2027 Round Up For Good Nominated Organizations

Mission: To provide free books to people incarcerated in Illinois and foster local education about prisons and the carceral system.

Project Proposal: B2P is aligned with several of the Ends of the Common Ground Food Coop. As a volunteer run organization, we are committed to collective governance and inclusivity, and we have a significant impact on the community that volunteers. B2P support the resilience of the communities of the families and loved ones of incarcerated people who receive them because the books that are sent in have a ripple effect. The books are also shared and discussed by people on the inside. It is worth mentioning as well that a common request from prisoners is books on basic nutrition and gardening.
We share a goal of impacting the local community by also serving people detained in our county jail. Each week, an average of 50 people visit our small lending library in the Jail, which is staffed by volunteers. B2P is also the primary source of books for the Champaign County Youth Detention Center library.

Prisoners who receive our materials describe our service as a light in the darkness, one of the only reliable means of information, critical to an increase in their math and reading proficiency, the reason they developed a “reading habit,” a means to education, essential to passing the GED exam, access to a larger world, a catalyst to deeper self-understanding. Most significantly, our shipments remind them of their humanity, and that not everyone on the outside has given up on them. This gives hope and a reason to persevere.

B2P has made a difference in the lives of those who volunteer here. Reading letters from those people in custody humanizes prisoners and challenges the stereotypes that abound about who is locked up in our prisons. Volunteers have testified that their experience at B2P has changed their lives by providing them with the opportunity to make a real difference with their time and by collaborating locally with people from diverse backgrounds and walks of life.

Currently, B2P faces three financial challenges, one of which a Round Up award would help us address.

First, shipping is one of our largest expenditures. Currently we can ship to each prisoner on average every three to four months. We long to make this rate steady at two and a half to three months because we continue to hear from prisoners that books are a lifeline for them. A grant would allow us to maintain and possibly increase the rate, so that a prisoner could look forward to getting our books four to five times each year, instead of three.

Second, the most requested book by incarcerated people nationwide is the English dictionary. B2P has raised money to purchase dictionaries in bulk but even so, have never been able to meet demand. Our budget constraints cause us to ration a prisoner to one dictionary every five years. Paperback dictionaries consulted frequently quickly fall apart long before 5 years as prisoners tell us. With a Round Up grant, we would aim to increase our bulk purchase to be able to send dictionaries every three years to prisoners who request them.

Lastly, IDOC continues to be unreasonably suspicious of the marks of a used book, interpreting minor stains, highlighter, yellowing pages as possible signs of contraband. B2P was set up to rely on donations of gently used books but in recent years, especially since IDOC’s ban on physical mail for prisoners in 2025, we have had to struggle with the frustration of having the book a prisoner requests, but unable to send it because of minor blemishes. A grant would allow B2P to purchase new to like-new high-demand books to meet reasonable requests from people in custody, such as books on the trades, basic nutrition, World Almanacs, financial literacy.

At B2P we know that access to learning is the number one factor determining whether people return to prison, yet access to education remains deeply restricted. UC Books to Prisoners fills this gap by ensuring that learning is possible even when institutions fail to provide it. But more importantly, we believe that access to information is a human right.

In one of three ways, a grant from Common Ground’s Round Up for Good program would be used to increase our provision of humane services to our neighbors behind bars, most of whom will be coming home someday.

Thank you for your consideration and for the nourishment you provide this community.

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Mission: Cultivating Excellence, Empowering Girls is the mission of Campus Middle School for Girls. In service to this mission, CMS provides: a challenging curriculum that encourages girls to set high expectations for themselves;
small class sizes that allow a high level of student participation and teacher attention;
diverse curriculum offerings that allow girls to explore an array of subjects, express themselves creatively, and work toward mastery in a variety of disciplines; a safe and positive social environment that enables adolescent girls to achieve a sense of emotional and physical well-being; community service opportunities that encourage students to become reflective, responsible global citizens; close ties to the University of Illinois and surrounding community that expose students to working scholars, laboratories, museums, libraries and other resources. To this end, we aim to promote confident, enthusiastic, and responsible young learners through a combination of small class size and a curriculum emphasizing strong academic skills.

Project Proposal: Campus Middle School (CMS) is an independent, non-profit middle school that has a track record of providing innovative and challenging learning opportunities in the context of a welcoming and inclusive environment. If chosen, we would use this grant to purchase a kiln.

CMS does not have an endowment or other ample sources of funding beyond tuition payments (the majority of which goes toward staff salaries and building utilities). Thus, purchasing new materials or “extras” requires substantial financial resources. Any significant purchase, such as a kiln, requires a multi-year savings and fundraising plan. For the past several years, other pressing priorities (e.g., a new science curriculum) have made acquiring a kiln out of reach for the foreseeable future.

A kiln at the school would advance CMS’s mission in two important ways. First, in alignment with our goal to provide students with a challenging and diverse curriculum, CMS has a long history of connecting young people with visual arts and music, evidenced in part by the two annual arts festivals that are curated by students (e.g., our annual Winter Arts Festival; https://www.campusms.org/special-events). With our current resources, when students create ceramic art, the Art Teacher would have to work with a kiln owner (e.g., a current family or another school), have students design their pieces of clay, load them all up, and transport them to the kiln. Once fired, the Art Teacher would then have to load them up and return them to CMS so students can glaze their pieces. Once the glazing is complete, the Art Teacher would again have to load all of the pieces up and return them to the kiln, have them fired, and then transport them back to CMS; with each trip, the likelihood of a piece breaking increases. This process is only made possible because of the generosity and effort of our Art Teacher, though her time could be invested in more useful ways. Having a kiln on site would increase the range of arts experiences students could have, which directly supports our mission to “empower girls.” 

Second, to support innovative learning opportunities and to enact our mission, CMS has cultivated and maintains close ties with local artists and arts organizations. For example, we have a strong partnership with C4A, which allowed us to expand our music offerings. With respect to visual arts, our students have worked with Tracy Satterthwaite of Cracked Glass in Urbana and have participated in the Empty Bowls Supper that benefits The Daily Bread Soup Kitchen. We are committed to finding more sustainable ways for our students to engage with the arts so that we can expand our connections with local organizations, like the CU Potter’s Club.

CMS has long wanted to incorporate more pottery making into the Art Program, but without a kiln, the logistics for firing has kept these types of projects out of reach. An important part of our mission is to support students to “express themselves creatively.” As federal resources for the arts are threatened, now more than ever we need local support to ensure that the arts continue to flourish in Champaign-Urbana. We believe that the arts not only supplement traditional academic learning, but that exposure to art through school cultivates creativity, kindness, and community.

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Mission: CATsNAP seeks to reduce pet overpopulation and to improve the welfare of animals in the greater Champaign County Illinois area. By spaying/neutering, we are reducing the number of cats and dogs born into situations of inadequate care and abuse.

Project Proposal: CATsNAP has successfully provided Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) services to multiple communities throughout Champaign County. We propose using these funds to help offset the cost of spay/neuter services for feral and abandoned cats throughout the county. On average, CATsNAP facilitates the spay/neuter of approximately 30–50 cats each month.

