a sponsor of these educational and entertaining concerts for children in our schools. Funds awarded by your grant would be used exclusively to pay the local CUSO musicians performing the concerts.
Recognizing Support From Common Ground Food Coop: If the CUSO In-School Concert program is selected for the Round Up for Good program, Common Ground Food Co-Op would be recognized as a 2024-25 season sponsor with a listing on the CUSO website and in our concert program books distributed to audiences attending four CUSO classical concerts at Krannert Center, reaching an estimated 3,500 - 4,500 community members. Common Ground Food Co-Op would also be recognized as an In-School concert sponsor on social media posts and thanked with a special email (to 1500 subscribers) and posts on Facebook and Instagram featuring the Common Ground logo.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION!
Mission: Channing-Murray Foundation seeks to contribute to a vibrant community life in Champaign-Urbana that values social justice, diversity, and community-building across a diversity of identities and experiences. We are LGBTQ-affirming, interfaith-oriented, and committed to social justice.
Project Proposal: Channing-Murray offers a vibrant itinerary of events by partner organizations and participants throughout the year, distinguishing Channing-Murray as a premier event space for arts and cultural programming in east central Illinois and awarding us the status of National Historic Building in February 1992. Our aging building (c. 1908) requires regular, substantial maintenance and we are continuously preserving the various meeting spaces inside the building.
As thousands of people perform and participate in programs throughout the year in our spaces, we would like to use these grant funds to refinish the main floor of our building, so that it can continue to safely and beautifully serve the needs of our many community partners. These partners include, but are not limited to, dance groups, yoga practitioners, interdenominational religious celebrations, social justice conferences, and more.
Mission: We partner with people with developmental disabilities who live in Champaign County. Together we pursue independence, opportunity, and choice through quality, self-directed supports.
We are guided by a philosophy that says:
WE ARE NOT AFRAID TO TRY: We believe in emphasizing the dignity of risk, finding new solutions, and developing ways to figure it out together.
PEOPLE NEED PEOPLE: We strive to support people to be fully involved both in and with the community. We value interdependence and believe that the most powerful connections are those with other people.
SUCCESS IS A SHARED RESPONSIBILITY: We expect individuals to take an active role in shaping the lives they envision and share the commitment to achieving that vision with all team members through the required time, effort, and dedication. We are in this together.
Project Proposal: Our fundamental goal as an organization is to support people with developmental and intellectual disabilities to be full active members of the community. We are a human services cooperative that helps our members find jobs, housing, build relationships, and to navigate the complicated service system in our state.
A consistent barrier that our members have shared with us is Transportation.
Any Round Up for Good funds we receive will support our new transportation program that addresses the barriers that many people with I/DD have in accessing and being engaged in the community.
Jobs, friendships, community events, even independent trips to the store can be limited because of the lack of sufficient transportation options. While we do have a robust public transit and ride-sharing system, these options frequently do not meet the needs of people with I/DD.
To address this we will provide the following:
TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION AND TRAINING: A dedicated staff person at Community Choices will manage, schedule, and train participants on the use of our transportation options as well as existing options (MTD, Uber, Lyft, etc) and the additional tools, technologies, and apps that can make those options safer and more accessible.
PERSONALIZED DRIVER SERVICES: Community Choices drivers will be available from 8am-8pm on weekdays to provide scheduled rides to members according to their needs and preferences. Rides can be set up (at a minimum the day prior) with the Transportation Coordinator for work, routine errands, appointments, community events, trips to meet friends, or any other activity desired by the person.
One of the most direct ways that people with I/DD can be included in the community is if they can get there. This program will address one of the most fundamental aspects of inclusion - the ability to show up. Without safe, affordable, and convenient transportation, many of the aspects of day to day life that allow us all to be part of the community are curtailed. One cannot easily get to work, to the store, to see friends, and visit our favorite places. As such a critical aspect of life, it is referenced specifically in the 2006 UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Article 20.
Despite much progress and effort, our culture still does not necessarily expect people with I/DD to be part of everyday community. Part of what can continue to change this mindset is simply presence. We have seen how the act of someone with I/DD working at a community business can change business culture over time. We are hopeful that providing additional resources for people with I/DD to exist with ease in the community, by getting there, will help to create the broader expectation of this in the future.
Mission: Our mission is assisting residents of Champaign County and northern Champaign County to improve their social conditions and to enhance their access to human services.
The agency strives to meet its mission by:
- Developing and providing appropriate community programs of service and information
- Referring clients to appropriate resources for help with problems
- Providing space and necessary support services to agencies which agree to serve residents of Champaign County and northern Champaign County through our corporation
- Functioning as a liaison among the several agencies serving this area
- Providing direct service to residents when it is able and no other agency will take responsibility
Project Proposal: The Round up for Good Grant will be used to purchase personal care and household items for distribution in our county-wide food pantry, that is open Monday - Friday, 10 AM - 4 PM, and serves all residents of Champaign County. These very needed products for our clients, include personal care items, such as soap, shampoo, tooth paste, toilet paper, deodorant, and etc., and house hold items like laundry soap, dish soap, paper towels, and etc. While very necessary, we often do not have the funds to provide these products. This grant would help us accomplish our mission to improve social conditions and provide for the residents of Champaign County with these crucial items.
Mission: The Cooperative Nursery School is a nonsectarian, non-profit preschool that is owned and operated by the parents of the school. The Cooperative Nursery School utilizes Creative Curriculum and Conscious Discipline to help children learn and grow, academically, socially, and emotionally and to become engaged lifelong learners. The school is a unique, diverse, and close-knit community in that parents have an active role in the classroom. Children, parents, and teachers play, learn, and grow together in a diverse and inclusive environment. The Cooperative Nursery School provides financial assistance to families in need each year as needed and also provides a very low-cost parent-child playgroup in an effort to give back to the community we have been a part of for over 78 years.
Project Proposal: The Cooperative Nursery School is seeking to better serve its students in the coming school year by providing new and exciting opportunities for student learning and growth through a new edible education curriculum as well as a more sensory friendly atmosphere. Our proposal is to add planting, growing, and fruit and vegetable tasting throughout the year by putting aerospace garden window units in each of the three classrooms. Students will have opportunities to plant, care for, and try various fruits and vegetables. We will have books on planting and growing, a play gardening center, and a play farmer's market. Students will be immersed in flower and farmers' markets and will be able to experience pretend play involving buying and selling flowers and vegetables. There will also be a variety of sensory friendly items added to the school, including a flower push wall and sensory path, flower and plant themed sensory fidgets, and sensory friendly seating. Preschoolers learn best through experiential opportunities, and our new edible educational program will encourage our students to grow and eat their own healthy foods throughout their lives.
Mission: Crisis Nursery creates an "Island of Safety" dedicated to the prevention of child abuse and neglect by providing 24-hour emergency care for children and support to strengthen families in crisis. Crisis Nursery is the only emergency-based child care facility in Champaign County that is open 24 hours, 365 days a year for the entire community to access with no fees or income eligibility.
Project Proposal: As Crisis Nursery proudly celebrates its 40th anniversary in Champaign County, we would be thrilled to continue our partnership with Common Ground to strengthen our Safe Children program. This milestone year marks four decades of unwavering commitment to providing an "Island of Safety" for vulnerable children and families in crisis. With a renewed Round Up For Good grant from Common Ground, the tagline for Crisis Nursery’s 40th year, “Island of Safety. Rooted in Community.” rings even more true.