In addition to the spay/neuter procedure, each cat receives comprehensive preventative and wellness services to help improve their overall health and reduce the spread of disease within community cat populations. Services include:

Spay or neuter surgery

Rabies vaccination for cats weighing more than 3 pounds

FVRCP vaccination (feline viral rhinotracheitis, calicivirus, and panleukopenia)

Feline leukemia virus (FeLV) and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) testing

Sterilization tattoo

One month of parasite prevention

Praziquantel treatment when a tapeworm infection is suspected

In addition to providing TNR services for feral and abandoned cat communities throughout Champaign County, CATsNAP also provides food and other support to individuals who care for these colonies. Many of these community cat colonies are located in underserved and economically marginalized areas, where individuals may face difficult choices between meeting their own household needs and providing food for the cats in their care.

Expanded financial support is critical to ensuring that CATsNAP can continue providing accessible TNR services and essential resources to community members caring for these cats. By helping offset the cost of spay/neuter procedures and supporting the individuals who maintain these colonies, funding will directly contribute to healthier, more stable community cat populations while improving the overall well-being of cats and residents throughout Champaign County.

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Mission: The Central Illinois Young Farmers Coalition is a chapter of the National Young Farmers Coalition. Our group is open to farmers of all ages, as well as food system advocates and aspiring farmers, who are leading the way to create a healthier, more hopeful food system. We organize social gatherings and learning events for our members and hope to advocate for progressive food systems policy.

As a chapter, we envision a just future where farming is free of racial violence, accessible to communities, oriented towards environmental well-being, and concerned with health over profit. Our focus is on building climate resilience, fostering a collaborative community, and advocating for farmer well-being.

Project Proposal: The Round Up For Food Grant will go directly towards our Central Illinois Disaster and Emergency Relief Fund (CIDER Fund). The CIDER Fund was created by and for farmers in Central Illinois who are experiencing acute and unexpected crises on their farms or in their homes and are in need of quick relief. The CIDER Fund offers payments to farmers with a fast turnaround when crisis strikes, such as disastrous weather events, fires, health emergencies, and more. These funds are meant to help our Central Illinois farmer community keep stable when things go wrong, with a minimal application, fast correspondence and disbursal, and no expectation or burdensome paperwork.

Over the past three years, we have helped countless Central Illinois farmers get back on their feet through our CIDER Fund. However, we have also received applications from farmers in Northern and Southern counties. As our fund is one of a kind in our state, we have not turned away any applications due to location. We anticipate that more farmers will face challenges due to weather catastrophes in the years ahead, and our hope is to have plenty of funds available to be prepared.

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Mission: Champaign County Health Care Consumers (CCHCC) believes that health care is a basic human right, and is dedicated to the mission of working for quality affordable health care for all, and for environmental health and justice. CCHCC organizes individuals and communities to have a voice in the health care system and to affect social change to achieve health justice. CCHCC carries out its mission through direct service, consumer education, advocacy, and community organizing.

Project Proposal: This grant would support CCHCC's Disability Application Services program. CCHCC is the only organization in Champaign County that provides these services to the community at large, for free. CCHCC's Disability team helps Champaign County residents apply for the SSDI and SSI programs. We also help with appeals, and cases before the Administrative Law Judge, as well as overpayments that can threaten people's benefits through no fault of their own. We also help with redeterminations so people can keep their benefits. We work with both housed and unhoused individuals to help them apply for these benefits.

Since the program's inception in 2023, we have received approvals for 68 individuals, resulting in over $90,000 in new monthly recurring income for these individuals, as well as over $400,000 in lump sum back payments for our clients. In addition to helping clients apply for disability benefits, our team also helps clients get state IDs, birth certificates, and Social Security cards. This helps our unhoused clients be able to apply for housing, and other benefits. Grant funds will be used to support the operations of this program, including personnel costs, as well as fees for IDs and birth certificates for those who need that assistance.od Co-Operative for their consideration, as well as thank the community members that nominated us for this grant!

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Mission: To instill respect, kindness, and compassion for animals as community values.

Project Proposal: The funds from this program will help support outside medical care for animals in our care. This includes emergency care, significant surgeries, and dental procedures.

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Mission: The Champaign-Urbana Reparations Coalition (CURC) works to educate and activate residents of Champaign County, IL, to support and implement reparations for African Americans. The short-term goal is to establish a Reparations Commission, with substantive support from Urbana, the Champaign County Board, Champaign and the University of Illinois. Longer term, the CURC will provide ongoing robust assistance to realize the Commission’s recommendations to redress harms and ensure equity for African Americans.

Project Proposal: There is an urgent and expansive need for education about reparations, both among residents and city officials. Our focus is Champaign County; there are rich experiences among impacted community members as well as historical evidence to explore and share. We will continue to provide printed materials, discussion forums, e-newsletters, and workshops to disseminate accurate and thorough information about the broad topic of reparations. We will use funds to print fliers, yard signs, and posters, placing them in barber shops, beauty salons, churches, restaurants, etc. We will table at the Farmer's Market and hold educational events with food and child care.  If we are successful with Roundup for Good, we will use the funds to pay for outreach materials and educational events focused on health equity and food security for African Americans. The ultimate goal of achieving reparations for African Americans in the health equity arena will address several health-related issues from an individual to societal perspective.

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Mission: Channing-Murray is a non-profit art and social justice campus center rooted in Unitarian Universalist values. We believe that everyone has inherent worth and dignity, people and planet are interconnected, and we all have a role to play in creating networks of care. Incorporated as a UU student ministry in 1954, CM has evolved into a performance venue, an activist meeting space, and a sometimes-home to the Red Herring Vegetarian Restaurant (not currently serving).

Project Proposal: 

The Channing-Murray Foundation regularly hosts mission-aligned events for free or at very low cost to organizers. The Round Up For Good Grant would allow us to continue to do so, as well as to support even more free, community-based events in our building without financial strain. We would be able to not only lend our space to these events, but also add additional amenities such as providing food or drink to encourage community engagement and attendance. Some events we have hosted for free in the past include drag and music shows for charity, free cultural experiences, open mics platforming marginalized voices, and community meetings.

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Mission: The mission of the CLU-W Hygiene Pantry of Champaign County is to promote health, dignity, and well-being by providing free hygiene and basic household products to individuals and families in our community, without eligibility restrictions.

Project Proposal: If we rewarded the grant, it will help us be able to purchase new shelving, carts, and storage containers to better store and display the items in the pantry. We will also use the funds to make bulk purchases of the items that we run out of frequently (body wash, toothpaste, shampoo/conditioner, etc.). With the word spreading quickly, and the need growing, this grant will help us better meet the need and serve the people in the community who rely on us.

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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.

The philosophy behind our work and how we provide is guided by the belief that:

PEOPLE NEED PEOPLE - everyone deserves to be part of the community and we all do better when we support each other, people with disabilities are no different

WE ARE NOT AFRAID TO TRY - everyone should have the dignity of risk - people with disabilities need opportunities to dream and have people who will support them in that dream. Being alive is risky.

SUCCESS IS A SHARED RESPONSIBILITY - we are not here to do FOR we are here to do WITH - as a community we can build the world we want to see.

Project Proposal: Community Choices provides a range of fully community-based services and supports to adults in Champaign County with intellectual and developmental disabilities and resources and networking opportunities for their families. Our supports include:

- CUSTOMIZED EMPLOYMENT SERVICES where we work 1:1 with our participants to find competitively paid community-based jobs

- COMMUNITY LIVING where we provide ala carte services for participants to build the skills to live independently and to manage the range of services that make that possible.

- CONNECT where we support adults with I/DD to access social opportunities, 1:1 social coaching, daily living skills classes, family support groups, co-op parties, and quarterly public informational meetings about local resources.