At Crisis Nursery, we believe that "Asking for Help is a Sign of Strength." This core principle drives our mission, and with the continued support of Common Ground, we can reinforce this message and provide crucial services to those in need. The Safe Children program is a critical lifeline, offering families a safe haven for their little ones when they need it most. The cost to provide this essential service is $15 per hour per child in crisis. This funding is not merely a number; it represents hope, stability, and a chance for a brighter future for the families we serve.
The $5,032 grant we received from Common Ground last year was transformative. It enabled us to provide over 335 hours of crisis care, each hour making a lasting impact on a child's life by offering safe shelter, nutritious meals, and warm clothing. Additionally, it allowed our dedicated staff to offer invaluable care and support, walking alongside families during their most challenging times. An average stay for a child at Crisis Nursery is about 8 hours, and with the Common Ground grant, we facilitated more than 40 visits, each one playing a crucial role in stabilizing families and protecting children from harm.
By investing in our Safe Children program, Common Ground will be a catalyst for profound positive change in the lives of those who need it most. With this grant, we will say YES to more children and families experiencing crisis, guiding them toward a brighter future and a stronger community. As we look to the future, we envision a world where more children can grow up in a nurturing and secure environment, and every family is empowered to thrive.
Mission:
Vision
To see every child thrive.
Mission
To nourish hope through effective solutions so children thrive and families flourish.
Core values (STIR)
Spirituality – Respecting the belief that a greater power guides us.
Teamwork – Achieving excellence by doing our part to support one another.
Integrity – Being ethical, accountable, and transparent.
Respect- Respect – Valuing and honoring all people with an open mind and heart.
Project Proposal: Cunningham's Special Therapies Department is an integral component in the holistic treatment approach and provides treatment, leisure education, and recreation services to all youth in the Residential Treatment Center and Group Home Programs. We serve around 60 youth each year in this program.
The purpose of Special Therapies is to restore, remediate, or rehabilitate to improve functioning and independence, as well as reduce or eliminate the effects of social, emotional, cognitive, or physical limitations that affect independent leisure functioning.
The Special Therapies staff assess the youth’s leisure functioning and place them in the appropriate recreation sessions to work on the goals identified in their Comprehensive Treatment Plan (CPR). Interventions include recreation games/activities, music, art, counseling groups, sports, drama, special events and community integration programs.
Funds received from Round Up For Good Grant would support the purchase of a gym scoreboard ($2500) new games balls ($500 -basketballs and volleyballs) and $150 (fishing poles, equipment and licenses.)
Mission: Cunningham Township is dedicated to supporting our neighbors in need with direct assistance to help with housing, rent, food, utilities, employment, disability, transportation, clothing, and more.
Project Proposal: Keep Our Neighbor's Lights On and Water Running: Township's Utilities Assistance Program.
No one should go without water, light, or the ability to cool their homes on the hottest days, yet many of our neighbors do. The Township’s Utilities Assistance Program is committed to keep our neighbor's lights on, and the water running. The Township will use every Round Up for Good dollar donated to support our low-income and immigrant neighbors who cannot afford to pay their utility bills.
Mission: The mission of the Daily Bread Soup Kitchen is to feed the hungry in our community regardless of race, religion or ethnicity. We welcome all volunteers to this service who share an unconditional regard for every human being. We provide a safe, respectful, and inviting environment in an atmosphere of hope and dignity.
Project Proposal: During the COVID pandemic of 2020, we began offering meals to-go. In order to make this possible, we installed a window where guests can receive a hot meal with sack lunch without entering the building. This process has allowed us to serve more people who suffer from food inadequacy while we have continue with in-door eating. Thus, the number of guests and meals has increased significantly. Currently, we are providing an average of 400 hot meals and 350-400 sack lunches daily for the most in need in our community.
The most expensive monthly expenditure we have is the purchase of protein: meat, cheese or peanut butter. We strive to provide a hot nutritious meal daily with a to-go sack lunch. We always offer a vegetarian option for guests who do not or cannot eat meat. In addition, we provide a sack lunch for each guest to take with them. Often, these meals are their only food source. If we receive funds from the Round Up For Good Ground we will purchase food items rich in protein like meat, cheese and peanut butter for our guests. Thank you for your ongoing support as we work together to address the issue of hunger in our community.
Mission: EIF is the primary food source for a network of 160 food pantries, soup kitchens, homeless shelters, and other programs working to feed our neighbors facing hunger. In the last fiscal year, we distributed more than 11 million meals (25% of which was fresh produce) to local families, children, seniors, and veterans experiencing food insecurity in our communities.
Project Proposal: Funds received from the Round Up For Good grant will support our Foodmobile program, which has evolved in recent months to have a greater impact. The need is higher than ever: our pantries are serving 90% more people now than they were in 2022. The evolution of our Foodmobile program in recent months allows us to meet our neighbors where they are, and to provide nutritious food to neighbors in approximately 100 rural and underserved communities across our 18-county service area. Each dollar we receive enables us to deliver three meals to members of our community facing hunger.
Mission:
Family Service of Champaign County is a private, non-governmental, not-for-profit organization. Founded in 1911, Family Service of Champaign County is the oldest private social service agency in Champaign County and has provided continuous service to families and individuals for more than 113 years. The mission of Family Service is to support people across the generations by providing quality human services.
Programs and Services
To fulfill this mission, Family Service provides the following programs and services:
-Senior Resource Center provides comprehensive services to allow older adults to remain in their own homes, including Senior Counseling and Advocacy, Engaging Social Connections, Healthy Aging programs, Caregiver Support Services, HomeCare, Meals on Wheels, and Senior Transportation.
-Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (R.S.V.P.) recruits, trains, promotes, supports, and coordinates over 450 senior volunteers. R.S.V.P. provides over 60,000 hours of service to our community annually.
-Family Support supports and advocates for families and individuals during times of challenge to promote successful transitions and healing through the services of Therapy (Counseling), Drug Court counseling, Children First parenting class for families undergoing a divorce, and the Self-Help Center.
Project Proposal: As we age and the sands of our needs shift under our feet, the task of aging well can become complex to the point of being exhausting. From sorting out Medicare / Medicaid to prescription drug access to obtaining the new necessities of life that are difficult to afford, older adults often find “the system” frustratingly unintelligible. The Senior Resource Center (SRC) at Family Service is a hub for those 60+ who find themselves in a world that can be difficult to navigate.
For example, the Senior Resource Center recently had a client who needed a lift chair, which is a recliner that helps one stand and sit. Medicare only pays for 80% of the lift device and 0% of the chair. She called the SRC at Family Service, and we spent many hours securing funding, finding a furniture store that would accept our non-traditional payment arrangement, and ensuring the chair was delivered without incident. The client expressed her gratitude, verbally reiterating that the process would have been nearly impossible for her to navigate on her own.
Community support from organizations like Common Ground gives the Senior Resource Center critical funding to meet the needs of clients like these. We address every category of needs our older neighbors require to age in place, including: Mental health, food security, securing appropriate healthcare plans (including Medicare/Medicaid enrollment and saving on prescription drug plans), financial savings (such as obtaining discounts on license plate stickers), transportation, help with bathing/grooming, help with the home, and social interaction / reducing social isolation.
Our SRC staff members are tasked with both helping older adults address their physical, emotional, and social needs and ensuring each client feels safe with us. This means we meet clients anywhere the client wishes, including at the client’s home. Home visits are a high priority for us. Some clients find travel (whether it be by driving, a ride, or public transportation) difficult, and we take seriously our duty to alleviate that burden.
Meeting clients is only the beginning. When clients meet with an SRC staff member, they have a pleasant surprise: We walk clients through what we call Options Counseling, which gives our clients total control over their lives and their services. We find out what they want, and then we help them make a plan to meet their stated goals. Goals can include devising a plan to bolster nutrition, improving depression symptoms, having more social opportunities, learning how to manage chronic diseases such as diabetes, and/or getting support while caring for an ailing spouse. (Family Service addresses all these issues and more.)
Funding from Common Ground ultimately helps us equip seniors to thrive at home for as long as possible as their lives change with the aging process. Funding will help offset the expenses incurred by the Senior Resource Center, including our caseworkers’ salaries. We project that our caseworkers will assist about 2,000 Champaign-area seniors in 2025.
We appreciate Common Ground considering our proposal for supporting the expansion of our Senior Counseling & Advocacy services. Our older neighbors often feel invisible to the rest of our “village,” and your reading and weighing our submission raises their visibility; for that, we thank you.
Mission: The purpose of the Farm-to-School program in the Urbana School District is to provide students with access to healthy, locally-grown food during the school day; engage students in school gardening activities; educate students about food, agriculture, and nutrition; and connect them with the resources they need to support lifelong healthy habits.
Project Proposal: This grant will be used to support stipends for school-specific Garden Coordinators. USD116 currently has nine schools with active school gardens. Each garden requires a Garden Coordinator to care for it and to lead students through the seasons of planning, seeding, transplanting, weeding, harvesting, and all the steps in between. Last year individual gardens grew up to 40 varieties of food-producing plants in just the last quarter of the school year. When 74% of the families in the district are low-income and 100% are eligible for free school meals, teaching children how to grow their own food is an invaluable lifelong skill. The gardens serve as learning opportunities for all classes and grades in the district, pre-k thru high school and Gerber School at Cunningham Children’s Home.
It has been shown that school gardens benefit children in myriad ways. They form friendships and are provided with a sense of community and belonging. School gardens provide a means for physical activity, social interaction as well as exposure to nature and sunlight. Gardens provide children with opportunities for social and emotional growth as well as improved life skills and self-esteem. Aside from the social and physical benefits, it has been found that when schools offer school gardens, 44.2 percent of students eat more fruits and vegetables and triple their amount of fruit and vegetable consumption. They are more likely to try new foods and increase their consumption of fruits and vegetables throughout their lives.
The dedicated Garden Coordinators provide opportunities for students and the community to engage with and learn in the gardens. Unlike other stipend positions, Garden Coordinators are needed year-round, but are especially indispensable over the summer, and the stipends make it possible and more sustainable for teachers and staff who are already spread thinly to take on these extra responsibilities. Many form Garden Clubs with their students and meet regularly during the active seasons of the school year to care for the gardens and engage the students in learning about plants and their cycles. They also involve their fellow teachers and other school personnel to help guide, plan, and care for the gardens. They invite members of the community for volunteer work days when many hands are needed and lead groups of all ages in garden care and garden projects. Some of the gardens grow enough that there is produce to give away at the end of the school day, so students can take fruits and vegetables home with them, helping to fill a basic need for many families in the district.
Garden Coordinators also look for creative ways to sustain the gardens throughout the year. They apply for grants to help provide supplies and tools, so all of the students can take a part in helping the gardens thrive. They are adept at seeking out free seeds and adopting gently used equipment. They form collaborations with outside organizations to provide students with a more diverse education and experience of plants and food systems. The stipend hardly covers the time and energy these individuals put into their role as Garden Coordinators, but it does help us keep these positions filled with people who are not only passionate about gardening but passionate about teaching gardening and the importance of healthy food which is crucial to the health of our students and the success of the Farm to School program.
Mission: Feeding Our Kids provides weekend food to food insecure school children in Champaign County on weekends and school holidays.
Project Proposal: Feeding Our Kids is Champaign County's weekend food program, providing food to well over 1,000 children in 42 schools each week during the school year as well as additional children in summer camps.
This grant would be used to purchase food for schools in Urbana. Feeding Our Kids serves over 350 children in pre-k through middle schools in the Urbana School District. Every $150 provides food for one child for the entire school year.
Feeding Our Kids would appreciate your consideration in being a partner in alleviating food insecurity by supporting our weekend food program for children in Urbana.
Mission: Protect Champaign County's natural and cultural resources and inspire people to care for, enjoy, and explore their natural world.
Project Proposal: Funds from this grant will be used to restore and manage native habitats at the Champaign County Forest Preserves. This will include removal of invasive species, purchase of native seeds, clearing of underbrush, and other needed habitat management needs. These funds will help the Forest Preserve Friends Foundation protect and restore the natural resources of Champaign County.
Mission: MISSION: The Garden for Humanity, in partnership with Habitat for Humanity of Champaign County, is dedicated to bringing people from diverse backgrounds together to strengthen neighborhood participation, create collaborative community building, increase the education of good health and nutrition through growing one’s own food, and to help alleviate the burdens of food deserts by providing a source of fresh produce.
VISION: To create a space for neighbors to grow fresh, healthy food close to home, and provide a space for powerful neighborhood-level social change.
GOALS:
- Provide opportunities for neighborhood residents to garden and grow organic and sustainable crops.
- Alleviate the burdens of food deserts by providing a source of fresh produce and agricultural education.
- Promote, educate, and share information about safe, sustainable local food production, organic gardening techniques and local food
- Beautify the neighborhood and provide social gathering space and landscaping that incorporates native and adapted, drought tolerant plants.
- Provide social events to bring together local gardeners, other non-profits, and neighbors for community workdays, harvest shares, and educational opportunities to support the garden.
-Provide opportunities for youth to take part in ‘hands-on’ learning about sustainable food, healthy lifestyles, and nutrition and engage our local high school and college Habitat for Humanity affiliates in efforts to maintain the existing garden and/or create new gardens beds yearly.
- Help foster a greater sense of community by involving the local neighborhoods and volunteer organizations in creating permanent features of the garden such as common area features, free book library, information sharing, and forms of local artworks.
- Give back to the community setting aside a small portion of the harvest for local food banks in need of local, unprocessed foods.
- Decrease the health implications linked to food insecurity as a multifaceted social problem often affecting minorities and the impoverished.
Project Proposal: After six years of our Community Garden, we have increased our community participation and thus need to increase our produce output.
If we received the Round Up for Good Grant, we would add four additional raised beds along with repairing our current ones. Our soil has been off with certain produce so we would also test our soil and add quality compost and materials. Lastly, we would build permanent trellises for our cucumbers, beans, and squash.
If awarded the grant, we would build the garden beds as a "Women Build" clinic where attendees would have hands on experience building and come away with the knowledge on how to build their own raised garden bed.
Mission: Hospice Hearts Animal Rescue (HHAR) is an all-volunteer, foster-based animal rescue in Urbana, Illinois, whose primary mission is to provide care and find loving homes for Central Illinois pets whose owners are no longer able to care for them due to owner terminal illness, nursing home admission, or death. To responsibly rehome these pets HHAR works with local veterinarians to provide any necessary medical care, including a routine examination, the standard preventative vaccinations and medications, and microchipping. HHAR also works with our veterinarian partners to determine the best behavioral support and daily care to provide the pet, as well as how to address any medical issues identified in the intake examination. This has included spay/neuter operations, other needed surgeries, heartworm treatment, and dental care. HHAR volunteers are committed to providing a second chance at life after loss. By treating owners and their relinquished pets with this care and compassion, we ease the emotional burden of the original owner while preventing further overburdening of the Animal Control system.