- TRANSPORTATION where we address one of the most pervasive issues people with disabilities face by providing our participants with 16 free rides each month to and from anywhere within Champaign County because to be part of the community, you need to be able to get there.

If received, these funds would go toward our Transportation Department. You can learn more about our ride services in this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgJuHFaaSmA

We would use the funds to continue to provide daily rides to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. In the past year we have provided over 3700 rides - 50% of which were to support our participants to go to or from their jobs.

This program has also helped our participants and their families gain independence, confidence, and greater social connectedness. Here's what they are saying:
"Our son is so excited for the independence of Community Choices rides. He feels safe with drivers and looks forward to what he is able to do each month because of the service."

"I feel more independent when someone besides my parents drive me places."

"The transportation program has helped our son be much more independent in all aspects of his social activities. He is also more confident and interested in other options for transportation independence."

Unlike many service providers, we are structured as a human services cooperative. We believe that together, we can build a more inclusive and welcoming Champaign County - and more directly that people with disabilities and their families should be active parts in both the community, but also in the design of the services that they use.

That's where our Cooperative comes in. Our organization of 18 staff are here to provide the direct day to day services that our members need to live full lives in the community. We're also here to facilitate connections between our co-op members. Our members commit to supporting each other and to giving valuable feedback and insight into the services and functioning of our cooperative organization. You can learn more about how our Co-Op works in this short video: https://youtu.be/OM-p_VJERbk?si=d4t5OQMX97BJAl_G

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Mission: The Courage Connection mission is to ensure everyone in our community has the education, support, and resources to live in safe, healthy relationships.

Project Proposal: We propose to use the Round Up For Good funding to help support two of our planned DV Outreach & Education events. The first, Courage on the Block (October 10, 2026), will engage 600+ attendees and provide approximately 400 free meals to community members while also connecting them to resources and support within our community. The event honors the courage and resilience of survivors while creating space for connection, joy, and hope. It also serves as a reminder of our collective responsibility to build a community where everyone can experience safe, healthy relationships.

The second event, the Queer Community Forum (November 14, 2026), will bring together 100+ participants to provide an opportunity for community members to learn about the unique dynamics and challenges of domestic violence within LGBTQ+ communities. The event will feature an educational presentation followed by a facilitated listening session, creating space for community members to share their experiences, identify unmet needs, and help inform future outreach, programming, and services. The forum will conclude with a celebration of LGBTQ+ diversity through a ballroom culture exhibition, honoring a tradition rooted in mutual aid that has long fostered political consciousness, community connection, self-expression, and safety for Black and Hispanic queer and transgender communities and others who have historically faced marginalization.

We feel this is an ideal opportunity to partner together to further both the Courage Connection mission as well as Common Ground's mission of creating an inclusive, vibrant community.

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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: With a grant from Common Ground’s 2027 Round Up for Good program, Crisis Nursery will secure vital funding for our Safe Children program. This program provides 24/7 temporary care for children aged birth through six whose families are experiencing a crisis or emergency, and no other resources are available to help. A grant from Common Ground, Crisis Nursery's Safe Children program will empower us to continue our work of support vulnerable children and families navigating through crises.

Crisis Nursery has been honored to be selected for previous Round Up for Good cycles through Common Ground. Every contribution directly enhances our capacity to provide essential care for families during their most vulnerable moments. Previous grant cycles have enabled the Nursery to provide over 300 hours of emergency care. While at the Nursery, children engage in activities that foster emotional regulation, social development, and age-appropriate play in a nurturing environment. Beyond immediate emergency intervention, we work intentionally with parents to connect them with long-term community resources. This dual-layered approach creates a pathway out of the crisis cycle, transforming isolated struggle into supported resilience and empowering families to build long-term stability. Our Safe Children program serves as a critical safeguard, ensuring that sudden disruptions, such as job emergencies, medical crises, loss of primary childcare, or homelessness, do not escalate into situations that threaten child safety or family stability.

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 provide emergency childcare to families experiencing crisis, guiding them toward a brighter future and a stronger community.

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Mission: To see children thrive and families flourish.

Project Proposal: Cunningham Children’s Home is dedicated to seeing every child thrive. For more than 130 years, Cunningham has provided compassionate, innovative services that help children, youth, and families overcome challenges and build brighter futures. Through a continuum of care that includes residential treatment, special education, behavioral health services, community-based programs, and family support, Cunningham serves nearly 1,000 children and families each year across east-central Illinois.

One of the ways Cunningham fulfills its mission is through CIRCLE Academy, a therapeutic day school designed for students whose emotional, behavioral, and mental health needs cannot be effectively addressed in a traditional educational setting. CIRCLE Academy provides individualized instruction, therapeutic support, and a structured learning environment that helps students achieve academic success while developing the skills needed to thrive in school, at home, and in their communities.

We are requesting funding to purchase a new whiteboard for a classroom at CIRCLE Academy in Urbana.

Whiteboards are an essential educational resource that supports interactive teaching, visual learning, collaboration, and student engagement. Teachers use them daily to present lessons, reinforce key concepts, model problem-solving strategies, and encourage active participation. Updated whiteboards will enhance classroom instruction and create more effective learning environments for students who often benefit from visual cues, repetition, and hands-on learning approaches.

Funding for this project directly supports Cunningham’s goal of providing high-quality educational experiences that help students build confidence, develop academic skills, and achieve positive outcomes. By equipping our classrooms with modern instructional tools, this investment will strengthen our ability to serve our students. Ultimately, these improvements will help our youth access the specialized support they need to learn, grow, and thrive.

Cost:

ViewSonic ViewBoard IFP75G1 – $1,867.24 currently – 75 inch touch interactive display
ViewSonic Slot in PC - $799.00 – Slot in PC that goes into the display and has Google Classroom built in.
ViewSonic wall mount –  $106.69 - Wall mount for the display.  

Total is $2,748.96 per unit

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Mission: C-U at Home exists to support and empower individuals who are experiencing homelessness. Through safe, stable housing, intensive case management, life-skills development, and personalized support, we help individuals address barriers to stability and build a pathway toward lasting independence.

Project Proposal: Round Up For Good funds will help provide essential household and personal items for individuals participating in C-U at Home's Pathways to Progress program, which provides long-term residential support and intensive case management for people working to overcome homelessness. Funds will purchase items such as bedding and linens, hygiene and cleaning supplies, kitchen essentials, clothing and work-related necessities, and basic household items for residents preparing to transition into independent housing. These practical needs are an important part of creating a safe, stable environment where participants can focus on employment, health, recovery, life skills and the work necessary to achieve lasting housing stability.

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Mission: We will positively impact the lives of select Champaign-Urbana students by pairing them with adult mentors to provide support, encouragement and guidance.

We believe:
That all young people have skills and assets to share
Cultural backgrounds are sources of strength
No student needs to be "saved"
Mentors assist students in seeing their own strengths
Mentors model consistency and commitment
Listening is more important than talking
Mentor relationships are student led
Students should set their own goals

Project Proposal: We supply games, art materials for every school in CU.  Our games lose pieces, go missing, or just get over-used.  We need to purchase these items each year for our 500+ pairs for their weekly meetings.  

We also create flyers for recruitment with colored ink, we have to use our own funding for such supplies. 

We create folders for our New Mentors for their training sessions.  

We collaborate with CU Scholarship Foundation.  They supply scholarships to students that would not typically qualify for such monetary gift for continuing education.  They must have met with their Mentor for 3+ years and graduate high school.  The foundation then has them submit a request for a scholarship to their attending educational facility.  It may be a college, realtor school, cosmetology, trade school, etc.

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Mission: The mission of the Daily Bread Soup Kitchen is to feed the hungry of our community regardless of race, religion, or ethnicity. We welcome all volunteer who share an unconditional positive regard for every human being. We provide a safe, respectful and inviting environment in an atmosphere of hope and dignity.

Project Proposal: Pre COVID pandemic,  we serve approximately 200 hot, nutritious meals daily, accompanied by a sack lunch. To continue our mission during the COVID pandemic, we began carry out services. 

Our number of guests grew, and we were serving more home bound people by providing meals to-go. Since we reopened our doors, and the main dining area, we decided to also continue the carry our meals. Currently, we are providing 400 hot meals with a sack lunch to-go daily. For many of our guests, the meal and sack lunch provided by Daily Bread is their only source of nourishment. 

Our guests represent the most in need in the Champaign _ Urbana area.  Many are the "working poor" have jobs but not self sufficiency. We noted an increase in the homeless, who live on the streets of our communities. Also, the transient, those who have  housing but then face eviction because of unpaid rent or utilities bills. All of our guests have no or low income, and therefore, have difficult feeding themselves or their families. 

With funds we receive from Common Ground, we will purchase protein for our sack lunches. The cost of lunch meat and/or cheese  continues to increase. Any funding we receive will be used for this purpose. The sack lunch provides an evening meal for many of our guests. Thank you for considering Daily Bread Soup Kitchen.

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Mission: Developmental Services Center (DSC) supports people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities in living rich and meaningful lives. DSC’s vision statement states we strive to assure that every person we support lives a full life in the community.

Project Proposal: DSC's Community Connections & Adventures Fund will help adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities experience the best of our area. Round Up For Good funding will provide admission fees, activity costs, transportation, and supplies for community experiences including local festivals, concerts, museum visits, art classes, fitness programs, sporting events, farmers markets, and seasonal celebrations. These experiences reduce social isolation, build friendships, increase independence, and create meaningful opportunities for belonging while helping participants strengthen connections within the community.

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Mission: To enable young people, especially those that need us most, to be healthy, responsible, caring, and productive individuals.

Project Proposal: The Don Moyer Boys & Girls Club (DMBGC) provides a safe, positive, and enriching environment for local youth, offering robust recreation opportunities, meaningful academic enrichment, and peer mediation programming alongside a strong emphasis on career readiness. The Round Up For Good Grant would support tangible materials and equipment for our After School Positive Youth Development Engagement program, the comprehensive strategy that drives academic support, positive youth development, and violence prevention across our two sites, the Club at Park Street and the Martens Center.

Our programming serves youth ages 6-18, primarily from low- to moderate-income families, with services provided after school from 3:00 PM to 7:30 PM. We currently serve over 200 registered members across both sites through this program, and this grant would directly strengthen the tools available to them.

Specifically, funds would purchase tutoring supplies, homework-help materials, and academic resources used across our core programs. This includes materials for Power Hour, which uses recognition and incentives to help members become self-directed learners through homework help, tutoring, and academic strategies; resources for Project Learn, which partners with parents and school professionals on high-yield reading and writing activities that reinforce school engagement; and leveled books and tutoring materials for Reading Partners, our twice-weekly, one-on-one intervention for 2nd- through 5th-graders reading below grade level. These are the programs most directly responsible for the substantial improvements in scholastic performance we've seen among our members, and up-to-date materials are essential to sustaining that impact.

The grant would also support supplies for our Social Emotional Learning and peer mediation activities. These are the character-building initiatives that help us cultivate a safe, violence-free atmosphere. Peer mediation gives youth a constructive way to practice leadership, resolve conflicts, and build a supportive club culture, while our broader health and wellness activities promote mental and emotional well-being through stress-reduction and mindfulness practices. Materials here might include supplies for group activities, conflict-resolution and SEL curricula, and wellness program resources.

Together, these investments support DMBGC's ultimate goal: helping youth achieve academic success, promote on-time grade advancement, and graduate from high school with a clear plan for the future. Well-stocked, current materials allow our tutors and staff to deliver consistent, high-quality support during our daily 3:00–7:30 PM programming window, directly reaching the more than 200 youth who rely on our two sites every day.

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Mission: We are driven to reach excellence through achievement, engagement, and behavioral health among boys and young men ages 5–24 years old.

Project Proposal: DREAAM is committed to building strong, connected, opportunity‑rich environments for children, youth, and families in Champaign‑Urbana. Our mission centers on advancing academic achievement, social‑emotional development, leadership, and community belonging for boys and young men of color. As our programs continue to grow, we are working intentionally to strengthen the physical spaces and hands‑on learning environments that make our mission possible. The Round Up For Good Grant would directly support two tangible, high‑impact projects that allow us to expand community connection, deepen experiential learning, and increase access to meaningful opportunities for our youth.

1. Equipping the DREAAM Gym for Community Dinners and Gatherings

For years, DREAAM’s Community Dinner has been one of our most beloved traditions - a place where families, youth, staff, and partners come together to share a meal, celebrate accomplishments, and strengthen relationships. Our previous location for these dinners provided a beautiful, fully equipped space that made these gatherings easy to host. However, since we moved to our own space and property, our organization must now equip our own gym to resume this important community‑building practice.

The Round Up For Good Grant would allow us to purchase the essential items needed to transform our gym into a functional, welcoming gathering space. This includes durable tables, chairs, and basic catering equipment that can be used for community dinners, parent engagement nights, youth celebrations, volunteer appreciation events, and multi‑generational gatherings. These items are not only practical - they are foundational to creating a sense of belonging and togetherness.

Our community dinners are more than meals. They are moments where families feel seen, youth feel celebrated, and neighbors build trust. They help us strengthen relationships with caregivers, increase family engagement, and create a warm environment where people can connect across differences. By equipping our gym with the right furniture and serving tools, we can resume these gatherings consistently and sustainably. The grant would ensure that DREAAM has the physical infrastructure to host 100–150 people comfortably, safely, and with dignity.

This project directly advances our mission by creating a space where families and youth can gather, celebrate progress, and build the relationships that support long‑term success. It also ensures that our organization is not dependent on external venues, giving us stability and flexibility as we continue to grow.

2. Shelving and Infrastructure for the AgHOPE Indoor Garden & Youth Entrepreneurial Project

The second project supported by the Round Up For Good Grant is the development of the AgHOPE indoor garden - an innovative, hands‑on learning environment that teaches youth about agriculture, nutrition, sustainability, and entrepreneurship. AgHOPE is designed to help young people understand where food comes from, how to grow it, and how to turn their learning into leadership and business opportunities.

To fully launch this project, we need specialized shelving and storage systems that support indoor gardening equipment, hydroponic units, seed trays, soil, tools, and youth‑created products. The shelving will allow us to organize materials safely, maintain a clean and functional workspace, and create a professional environment where youth can take pride in their work.

The AgHOPE project is more than a garden - it is a pathway to skill‑building and economic empowerment. Youth will learn:

•  How to grow herbs, greens, and produce indoors
•  How to manage inventory and supplies
•  How to package and sell products
•  How to work collaboratively in a small business environment
•  How agriculture connects to health, community, and culture

The shelving and organizational infrastructure funded by this grant will make it possible for youth to run the garden as a real entrepreneurial venture. It will also allow us to expand the project over time, adding new crops, new products, and new learning opportunities.