HHAR feels it's vital to be involved with the local community and has hosted outreach and educational events with partners like Pour Bros, Maize, Savoy16 IMAX Theater, Tolono Public Library, and Channel 2 WCIA’s Pet on the Set program; and other local businesses including the Ace Hardwares in Champaign, Prairie Gardens, Schurens Nursery, Country Arbors, Danville Gardens, Home Depot, Lowes, and Walmart have donated to our semi-annual plant-sale fundraiser. The majority of our funding comes from individual local donors as well. HHAR’s largest expense by far is veterinary care, and although we have several clinics who provide their services at a reduced cost, nearly 75% of the $90,984 contributed and raised in 2023 went to pay for exams, treatments, vaccines, and surgeries. The remainder went to all other operational expenses including supplies like pet food, cat litter, and flea and tick prevention. And we still had to turn many pets away because we ran out of funds to provide their needs.
In addition, HHAR owns a house in the residential-business district of Urbana that serves as our headquarters, where we temporarily house a limited number of animals while they await their initial vet exams, have a place where they can decompress, and await foster home placement. We also use the space for office work, records, and storage for distributing supplies to our fosters. The HHAR house and volunteer foster homes are safe havens for these cats and dogs as they receive medical care and wait for their new forever homes. When time, foster homes, and resources are available, HHAR extends support to overflowing animal control centers, other overburdened shelters, or other requests to surrender a pet. In 2023, 132 cats and 35 dogs were served by HHAR and successfully adopted into new families.
Project Proposal: The Round Up for Good Grant funds will all go directly towards the veterinarian expenses of a minimum of 3-7 pets, depending on medical needs, relinquished to us in 2025. The average intake cost for a healthy pet is about $500, but can increase quickly as issues arise. Addressing those issues is essential to the health and well-being of the pet, and to setting up the adoptive family for success. Animals meeting HHAR’s mission, while being dearly loved, are not always in good health or up to date on routine preventive care measures, often because their owners are struggling physically and financially with their own medical issues. For example, last year we were contacted about a man who was dying in the hospital; his wife had died the previous week and there was no other source of care for their four dogs.
He said, “My wife died last week and now I'm dying, but I'm worried about my kids (his dogs).” A few days later, when the man became very ill, volunteers made an emergency 3 hour trip to get the dogs, not really knowing anything about the health of the dogs they would be bringing back. On the trip back, one was so distraught, he nearly died, and had to receive emergency care. Three needed neutering, three received airway surgeries, all received vaccines and other medical care, and most importantly, all found adoptive homes. The gentleman was so relieved to know that his “kids” would be cared for, he told his nurse he was ready to join his wife and passed away a few hours later.
This is a specific example of the type of compassionate, judgment-free care that is HHAR’s mission to provide to our community. Giving up a pet is a difficult and emotional decision, and when that is accompanied by terminal illness or death, HHAR leaders often must make decisions without a lot of information about the pets who are being surrendered. These pets come to us in dire need of spay/neutering, dentals, mass removals, other needs requiring surgery, and even just updated vaccinations, blood tests and matted hair removal. This unglamorous and often costly care is critical to responsibly rehoming and rehabilitating the cats and dogs entrusted to us by community members in difficult situations.
To have extra funds for this much-needed care would aid us so much in continuing to be able to medically care for our dogs and cats, even as we see to their emotional needs of grieving and getting them ready for their new homes. We help these animals find a home which will love them as much as their former owners did.
As Hospice Hearts continues to grow, we volunteers remain determined and committed to helping dogs and cats of all ages. We are especially proud of our thorough vetting process of every pet, including added requirements for licensure with the Dept of Agriculture. We look forward to enabling more pets and humans to enrich each other's lives for many more years as healthily and happily as possible. We are humbled and honored to be trusted by so many in our community to find new homes for their beloved pets when they can no longer care for them. Allowing us this grant money will give us the opportunity to further our mission and help even more animals in our community. In addition, the added promotional opportunities this program provides, including having our information on Common Ground’s website, will help us gain more visibility in the community, helping us recruit more volunteers and donors.
Mission: Our mission is to create a welcoming community for immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers in Champaign County. We are dedicated to helping these individuals overcome adversities by providing them with the resources necessary for successful integration. Our goal is to empower them to transition from dependency to complete self-sufficiency, enabling them to become valuable and contributing members of our community.
Project Proposal: Round Up for Good will fund emergency food assistance for immigrants in our community, many of whom are asylum seekers unable to work due to legal restrictions. Consequently, these families often face food insecurity, while being ineligible for SNAP, the federal food stamp program. Even those who manage to find work are often paid unfair wages, further exacerbating their situation. While food pantries exist, many clients face transportation challenges due to lack of access to cars or licenses, and even with bus passes, pantries are often difficult to reach. Additionally, food pantries often do not provide culturally appropriate options.
To address these challenges, ISCU is implementing a program designed to provide food for those in greatest need for up to six weeks at a time. Over those six weeks, clients will receive multiple rounds of aid based on factors such as family size, number of children, and medical, housing, and employment circumstances. Clients will be able to choose foods reflecting their culture, and if they are unable to make it to the grocery store, the food will be delivered to them. This program is a temporary measure aimed at stabilizing families until they are in a better position.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, ISCU was able to offer a similar program, which helped many immigrant families. However, those funds are no longer available. Currently there are very limited funds for food-specific programs that immigrant organizations can draw upon.
Receiving support from the Common Ground Round Up for Good will significantly enhance ISCU's ability to provide adequate nourishment to families facing food insecurity.
Mission: The League of Women Voters of Champaign County (LWVCC) is a nonpartisan organization that encourages informed and active participation in government by providing voter education and increasing understanding of major public policy issues.
Project Proposal: Voting is the bedrock of a vibrant democracy. Yet, the percent of young people who exercise their right to vote is low compared to older age groups. Building on the League’s active voter education program, we will launch a new initiative targeting 18-25 year olds where they connect – on social media. It will include the creation of fun, engaging videos that de-mystify voting and encourage civic engagement. This grant will provide the necessary funds for concept development, messaging, and content creation. The campaign will be developed in partnership with local organizations that represent the diversity of our community. Our goal is to ensure that this vital group is informed and interested in making their voices heard through voting.
Mission: McKinley Pantry at Garden Hills Elementary School provides food, sundries and other essentials primarily to the children and families of Garden Hills Elementary school, as well as the people of the surrounding neighborhoods of Garden Hills and Dobbins Downs, and throughout the entire Champaign County Area. The McKinley pantry provides a weekend "backpack bag" meal (breakfast and lunch) for approximately 70 school identified food insecure students at Garden Hills weekly throughout the entire academic school year. In addition, the pantry distributes over 70 boxes of fresh, frozen and nonperishable food to families at Garden Hills and throughout the surrounding area twice a month. The food is purchased though the Eastern IL Foodbank, as well as through wholesale retailers, in addition during the summer and fall months fresh produce is provided by the McKinley Church's giving garden. This program is a tangible way to assist food insecure members of our community with healthy locally sourced food, and thus encourage hope, well-being, and nutrition within our community.
The McKinley Pantry at Garden Hills Elementary School has been serving the Garden Hills neighborhood and surrounding area of Champaign-Urbana and Champaign County for the last 12 years. Garden Hills Elementary School is located in a low-income census tract where more than 100 housing units do not have a vehicle and are more than a half mile from the nearest supermarket, making it a food desert, according to USDA’s Food Access Research Atlas. School families and neighborhood residents experiencing food insecurity rely on our pantry to put food on the table for their families.