This project directly supports DREAAM’s mission by giving youth hands‑on experiences that build confidence, leadership, and practical skills. It also strengthens community access to fresh food and creates opportunities for youth to contribute meaningfully to their neighborhoods.

Together, these two projects—equipping the gym for community dinners and outfitting the AgHOPE indoor garden—represent tangible, mission‑aligned investments that will benefit hundreds of youth and families each year. The Round Up For Good Grant would allow DREAAM to create welcoming spaces, expand experiential learning, and deepen community connection in ways that are sustainable and long‑lasting.

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Mission: Eastern Illinois Foodbank has been alleviating hunger and nourishing stronger communities since 1983.

Project Proposal: EIF will use these funds to support our Foodmobile program, which aims to bring fresh and nutritious grocery options to rural and underserved areas. These distributions bridge the gap between pantry visits for our neighbors experiencing food insecurity. Because EIF is able to purchase food at reduced bulk rates, each $1 we receive is able to be stretched to provide three meals to local families.

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Mission: Our work is grounded in the belief that bodily autonomy and freedom of movement are inseparable and that access is a fundamental human right.

Our mission is to build community-led, transportation networks that eliminate economic and geographic barriers, elevate access, and ensure anyone can reach affirming, essential providers and healthcare with dignity, safety, self-determination, and the power to thrive.

We accomplish this through the careful coordination between our dedicated team and trusted referral partner ecosystem to offer flights at no cost to passengers seeking reproductive, abortion and gender-affirming care through both our volunteer pilot network and the strategic use of commercial aviation.

We envision a world where bodily autonomy, specifically abortion and gender affirming care, are not limited by geography, income, or identity. In this world, communities have the power and resources to care for one another and participate fully in shaping the conditions that affect their lives. Until that future exists, Elevated Access will continue building practical, compassionate, and safe infrastructure that helps people exercise control over their bodies, families, and futures on their own terms.

Project Proposal: This funding will support our Flight Access Program.
Elevated Access is a bridge for the frontline reproductive and gender justice ecosystems, providers and clinics and the people that need them. We partner with over 150 abortion funds, practical support organizations, healthcare providers and clinics, LGBTQ+ organizations, and community advocates nationally. Together, we create pathways to care for people who would otherwise have no choice but to delay treatment, continue unwanted pregnancies, or miss medically necessary care all together.

Referrals come to us from these trusted organizational partners who are a reflection of the communities they serve. Our team of Flight Coordinators mobilize our national network of 500+ volunteer pilots, alongside commercial travel when needed, matching them with passengers to get them to the essential reproductive and gender-affirming healthcare they need, at no cost, with safety, privacy and dignity.

Elevated Access was founded from the tradition of the aviation community volunteering angel flights for cancer patients, victims of natural disasters, and domestic violence survivors. In the same spirit of solidarity, we have created a national network of 500+ vetted volunteer pilots waiting in the wings to fly passengers at no cost to affirming, essential care all across the country.

Since we began in 2022, we have flown 4,000 people, 2.4 million miles, across all 50 states, Puerto Rico and Mexico to access the healthcare they need. Elevated Access continues to grow and scale as over 928,500 of those miles flew over 1000 passengers in 2025 alone. With a number of our referrals coming from the San Francisco area - with partners like Midwest Access Coalition, Planned Parenthood Illinois, Birth Roots Community Midwifery, Wellspring Health Access Chastity Mays, and Trans Up Front Illinois - we flew 37 of passengers from the region in 2025, an equivalent of 3.7% of our services with an additional 4.4% of our 2025 passengers flying to the region for essential healthcare.

Demonstrating that rapid response, community-led solutions can effectively answer the call to healthcare inequalities and state bans and restrictions. Transforming transportation into a site of community power that preserves Democracy and advances bodily autonomy, self-determination, and community resilience.
When states pass restrictions, people still need healthcare. Our work shows that communities will come together in times of need—pilots, partners, donors—to break down barriers and elevate access through creative, community-led solutions. Beyond transportation, our work serves as a tangible expression of community solidarity, showing that people are willing to share their time, skills and resources to support the dignity, safety, and self-determination of others.  

As a result, we are respectfully seeking a grant in the amount of $5,000 to support our passenger programs in 2026, moving into 2027, to meet the rising demand for our services that would support flights for passengers in accessing essential healthcare in a time of state restrictions, political attacks and lack of affirming providers.
Our work shows that communities will come together in times of need—pilots, partners, donors—to break down barriers and elevate access through creative, community-led solutions. Beyond transportation, our work serves as a tangible expression of community solidarity, showing that people are willing to share their time, skills and resources to support the dignity, safety, and self-determination of others.
Every flight is both practical support and a message: people deserve control over their bodies, families, and futures on their own terms.  

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Mission: Feeding Our Kids provides nutritious food to food insecure school children on weekends and holidays throughout the year.

Project Proposal: Feeding Our Kids works to ensure that children in Champaign County have access to nourishing food when school is not in session. Our Weekend Food Program provides food to children at schools and community programs throughout the County, helping bridge the gap between school meals and weekends.

During the 2025–2026 school year, Feeding Our Kids served approximately 1,700 children each week. For the 2026–2027 school year, we are providing weekend food to 50 schools and community programs and anticipate a similar level of need.

Volunteers pack bags of shelf-stable, kid-friendly food that are distributed to participating schools. School social workers and liaisons identify children who may benefit from the program and distribute the food directly to them before the weekend.

Food is our largest program expense. Last year, Feeding Our Kids spent more than $200,000 on food to meet the needs of the children we serve. As the number of children relying on our program continues to grow, maintaining a consistent supply of nutritious food remains our greatest financial challenge.

A $3,600 Round Up for Good Grant would help provide a week of food for children we serve in Champaign and Urbana schools. This support would directly offset the cost of food and ensure children had food to take home for the weekend.

Feeding Our Kids is grateful for community members who recognize that access to food is fundamental to a child's ability to learn, grow, and thrive. With the support of a Round Up for Good Grant, we can continue providing this essential resource to local children and families throughout the school year.

Thank you for considering a grant to help keep children fed and ready to learn.

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Mission: To build strong and  peaceful communities by providing support, guidance and hope to formerly incarcerated people and their loved ones through peer mentorship.

Project Proposal: FirstFollowers began in 2015 as a drop-in center for people coming home from prison. Since that time, under the leadership of formerly incarcerated people we have initiated a number of projects such as a transition house for men and women returning from prison, support for the Sealing and Expungement Summit, advocacy work for legislative change at the state level, the setting up of GoMAD, a project for emerging adults to do home renovation in the community. We have also worked closely with the City of Champaign as part of their Blueprint to reduce violence in the city.

We will use the funds from Common Ground to further our FirstFollowers Top Soil project. We founded Top Soil in 2024 to address the challenges of hunger and food deserts in our community. Top Soil has created four community gardens throughout the Champaign-Urbana area. The project was the brainchild of Pierre Willhite, a man who spent 29 years in prison but has come into our community with the zeal to make change and  build partnerships focused on gardening and food. Top Soil began in 2024 with the creation of a raised bed garden in the backyard of our Transformative Justice house in Champaign. Since then, Pierre and his crew, which includes Janice Walker, a social worker and former outreach person at Champaign Public Health, along with several formerly incarcerated individuals, have worked with Sola Gratia, the Martens Center and the Love Corner Church to plant four community gardens across the cities. Our spring harvest this year yielded 1317 pounds of produce of 20 different varieties, including 478 pounds of greens, 124 pounds of lettuce and 105 pounds of zucchini. We shared this produce without cost at various community events and in senior residences.

With the funding from the Common Ground we aim to expand the number of our community gardens and  enhance our distribution by adding new dimensions to the trailer we have purchased. With the trailer we will be able to travel to many parts of the  cities. However, the trailer needs some upgrading, which is the primary request from this proposal. We need two generators to help chill the produce, a hydraulic jack to raise the trailer so it will fit onto the trailer hitch on our truck, and a wrap which would include the Common Ground logo, to promote this work  In keeping with our spirit of providing opportunities to formerly incarcerated individuals, te wraps  will be done by an individual who spent nearly two decades in prison.  The planting and harvesting will be completed by Project leader, Pierre Willhite and Janice Walker, Garden Superviser. their wages will be covered by FirstFollowers. The field work will incorporate two people who have recently been released from prison. Their wages for the work done on this projct will be covered by the grant.

In addition to the production, Top Soil will run two workshops to assist people in cooking, with a focus on healthy, non-meat foods. Pierre, who is also a qualified chef, will teach these classes which will be held at the Martens Center.

Budget
Two generators@$400 each= 800                                      
Hyrdraulic Jack  @ 240
Wrap for the trailer @ 400
Seeds @ 50
Top Soil  @100
Wages for two garden workers   @600 each = 1200
Supplies for workshops $200

TOTAL  =$2990

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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..

Project Proposal: Our eight-year-old garden currently includes 14 raised beds and a compost area that are beginning to show wear. Grant funds would allow us to replace deteriorating cedar boards, make needed repairs to the existing beds and compost area, and extend the life of this important community resource.

We would also add at least three new raised garden beds, increasing the amount of food we can grow and providing additional opportunities for community members to participate. Habitat homeowners and their families can work in the garden as part of their sweat-equity hours, giving children and adults hands-on experience with planting, tending, harvesting, and caring for a garden.

Because the garden is located in an area where planting directly into the ground is not ideal, we would install a permanent trellis system that would allow crops such as tomatoes, cucumbers, peas, and beans to grow vertically. This would make better use of our existing space while increasing the variety and quantity of food we can produce.

We would also use a portion of the funding for soil testing and appropriate soil amendments, including compost, to ensure that our existing and new beds have healthy growing conditions. In addition, we would rejuvenate our existing raspberry and blackberry patch by improving its supports, adding plants as needed, and improving the growing area. These perennial food crops can provide produce for years to come.

The project would invest in long-lasting improvements rather than simply funding a single growing season. By repairing and expanding the garden, improving the soil, creating permanent growing infrastructure, and increasing perennial food production, the grant would help us create a more productive and sustainable community garden.

Most importantly, the garden gives Habitat homeowners, neighborhood residents, families, and children a place to participate directly in growing food. Habitat families can complete sweat-equity hours while learning how to plant, maintain, harvest, and care for food crops. Children get hands-on experience seeing how food is grown, and neighbors have the opportunity to work alongside one another in a shared community space.

The Round Up for Good Grant would allow us to make the physical improvements needed to keep that experience going and expand the garden's capacity for more people to participate.

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Mission: GCAP empowers individuals and families living with and affected by HIV/AIDS in East Central Illinois by providing housing and supportive services and actively works within the community to reduce virus transmission.

Project Proposal: The Round Up For Good Grant will support our Nutritional Assistance Program, which helps individuals living with HIV/AIDS and their families by promoting healthy eating habits and increasing access to nutritious food.

Through their case manager, clients may request a $50 Walmart charitable food voucher to assist with purchasing nutritious groceries. In addition, clients have access to our on‑site food pantry and may request specialty food items tailored to support their health needs, improve CD4 counts, and reduce the likelihood of immune decline or opportunistic infections.

This program also provides direct grocery delivery for clients who are homebound or unable to leave their residence, ensuring they can still access nutritious food safely and consistently.

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Mission: Our purpose is to extend a welcoming hand to immigrant families who are new to our community. When families face obstacles, we are here to help; we provide them with the tools they need to build a future where their talents and skills will help them fulfill the dreams they had when they first arrived in this country.  

Project Proposal: ISCU has had the privilege to receive funds from The Round up for Good Grant several years running, this has allowed us to slowly but intentionally build an internal food assistance program within our organization. What started out as an initiative to distribute gift cards for clients with no access to SNAP benefits living well below the poverty line to have gift cards for grocery shopping. The following year that transitioned into a mock snap program for those that don’t qualify, with bi-weekly distributions of gift cards over an 8 week period. Last year, our program blossomed into a fully functioning client focused food pantry with non perishables, hygiene items, pregnancy tests, condoms, over the counter medication, and related resources for clients to access directly upon intake, with the supplementation of the gift card program. This program requires us to purchase items to keep the food pantry stocked, and to have access to the funds to maintain the mock snap program. We more than look forward to the opportunity to continue developing this program and we now serve hundreds of people who benefit from the accessibility of this resource.

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Mission: The Urbana-Champaign Independent Media Center fosters the creation and distribution of media and art that emphasizes underrepresented voices and perspectives, and promotes empowerment and expression through media and arts education.

Project Proposal: These funds will support our monthly all-ages Community Nights, held every third Tuesday from February to October. We aim to nourish our community by offering free food, creative activities, and access to free clothing and repair resources. We collaborate with local organizations to make this possible, such as Community Choices, FREE CU, Urvana,  Makerspace - Repair Cafe, Prism Community Art School, Cunningham Township, RACES, and our Zine Library. We aim to work with local businesses to provide the food rather than large franchises.

This past year we worked with the following: Rick’s Bakery, Piato Cafe, Burrito King, Mo’s Food Truck, and Neil St Blue’s. In February of 2026, we began providing free food at Community Nights, and we started with a budget of $500 a month. After the first two months, we quickly realized we needed a higher budget. Instead of having 45-50 people attend, we had 75-100 people. We noticed that we needed to adjust our budget to $1000 a month to accommodate the number of attendees. These funds will assist us in our ability to continue to offer free food at future Community Nights.

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Mission: Jubilee Cafe at CUCC provides a free, made from scratch hot meal served restaurant style on Monday nights to students and community members both with and without permanent addresses--anyone facing food insecurity and in need of support. More than simply a place to enjoy a meal, Jubilee serves as a safe space where those on the margins can be seen and heard, especially with regard to affirming LGBTQ+ folks.

Project Proposal: We are an all-volunteer operation serving food to an ever increasing number of guests due to cuts in SNAP, rising grocery and healthcare costs, and the fallout from the declining economy.

With the exception of periodic donations of desserts from Bake Lab, all of our meals are made from scratch in house. This, and our partnerships with Sola Gratia and Eastern Illinois Foodbank, have historically allowed us to keep our food costs at roughly $1 per person per meal while serving nutritious food, of which a significant portion is locally produced.

However, like everyone, we face increasing costs for energy, cleaning supplies, etc. This eats into our ability to make long-term improvements like replacing our 24-year old ice machine, for which replacement parts are no longer available. We hope to purchase a current model that will be repairable and more energy efficient, as well.

Being able to serve local food to the most vulnerable members of our community in an inclusive environment furthers CGFC's ends of supporting an inclusive, vibrant community and bringing more equity in the local food system. We welcome your support for our project.

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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 help fund services at PPIL’s Champaign Health Center, including abortion, birth control, emergency contraception, gender-affirming care, HIV services, pregnancy testing and planning, STD treatment and testing, vaccines, and preventative care. As sexual and reproductive rights remain under serious and enduring threat from the current federal administration and cuts to Medicaid put pressure on already strained household budgets, ensuring affordable, low-barrier access to these services is more important than ever.