Project Proposal: There are two main projects we hope to improve on with the grant money:
1.) The McKinley pantry sends a weekend meal home to almost 50 students at any given time throughout the academic school year. These meals need to be portable, easy for middle and younger school aged children to self-prepare. These meals are typically individual shelf stable meals such as mac and cheese bowls, lunch kits, microwave meals, soups, fruits, vegetables, snacks, and individual drinks. It is rare to have these available through the Eastern IL Foodbank and mostly are purchased through wholesale retailers such as Sam's Club, Costco, and Amazon. Having the grant would allow the pantry to provide a regular supply of healthy, portable, and individually packed meals for children to self-prepare safely at home on weekends. We would like to use some of the grant money to also replace the storage bins we use to transport the backpack bags to and from the school social workers' office and the pantry storage closet.
2.) Over the last several years, the pantry has not been able to consistently provide nonfood items such as feminine hygiene, toiletries, and infant products. These items include sanitary pads, tampons, deodorant, toilet paper, soap, toothpaste etc. We have had a large need for diapers and baby wipes as well in the pantry. These items are often hard for low-income families to afford and maintain adequate supplies because while obviously needed and required, food stamps and other assistance programs do not provide for them (Food Stamps, EBT and WIC, for example). As a result, low-income families often ration these items, leaving themselves open to poor hygiene, infections, diaper rashes and poor dental care. Having additional funding will allow us to maintain an adequate and ongoing supply for distribution of these most needed hygiene supplies.
Mission: NAMI Champaign County (IL) seeks to improve the lives of individuals who live with mental illness, as well as all those who love them through public awareness, support, education, and advocacy.
Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: “At NAMI, we believe a diverse, inclusive, and equitable alliance is one where all employees, volunteers and members — regardless of gender, race, gender identity, ethnicity, national origin, age, sexual orientation, education, disability, veteran status or other dimension of diversity — feel valued and respected.”
Project Proposal: NAMI Champaign Co (IL) has provided free mental health English education classes for over 40 years. We are very fortunate to have additional bilingual NAMI volunteer members that have joined us this past year. Knowing that there is a growing need in our C-U area, especially, for support and education of mental health programs in Spanish, our goal is to branch out into the Hispanic/Latino communities with our NAMI Signature classes and programs in Spanish.
The other key component of NAMI classes and programs is that they are led by people with lived experiences with mental health situations. The trained Facilitators that teach our Family-to-Family classes have lived as a
family member, a good friend, or as a caregiver for someone with a mental illness. Sharing their stories, along with others from the class, in a safe, confidential setting makes these such life-changing courses.
With Common Ground’s Round Up for Good Program, we can further implement Nuestra Familia Española NAMI (Our NAMI Spanish Family) Project which has three parts:
(1) De Familia a Familia de NAMI class (NAMI Spanish Family-to-Family class): This is an eight-week class for anyone who lives with or works with family members that have a mental illness. This could be family members, relatives, caregivers, or even teachers. Participants will learn how to communicate more effectively with their loved one and support them with compassion, learn techniques to manage their own stress, current
treatments, therapies, and find additional resources for help.
(2) NAMI Compartiendo Esperanza (NAMI Sharing Hope) introduces discussions on mental health topics, wellness, and support within the Hispanic/Latino communities at individual community nights.
(3) Spanish mental health coloring & activity book to use with young children—During Outreach Events such as the March “Read Across America”, etc., young children will have the opportunity to work with a mental health coloring & activity book created for NAMI called, Meet Little Monster! or ¡Conoce a Monstruita! It was written in order for them to express and explore their feelings in a fun, creative and empowering way as well as to help foster dialogue between children and the safe adults in their lives.
NAMI Champaign hopes to receive the grant in order to purchase sets of class materials, supplies, manuals and Facilitator Guides for each of the three parts of the Spanish Family Program along with training costs, operational and administrative costs, and advertising plus marketing these three Hispanic/Latino programs.
Mission: Persons Assuming Control of their Environment, Inc. (PACE, Inc.) has proudly offered invaluable services to individuals with disabilities in Champaign, Douglas, Edgar, Piatt, and Vermilion counties since 1985. Our unwavering dedication extends to providing support to the families and friends of those experiencing disability, with the resolute goal of ensuring full participation in society for persons with disabilities.
Project Proposal: PACE is proposing to use the funds from The Round Up For Good Grant to support PACE's Pull for Access program. The Pull for Access program has been meticulously designed to empower PACE consumers to maintain or achieve their independence. Our program offers comprehensive support for housing, support due to temporary relocation, food assistance, medication copays, and the procurement of necessary adaptive equipment. It is tailored to cater to consumers who have exhaustively sought all other resources for obtaining such essential services. Additionally, the Pull for Access funds may be utilized to augment other available resources in meeting the individual needs of the consumer. In the past, we were able to assist consumers in obtaining the following through the Pull for Access program:
- Blood pressure cuff
- Batteries for power chairs
- folding ramps
- Eyeglasses
- Knee Scooters
- Exercise bike
- Bath bench
- Grab bars
Mission: Planned Parenthood of Illinois is the leader in providing and promoting compassionate, comprehensive reproductive health care, education, and rights.
Project Proposal: The Round Up For Good Grant will be used to support care provision at Planned Parenthood of Illinois’ Champaign health center. PPIL Champaign provides vital sexual and reproductive healthcare to the community, including STI testing, contraceptive counseling, youth education, gender affirming care services, and medication and procedural abortion services. Funding also supports the provision of community programming on sexual and reproductive health issues, LGBTQ+ affinity organizing, and wraparound support connections. In FY24 PPIL Champaign served 4,927 patients, providing 5,235 STI screenings, 116 cancer screenings, and 1,655 contraceptive counseling sessions among other services.
Mission: Accessible. Responsible. Responsive. Diverse.
Since being incorporated as a non-profit organization on October 20, 1975; Prairie Air, Incorporated, has had the mission statement to be accessible, responsible, responsive, and diverse.
WEFT provides East Central Illinois an outlet of expression by allowing volunteer hosts a forum to share views through a wide spectrum of information, news, and unique musical entertainment.
The call letters WEFT-FM were granted to the radio station by the Federal Communications Commission on April 28, 1980. Weft is a word used in weaving to describe the cross threads that bind all the various strands together.
From early broadcasts as "background music" on cablevision systems in the area and then the first historic broadcast on 90.1 FM on September 25, 1981...WEFT was established as a radio station that would bind the various people of our community together - through talk, discussion, music, and entertainment - into an inclusive, vibrant, and solid fabric that shows the richness and diversity of Champaign-Urbana.
Providing a "voice for the voiceless" in the community, WEFT exists for those under-served and under-represented by mainstream, corporate, for-profit radio stations.
Project Proposal: More Diversity. More Access.
Providing access to the airwaves for community members who want to share music, information, or opinions that are unique (and often under-represented) to the area, WEFT's goal is to expand the diversity of volunteers as show hosts.
WEFT gives voice to those who are seldom heard on commercial media outlets. As one of only two community radio stations in Illinois, WEFT is positioned to provide media access for people and organizations who would better reflect and support a thriving and vibrant Urbana-Champaign.
To that end, WEFT would use potential funding from the Common Ground Food Co-op "Round Up for Good" program to provide outreach materials to recruit, train, engage, support, and encourage new show hosts and volunteers.
WEFT wants to make available the resources that the radio station provides to more community members (individuals and organizations) with the help of our Station Manager and a core of active and passionate volunteers.
Funds would also provide scholarships for those who are unable to afford a membership and assist with associated costs including accessibility, equipment, and content.
WEFT has been contributing notably to the community for over 43 years. We look forward to adapting media to new technologies and accessibility such as a new WEFT App for mobile phones (currently in development) and creating opportunities for new and demographically expansive organizations, show hosts, podcasters, and other community members to provide diverse examples of the collaborative community we share.
Misson: At Prairie Rivers Network, our mission is to protect water, heal land, and inspire change. Using the creative power of science, law, and collective action, we protect and restore our rivers, return healthy soils and diverse wildlife to our lands, and transform how we care for the earth and for each other.
Project Proposal: Clean Water Forever Campaign - Clean Water Forever starts with protecting the drinking water of Central Illinois.
The Mahomet Aquifer is vital to Central Illinois, providing drinking water to nearly a million people across 14 counties. It’s a resource that we all depend on every day, but it’s now facing serious threats from proposed, large-scale carbon- capture and sequestration (CCS) projects through the Mahomet Aquifer. While these projects are painted as a way to reduce our carbon emissions, the reality is they pose a serious risk to our aquifer and those that rely on it daily. Given that the Mahomet Aquifer is our only viable source of drinking water, the stakes couldn’t be higher.
To protect our water, Prairie Rivers Network is working to educate the public of the importance of Illinois’ only Sole Source Aquifer, and to mobilize our community to demand protection of this vital resource for the long term. With support from the Round Up For Good Grant, PRN will be able to produce educational materials such as posters, billboards, and digital ads that inform people across Central Illinois about the dangers of CCS projects proposed to inject carbon dioxide through and store carbon dioxide under the aquifer and its recharge zones. We’ll also share personal stories from residents who rely on the aquifer, bringing a human face to the issue and inspiring others to get involved.
By educating and engaging the public, we can build strong opposition to these projects and push for a ban on CO2 injection and storage in our community.
Our goal is simple: to make sure that individuals who depend on the Mahomet Aquifer for clean and affordable drinking water understand the importance of this resource and how to take action to protect it.
This is just the beginning of the Clean Water Forever Campaign. In addition to protecting the Mahomet Aquifer from threats from carbon capture and sequestration, we plan to expand the program to other efforts, including ensuring that the public has access to rivers and streams in Illinois, that Illinois waters are free from pollutants that are harmful to human health and the environment, and that we know what’s in our water.
Waters in Illinois are in rough shape. According to the Illinois EPA, 89% of Illinois’ rivers and streams are impaired by pollution such that they cannot fully support “primary contact,” i.e. swimming. Forty-two percent of rivers are too polluted to fully support aquatic life, and 100% of rivers assessed are too polluted to fully support fish consumption. These figures should shock and alarm us and demand our attention.
By educating people about the importance of the Mahomet Aquifer and elevating voices in support of clean water, we hope to build a movement that will allow us to take action on other water quality issues. We plan to expand monitoring efforts and push for policy solutions that will protect water across Illinois forever.
With support from the Round Up For Good Grant, we can activate the community and together, help protect our shared water supply.
Mission: We provide compassionate comprehensive support to those affected by sexual trauma. We care for our communities through prevention education programs that promote consent.
Project Proposal: In service to our vision of a world free of sexual violence, Rape Advocacy, Counseling & Education (RACES) provides free, age-appropriate, and evidence-informed prevention education programming to students of all ages. During the 2023-2024 school year, RACES staff provided programming to over 5,000 students in Champaign County, thanks in part to the support from a Round Up for Good Grant. RACES has been fortunate to receive these grants for multiple years and this has allowed us to increase our staff capacity to be able to reach more students in our community. If selected, funds will continue to be used to cover staff compensation and related expenses, which will allow RACES to maintain its current, high level of service provision at no cost to local schools or organizations.
Mission: Solidarity Gardens is a community-wide initiative to support our neighbors in growing and sharing free, fresh, healthy food with those in need. We cultivate better food access in the Urbana-Champaign community by connecting volunteers to our sixteen affiliate community gardens as well as our four public produce-donation sites, which receive thousands of pounds of produce each year. We also provide our low-income and immigrant residents with more than fifty free garden plots, tools, and resources to grow their own food. We are #NeighborsFeedingNeighbors #CultivatingCommunity
Project Proposal: Solidarity Gardens supports sixteen community gardens throughout Urbana-Champaign where food is grown for donation, following organic practices. Our network donated over 4,000 pounds of fresh produce last year to neighbors in need. To achieve this, we coordinate the collective expertise and resources of the Urbana Parks District, the Cunningham Township Supervisor's office, and Sola Gratia Farm.
Funding from this grant would go directly toward providing our Affiliate Gardens with many necessary upkeep materials including compost to amend soils, plant starts, replacement irrigation supplies, fencing and trellising, signage, and packaging and processing materials. To fully support our many affiliate gardens in the ever-growing solidarity network, each year’s upkeep costs are estimated around $8,500. This grant would ensure that our community gardens, which have become fixtures in Urbana-Champaign--such as the gardens at the Cunningham Township Supervisor’s Office, Meadowbrook Park, CUPHD, Douglas Park, the Red Herring, and Victory Park--will have beds in good repair, healthy soil, fencing, and most importantly, food-producing plants that will feed our community with much desired local, organic, fresh produce.
Mission: The Idea Store is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization dedicated to fostering creativity, environmental stewardship, education and community through creative reuse.
Project Proposal: The Round Up For Good Grant funds will be used to offset the cost of providing free educational art events and materials for people of all ages. The goal is to provide new and exciting opportunities for people’s learning and growth in the context of environmental sustainability. The primary focus of each event will be to learn how to view items that are typically thrown away as art materials. Funds will be used to create new community events throughout the year, in alignment with the Co-op's first End of fostering an inclusive, vibrant community.
The majority of the events will happen in the store's event space on Saturday mornings to coincide with the Farmer’s Market and on Sundays. The staff and volunteers of the Idea Store work in partnership with several community and school groups and are looking forward to working with these groups on additional program planning to encourage people to make art, not trash.
For Toddlers and Preschool, ages 2 - 5 years, we would like to offer sessions of Loose Parts play . We will provide information to caregivers about the usefulness and affordability of this activity and provide them with materials to take home.
For Early and Upper Elementary and Middle School, we would like to offer two different opportunities for creative exploration: A mystery bag art challenge and a Tinker’s Toolbox activity. The materials used in both activities will come from the store. The items created can either be displayed in our classroom windows or can be taken home.
For High School and College students, we would like to offer similar opportunities for creating. Both high school and college students will be given instructions for one of the two activities mentioned above, but they will be able to go into our store and gather their own materials. Their creations will be assembled in our classroom/event space in Lincoln Square Mall.
For families or other groups: Both the Mystery Bag and Tinker’s Toolbox activities can be presented as a group challenge or activity.
In all of the above mentioned activities, the supplies used will be free to participants. In addition to a creative challenge there will be an educational component that focuses on sustainability and the importance of reuse.
Mission: The Urbana-Champaign Independent Media Center’s mission is to foster the creation and distribution of media and art that emphasizes underrepresented voices and perspectives and to promote empowerment and expression through media and arts education.
Project Proposal: The Round Up Grant will help us grow community leaders and engagement. We recently hired a new Programming Coordinator, Ty Lewis, and she has launched Community Nights which happened every Tuesday and Thursday during the summer. One of our goals for Community Nights is to cultivate community engagement with a variety of facilitated events led by community members. For example, we offer free community painting, collage, zine making, skating in the Sunroom, nerf battles, live music, DJ sets to vibe to, and games.