Last year, the Champaign Health Center served 5,247 patients, providing 5,805 STI screenings, 126 cancer screenings, 1,411 gender affirming care appointments, and 1,644 contraceptive counseling sessions. These figures demonstrate PPIL’s place as a vital lifeline to community members who may not otherwise receive care. Champaign County is a HRSA-designated Health Provider Shortage Area for low-income populations, for instance, which presents serious barriers for the 44 percent of county households who cannot afford the basic cost of living according to data from United for Alice.

PPIL also supports local community education and organizing efforts. These help provide Champaign residents and students at University of Illinois Urbana Champaign and other schools opportunities to connect and learn, such as workshops on gender-affirming care facilitated for medical students at the Carle Foundation Hospital.

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Mission: 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: Protect the Middle Fork of the Vermilion River

Just as our rivers and streams connect our communities, Prairie Rivers Network (PRN) works to connect and activate people to protect water, heal land, and inspire change. PRN seeks funding to scale our community outreach efforts in our multi-year push to ensure the safe removal of the coal ash that remains along the banks of the Middle Fork of the Vermilion River. The river is Illinois’ only federally designated National Scenic River; more importantly, it's one of the largest natural areas connected via bike trail and available to the thousands of Common Ground owners in the region. This project will help restore this local treasure to its full potential, support critical habitat for wildlife, and help build and activate the next generation of clean water activists in our community.

The site, located right next to Kickapoo State Park, is home to a former coal-burning power plant operated by Dynegy (now owned by Vistra Energy) for more than 50 years before closing in 2011. The plant’s closure left behind an estimated 3 million cubic yards of coal ash, including arsenic, chromium, lead, and other toxins, in its unlined impoundments next to the Middle Fork. Following a lawsuit settlement, Dynegy submitted plans to remove the coal ash from the river’s banks. More than four years later, those plans still have not been approved by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, leaving the river and our communities at risk.

PRN and partners have been working to protect the Middle Fork for decades, but there is a new urgency to act now. The site's aging infrastructure, mixed with extreme weather from climate change, underscores the need to safely remove the coal ash from the floodplain and build climate resilience for future flood events. Just weeks ago, Dynegy’s erosion monitoring revealed that the river bank requires armoring to prevent more dangerous erosion and avoid a catastrophic breach. A week after the report was issued, torrential rainfall in the river basin led to the third-highest flood on record for the Middle Fork. One thing is clear: until the coal ash is removed, the Middle Fork of the Vermilion River, and all who rely on it, remain at risk.

The Round Up For Good program would help the PRN team expand public understanding of this issue and mobilize the community to generate action. Despite some recent media coverage on these threats, PRN and partners believe that a wider, sustained communications strategy, including local storytellers and distributed educational materials, are needed to help people understand the true scale of what’s at stake. Funding would support broader communications about how coal ash endangers the Middle Fork and wildlife, and would build pressure on the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency to act immediately.

Once the permit is issued by IEPA the community will have a chance to respond. PRN staff will provide technical expertise and ensure the community, including those living in the floodplain and further downstream, have a voice in the permitting process. PRN has provided these tools, training, and resources for other communities across the state implementing our new coal ash rules, but these efforts will help local activists – including co-op members – protect one of our most valued natural places here in Central Illinois.

Finally, funding from Round Up for Good would help re-energize community engagement and build the next generation of clean water champions. Our work continues to build a network of activistists willing to lend their time, expertise, financial support and voices to make lasting change. Protecting the Middle Fork is an ongoing battle, one that PRN has been working at for decades, and with this community-funded support we will continue to champion it forever.

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Mission: Our mission is to improve the access to fresh foods in a ‘food desert’ by growing food, maintaining a market, and teaching others to grow food while building community through shared work in a venue for outdoor activities.

Project Proposal: We want to erect a solar powered charging station to power/charge phones, power tools and a small greenhouse.  These tools will increase our productivity, allow us to grow more food and to teach people to grow more food as it will lengthen our growing season and open new training pathways for our job training students.

We would also like to put up a shade structure on the north/west corner (near the Kiddie-garden) of the garden. This would serve a shade for our market and for the 100+ pre-K students who participate in our A'n'T's  (Adults and Toddlers) gardening program.

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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: Sexual violence prevention services conducted by RACES are provided to residents of Champaign County aged three and older at no cost. RACES uses a comprehensive, multi-level, evidence-informed strategy to provide programming to students, parents, teachers, and other community members. Age-appropriate programming is offered to all residents of Champaign County. Special attention is given to ensuring the inclusion of historically underserved and marginalized communities, including racial and ethnic minorities, rural residents, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and individuals with disabilities.

RACES is committed to serving all members of the community and the agency recognizes that individuals who are racial and ethnic minorities and/or members of the LGBTQ+ community are at higher risk of sexual victimization and may face unique barriers to receiving services. Agency curricula are intentionally designed to be inclusive of minority populations and programming is offered to all schools in Champaign County, including those with high proportions of students of color. RACES also participates in events that focus on minority populations, including CU Pride Fest and minority-specific health fairs.

RACES’ staff travel to all parts of Champaign County where services are requested and see reaching rural residents as equally important to reaching residents in more urban settings. Agency staff work hard to meet request for programs, regardless of their distance from the agency's office in Urbana. RACES has long-standing relationships in schools that serve rural residents, including Heritage High School in Broadlands and Gifford Elementary School. To further increase access for rural schools, RACES is working on developing supplemental, virtual programming that can be offered asynchronously. In addition to the benefits students experience from receiving this programming, RACES recognizes that the Prevention Education program is often the first point of contact people have with any of the agency’s services. This further increases the importance of reaching rural areas that might otherwise be unaware of the therapy, crisis intervention, and advocacy services available at no cost through RACES.

The most common locations for RACES prevention programming are K-12 schools. All school-based programs are multi-session and fulfill Erin’s Law (mandates sexual violence prevention programming) and National Sexuality Education Standards. Programs are designed to allow participants to choose how they engage with these topics, including the option to step out as needed. Sessions are structured to increase safety and to allow for an immediate response to a child, if they disclose that they have been abused. Students are also taught skills to empower them to identify trusted adults and other resources.

RACES educational programming has a strong focus on increasing empathy for survivors of sexual violence and reducing stigma. This training can have an impact on interacting with others beyond survivors of sexual violence. Programming also centers the intersection of sexual violence and other forms of violence. The CDC recognizes the importance of these connections, published in their brief, Connecting the Dots: An Overview of the Links Among Multiple Forms of Violence (https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/183359).

As with most education initiatives, the ultimate desired outcome is to change behaviors and attitudes for a lifetime; we seek to reduce the overall rates of sexual violence and to create more appropriate and sensitive societal response to survivors of sexual violence. RACES staff provided programming to nearly 4,400 students in Champaign County during the 2025-2026 school year. Results from the previous school year's assessments, given pre-visit and post-visit (four sessions), show that 52% of students decreased their acceptance of risk factors and and 25% increased their knowledge and acceptance of preventive factors, both of which indicate positive societal change. 

RACES is the only agency in the county that provides sexual violence prevention education, 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.

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Mission: Our mission is to create and develop within the corporate limits of the community, a godly ministry to the homeless, near homeless, and displaced, where love, respect and dignity can be maintained in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ; to provide food, temporary and permanent resident dwellings, and to teach Godly principles to help each person gain vision and learn how to reach his/her goals. To give all that participate an understanding of God's love, and an invitation to accept it.