We are excited to continue Community Nights into the future! Another goal for Community Nights is to allow our community to be able to facilitate events to build their leadership skills. We are actively seeking out community members who are interested in leading a variety of events such as discussion circles, lettering writing, puppet making, creative writing sessions, knitting circles, and more. Through community discussions and input, our goal is to figure out what type of programming our community needs. We set our community up to create their own healing and creative experiences by sharing art, music, and ideas that will help overcome years of isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mission: The Land Connection trains farmers in resilient, restorative farming techniques; informs the public about the sources of our food and why that matters; and works to protect and enhance farmland so that we, and generations to come, will have clean air and water, fertile soil, and healthy, delicious food.
Project Proposal: If selected for the Round Up For Good Grant, The Land Connection would use the funding to support our food access and local foods programs in Champaign-Urbana. Many of our community members use these programs throughout the year, and it would be important for us to ensure that funding we received from our local food cooperative shoppers benefit the programs that they utilize. Most notably, the programs we would use Round Up For Good funds for include Kids Kits, farmers markets, Link match, NeighborFood Bucks, and WIC/Senior FMNP match. These programs bring about $200,000 to our local food and farm economy and serve approximately 3,500 people.
Mission: MSCU Vision: A thriving community who is passionate about learning, discovery, and making a positive impact in the world.
MSCU Mission: The Montessori School of Champaign Urbana stimulates the natural curiosity of children through hands-on prepared environments to be self-directed, compassionate, innovative thinkers.
Montessori method draws on the natural curiosity of children to encourage whole-child development and learning. MSCU needs support to continue its nearly 60-year mission to educate the children in our community.
Project Proposal: Our elementary students would benefit greatly from a child enrichment outdoor classroom. Montessori emphasizes the natural world and our impact on nature. We have been fundraising and have raised $15,000 LYTD, we need approx. $60,000 more. Because the outdoor classroom would be accessible to the community, we see this as a community benefit as well, and will additionally add to the aesthetic and appeal of our school to hopefully spread our mission to more students.
A Montessori classroom belongs to the children, and the children learn to respect and care for themselves, each other, and the classroom, through the guidance and example of the directresses. Children choose the materials they work with as they are ready, at their own pace, rooted in their own interests, strengths, and curiosity. An outdoor classroom will greatly enhance their knowledge of their natural world and have a positive impact on the natural world through an enhanced focus.
Projects like the outdoor classroom, long range planning and expansion, teacher development, technology enhancement, and other programs require resources beyond our general operational expenses. We would love to complete the child enrichment outdoor classroom project. We know how much it will add to the lives of our students and the surrounding community.
Mission: Since 1980, the mission of The Refugee Center has been to provide services essential to refugee and immigrant resettlement in East Central Illinois, including orientation, translation, referral, liaison, public benefits assistance, social service counseling, advocacy, job placement, and supportive employment services.
The Refugee Center also aids in the exchange and preservation of the respective cultures of our clients. As an organization, we believe in the inherent worth of all human beings, regardless of nationality, ethnicity, religion, race, sex, sexual orientation, or cultural heritage.
The Refugee Center was created by Vietnamese refugees as a way to help other newly arrived refugees acclimate to American culture, and to provide services commonly needed by this population. Since then, The Refugee Center has expanded its scope to assist all refugees, immigrants, and asylees.
Project Proposal: The Refugee Center will continue to use Common Ground Round Up For Good funds to purchase essential items for newly arrived refugees. These funds will ensure that refugees are placed in a safe, clean, and well-stocked home when they begin their new lives in the CU community.
The Refugee Center is proud to report that we’ve had a very successful first year as an affiliate resettlement agency under the United States Council of Catholic Bishops! Since September of last year, we’ve successfully resettled 89 refugees and Special Immigrant Visa holders in Champaign-Urbana and surrounding cities through the Reception and Placement program. These individuals have come from Afghanistan, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guatemala, Venezuela, and Nicaragua, and the majority of them arrive with no existing ties to the community and no support other than The Refugee Center. Refugee arrivals are entitled to a range of services from our organization, including safe and secure housing, application for public benefits, employment search assistance, and cultural orientation to their new country and community, among many other services. The majority of these arrivals become financially independent by their third month in the country, and Round Up For Good funds have been essential to that success.
Over the course of the next fiscal year, we plan to welcome 120 refugees from all over the world. While these newcomers receive a resettlement stipend from the federal government, it is not sufficient to meet all of their needs. Imagine trying to restart your life with only $1,325 per family member! The cost of setting up a new home can easily eat up the majority of a new arrival’s resettlement stipend, which is intended to cover all expenses during their first 90 days in the country. The Refugee Center will continue to use Common Ground funds to purchase home supplies and toiletries that are essential to newly arrived families. A fund designated for home supplies has allowed The Refugee Center to purchase supplies in bulk and take advantage of sales, rather than purchasing more expensive individual items for families as they arrive. Additionally, it enables us to reserve each client’s resettlement stipend for the growing costs of living, like rent, utilities, groceries, and essential seasonal clothing. Finally, a small portion of the funds will be reserved to maintain some essential cleaning supplies for the resettlement team to use in cases when housing has not been adequately cleaned by property management. Round Up For Good funds will be used to provide our newcomer families dignity, security, and comfort in their new homes in the CU community.
Mission: Uniting Pride of Champaign County leads in the creation of a community where all who hold historically and actively marginalized gender and sexual identities can live fulfilling, joyful, healthy, and vibrant lives.
Project Proposal: We are seeking support from the Round Up for Good Grant for our UP & Away gender-affirming clothing program. This program was initiated in 2022 to provide free chest binders and waist cinchers to individuals in Illinois who are unable to afford or safely obtain them. Since its inception, the program has seen 298 applications for binders from 22 states and 3 countries and has seen 36 applicants for waist cinchers from 3 states; demonstrating how important these items are and how scarce programs like ours are. UP & Away has, in total, served 211 individuals and provided 288 binders and 21 waist cinchers to clients of all ages across Illinois, with more than 77% of those individuals living in Champaign County.
When this program began, Uniting Pride received binders through a partnership with gc2b, a trans-owned and operated binder vendor, that provided binders in bulk through their return program free of charge. This summer we were notified that the partnership that provided these binders would be halted and not continue indefinitely. This partnership has been a vital piece to the success of UP & Away and its cessation will have a profound impact on our ability to continue to provide these life-saving items to our community going forward as each binder and waist cincher has an average cost of $30-$35 across multiple vendors that we have researched and sourced since gc2b paused their partnership program. As previously stated, we have provided more than 300 gender-affirming clothing items in the last 2 years, and without the partnership from gc2b our UP & Away service would have cost the organization more than $11,000 to cover the cost of those items and shipping which is cost prohibitive for an organization of our size. Nearly half of those items were given out in our 2024 fiscal year as we have seen the need exponentially grow due to rising anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment nationwide. Most of our UP & Away clients are under the age of 24, with many of our clients coming from the University of Illinois. These clients come from all different backgrounds and may be unable to access binders and waist cinchers for a multitude of reasons, making programs like UP & Away incredibly vital, despite being few and far between.
Chest binders and waist cinchers are more than just articles of clothing for transgender individuals; they are vital tools that significantly impact their quality of life, mental health, and overall well-being. For many transgender men, non-binary people, and gender-diverse individuals, binders are essential for aligning their physical appearance with their gender identity. This alignment not only alleviates gender dysphoria but also contributes to a sense of safety, self-acceptance, and mental stability.
The relationship between mental health and gender identity is complex and multifaceted. Studies have shown that transgender individuals are at a higher risk of experiencing mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation compared to their cisgender counterparts. Chest binders and waist cinchers play a crucial role in mitigating some of these risks. By alleviating the discomfort associated with gender dysphoria, gender-affirming clothing can reduce feelings of depression and anxiety, promoting a more positive self-image and greater emotional stability. The affirmation of one's gender identity through physical appearance can lead to increased self-esteem and a more fulfilling life as well as a sharp reduction in suicide risk.
Despite their importance, access to chest binders and waist cinchers is not always straightforward. Financial constraints, lack of availability, and stigma can create significant barriers for transgender individuals seeking these items. Many people face financial difficulties in obtaining gender-affirming clothing, which is often considered a non-essential item by insurance providers. Additionally, the stigma associated with transgender identities can lead to challenges in accessing gender-affirming clothing through traditional retail channels. Addressing these barriers is crucial for ensuring that all transgender individuals can access the resources they need for their well-being.
In conclusion, chest binders and waist cinchers are essential for the well-being of transgender individuals. They address gender dysphoria, enhance mental health, facilitate social integration, promote physical comfort, and support the transition process. Overcoming barriers to access through grant funding is crucial for ensuring that all individuals can benefit from this important resource. By supporting programs that provide gender-affirming clothing we invest in the mental and physical health of transgender individuals, fostering a more inclusive and supportive society for all.
Mission: Our mission is to provide services, support, advocacy, and opportunities that help to dismantle racial disparities and systemic oppression while encouraging healing and hope.
Project Proposal:
The Well Experience provides holistic support for underrepresented youth and families in Champaign County communities. Its system of care has reportedly helped families recover from crises while learning to build sustainability, resilience, and hope. Evidence-based practices and data evaluation inform our methods and processes. We strive to develop productive and culturally relevant relationships with families by connecting with volunteers, community leaders, and organizations who share our vision of positively impacting those who cross their paths.
The Round Up For Good funding will help The Well Experience continue providing healthy meals for youth and families who participate in the after-school program and therapeutic evening sessions. The Well Kids After School Program offers academic support, tutoring, mentoring, STEM, social-emotional learning, and counseling for youth ages 4 to 18. This funding will also assist in providing meals for evening sessions that cater to the needs of families by providing parent and teen sessions, childcare, and transportation to remove the barriers that prevent access to mental healthcare.
We found that more families are participating in the mental health support offered at The Well Experience, which provides meals, transportation, and childcare for program participants. We are thankful to have the opportunity to touch more families and assist them in progressing toward the successful outcomes they hope to achieve. With your support, we can enhance our support and continue to touch and change lives.
Mission:
The Wildlife Medical Clinic at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine, embraces a three-fold mission; to provide veterinary care to sick, injured, or orphaned wild animals, to educate veterinary students and wildlife professionals about wildlife medicine, to promote conservation initiatives and ecosystem health through collaborative research, dissemination of scientific information and public education programs.
The Wildlife Medical Clinic was founded in 1978 and is dedicated to a strong tradition of providing quality care to free-ranging wildlife. Through wildlife rehabilitation efforts, the Wildlife Medical Clinic provides temporary care to indigenous wild animals that are injured, diseased or displaced with the ultimate goal of the release of healthy animals to their natural environment. Complete clinical wildlife medicine, the application of clinical medicine to the diagnosis and treatment of free-living wildlife, is provided at all times to wild animals presented for care.
Project Proposal: With great thanks to another generous donation, the Wildlife Medical Clinic is excited to be working on the design of a new Wildlife Education Classroom space, which will be attached to the Wildlife Medical Clinic. This space will be used to provide educational programs to school groups and the public in colder months and poor weather. As this project will consume critical animal housing space, plans are underway to create additional animal housing space immediately west of the Education Classroom. The additional animal housing space will increase the patient holding capacity of the Wildlife Medical Clinic, improve biosecurity, as well as provide safe and secured housing for medium-sized carnivores and animals transitioning to pre-release status.
This additional animal housing space will increase the overall animal housing capacity compared to its current levels. In 2023, the Wildlife Medical Clinic helped 2,131 patients of 108 different species, and is currently on-track to surpass that number in 2024. During the spring, summer, and early fall months, the Wildlife Medical Clinic is at its busiest, as this is the season when animals are nesting and reproducing and are more active. During these months, the public is also spending more time outdoors and able to find wildlife in need of assistance. So far in the spring of 2024, we have received as many as 37 newly admitted patients in a single day. Given the diverse needs of these animals, finding appropriate animal housing while also preventing infectious disease outbreaks and minimizing stress to patients (for example, by housing sensitive prey species out of earshot and scent-range of their natural predators) becomes extremely challenging.
Currently, the Wildlife Medical Clinic does not have a way to safely and securely house larger predators such as bobcats, river otters, coyotes, or adult foxes. The design of the proposed additional animal housing unit would provide safe and appropriate housing for these species. We also hope to add outdoor medium-sized raptor flight rooms to the outside of this building, as we currently do not have appropriate larger housing for this ecologically valuable group of species.
Finally, this additional animal housing will also contain an isolation room. The current clinic space for the Wildlife Medical Clinic is attached to a building where veterinary care is provided to domestic dogs, cats, and exotic pets. It is not uncommon for wild animals to present with dangerous infectious diseases that can easily spread to domestic animals, such as Canine Distemper Virus or Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, both of which have been detected in our wild patients multiple times just within the past 6 months. This additional housing unit, as it will be a stand-alone building just outside of our existing clinic space, will allow us to more effectively quarantine wildlife and prevent the spread of disease.
The additional animal housing space will also require new and updated enclosures and incubators, some of which need to be custom-made to our patients. These grant funds will be used to pay for part of those enclosures and incubators.
Mission: UCRJ's mission is to educate our community about the Reproductive Justice (RJ) framework: 1) the right to have children, 2) the right to not have children, 3) the right to nurture the children we have in a safe and healthy environment. UCRJ lifts up work being done locally on these issues, on campus and in the community, and creates opportunities for community members to act to ensure reproductive justice for all.
Project Proposal: UCRJ will use Round Up For Good Grant monies would be used to support the UCRJ Birth Equity Fund:
A primary principle of the Reproductive Justice framework emphasizes the right raise children in environments free from harm, making Birth Justice a necessary and urgent corollary to the reproductive justice vision. In Illinois, Black birthing people are three times more likely to die from pregnancy or birth-related complications than their white counterparts. Birth justice activists therefore advocate for the creation of more support systems for pregnant and birthing families, including birth doulas and community midwives.
The UCRJ Birth Equity Fund will provide direct financial grants towards doula and homebirth midwife services for expecting pregnant people of color in Champaign County. By supporting wrap-around guidance and support throughout the pregnancy and birthing process, the fund will improve care for pregnant and birthing people and help reduce BIPOC perinatal mortality in our community.
UCRJ is a volunteer-led, grassroots organization that has accomplished a great deal since it was founded in early 2023. During its second UCRJ Week (April 2024), it engaged 45 organizations and reached over 650 participants. UCRJ is guided by research and practitioners from many partner organizations, including BIPOC for Better Birth, Planned Parenthood, Uniting Pride, Elevated Access, Cunningham Township, CU Public Health Dept., and the U of I School of Social Work. It engages in actions that directly help people, such as distribution of "Plan B" contraceptives and creating abortion after-care packages for local abortion clinics. We would be honored to utilize funds from the Round Up For Good program to further reproductive justice in our community.
Mission: YWCA is dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women, and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all.
Project Proposal: The Round Up For Good Grant will go towards our Empowering Black and Brown Women program. Empowering Black and Brown Women Project (EBBW) was first Launched in the spring of 2024. The Project consist of engaging local participants in self-exploration to develop comprehensive understanding of the history and personal effects of systemic racism. Through several seminars participants are able to share their experiences with racism and discuss ways to begin racial healing. The Round Up for Good Grant would help us fund this project moving forward.