Project Proposal: Restoration operates a food pantry, which is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday and where we have seen a 20% increase in the amount of food given away during the first 8 months of 2026 compared with the same period a year ago. In all of 2025, Restoration paid $7,000 to the Eastern Illinois Foodbank for food that was distributed, and so far in 2026, we have spent $3,000 as the Foodbank obtained grants to subsidize food costs of its customers. The ability to continue receiving grants/subsidies is uncertain going forward. In addition, Restoration has experienced a decrease in donations during the past few years. The Round Up Grant would help ensure that Restoration is able to meet the demand of those who come to us for food.

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Mission: Making healthy food accessible for all by nurturing productive land and cultivating diverse, inclusive communities.

Project Proposal: Recently, Sola Gratia Farm took on management of the CU Farm to School Program, as budgetary constraints risked its shutdown. The CU Farm to School Program aims to help K-12 students across our community connect with our agricultural community and build lifelong healthy habits through gardening opportunities, real-world connections, and bringing local food to school meals and snacks. We are passionate about young people engaging with their community, understanding where their food comes from, and leading active, healthy lives. Funding for the CU Farm to School Program (through Sola Gratia Farm) will support projects such as increased field trip and classroom visit opportunities for students with Sola Gratia Farm Educators and expansion of the Curriculum Kit check-out program to bring ag and nutrition into every classroom.

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Mission: Solidarity Gardens is a community-driven initiative dedicated to increasing equitable access to fresh, healthy, and organic food for our most vulnerable neighbors in Urbana-Champaign. Founded in 2020 in response to the surge in food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic, Solidarity Gardens was established through the collaborative efforts of Cunningham Township Supervisor’s Office, Sola Gratia Farm, Urbana Park District, Channing Murray Foundation, and Urbana Free Library. This partnership aimed to empower residents to grow food for themselves and their neighbors, fostering a resilient, community-based food system.

Since its inception and thanks to amazing community support, Solidarity Gardens has expanded its network to include 78 gardens—including 18 community gardens that donate fresh vegetables to local food pantries and 60 free garden plots for low income, SNAP eligible, and immigrant families. We also have 4 produce donation sites, a shared garden tool library, educational workshops, and free seed library.

We are SOLIDARITY GARDENS, a community powered effort to grow and distribute thousands of pounds of fresh produce annually and foster strong community connections and resiliency in the face of food insecurity. We support the most vulnerable in our community, including low-income and immigrant families, offering the opportunity for everyone to cultivate their own food and strengthen community ties. With the cost of housing, utilities and food rising, we have seen an increase in need for free food and free garden plots and have be growing to meet this need.

Thank you to Common Ground Food Coop, our community and to you, for your generous support through the 2025 Round Up For Good program! Through these efforts, Solidarity Gardens continues to build a culture of mutual aid, food justice, and sustainability in Urbana-Champaign.

Project Proposal: Solidarity Gardens supports community gardens throughout Urbana-Champaign where food is grown organically for and by neighbors in need. Food insecurity continues to rise sharply, driven by a combination of economic instability, inflation, and disruptions in food assistance. Families are facing increased difficulty accessing affordable, nutritious food, with many forced to rely on limited or less healthy options. We have seen an increased demand for our free garden plots and a hopeful enthusiasm among the community to expand local gardening spaces, share knowledge and skills, and connect neighbors with our own fresh homegrown food.

Through your generosity, Solidarity Gardens has been supported by the Round Up For Good program in 2025, providing tools to replace worn and broken supplies in our communal Tool Lending Library, to support our garden leaders leading group workdays, allowing for our newest gardens to feel supported and cared for by our community, and developing exciting new infrastructure to better serve you, our community (come by soon to see the new Come and Eat Garden sign!!).

You can help us to create and expand community garden spaces that are accessible to everyone—especially the most vulnerable members of our community—connecting them with the skills, resources, and space to grow their own food. By empowering residents with education, gardening experience, and the necessary materials and by fostering a resilient and supportive local food network, Solidarity Gardens strengthens community bonds and nurtures food justice.

Last year alone, our network donated more than 5,000 pounds of fresh produce, directly addressing local food insecurity and promoting health and wellness. In addition to thousands of pounds of organic vegetables, our gardens also provided dozens of community events and work days that engaged more than a hundred people in creating strong social connections and support networks. This impact is only possible thanks to the dedication of our generous volunteers and community partners whose collaboration and support have been essential to building and sustaining this growing network. The Round Up For Good grant would provide our gardens with essential upkeep materials such as:
materials to build more raised beds and expand in-ground gardening space,
tools to weed, plant, and harvest,
compost to amend soils,
plant starts to increase food production,
irrigation to keep our gardens well watered,
fencing to keep our plants safe from animals,
trellising to support healthy growing,
signage to make our gardens more visible,
and packaging and processing materials to get every harvested vegetable safely to those in need.

You can help us keep our gardens producing, our soils healthy, our gardeners supported, our gardens visible, and every member of our community feeling welcomed to benefit from the gardens and join in the effort of creating local food security. This grant would ensure our gardens remain vibrant, productive, and accessible community spaces where food grows and neighbors connect.

Solidarity Gardens relies on community engagement and support. Our volunteers generously give their time and energy throughout the growing season and ensure every harvest reaches neighbors in need. We deeply appreciate the garden leaders whose commitment to managing plots, organizing workdays, and nurturing plants all season long creates a thriving and welcoming space for all. We are also grateful to our core steering organizations— the Urbana and Champaign Park Districts, Cunningham Township Supervisor’s Office, and Sola Gratia Farm— who provide essential resources for garden spaces, and for our many partners hosting gardens—including Wesley Food Pantry, Champaign Urbana Public Health District, Habitat for Humanity, Ujima Retreat Center, Channing Murray Foundation, Dr. Williams School, Yankee Ridge, Mrs. Mitchell’s Garden, Greenhouse Cooperative, Aspen Court, Orchard Downs, and Grow2Give. Finally, we celebrate the countless community members who lend a hand in the garden and support us in endless other ways, advocating for increased access to gardening spaces and fresh food for all. Your voices, enthusiasm, and participation empower Solidarity Gardens to build a resilient, inclusive, and supportive local food system. We are growing not just food, but stronger community roots, as we are neighbors feeding neighbors, cultivating community.

Beyond the Round Up For Good program, we warmly invite community members to join us as volunteers, gardeners, and advocates. Whether you have a green thumb, time to lend, or enthusiasm to share, your involvement is vital to sustaining this work and ensuring that no neighbor goes hungry. Together, we cultivate more than food—we cultivate hope, connection, and a healthier, more equitable community.

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Mission: Street College is the parent not-for-profit organization over a host of programs, scholarship, and services with the overarching goal of exposing underserved youth to science, technology, engineering, arts and math (STEAM) to attract their curiosity, uncover their cultural genius, and aim their attention at achieving their goals. The programs focus on mental health, violence prevention, workforce development, mentoring and educational enrichment and have proven to change the life and professional course for hundreds of Champaign-Urbana youth over the past 20+ years.

Project Proposal: One of the most important tools that Street College uses to attract, retain, and care for our participants is providing full, healthy, enticing meals for most of our programs. The late Dr. Will Patterson, the founder of Street College and a beloved educator and community activist, understood and taught youth serving organizations the importance of “breaking bread” with youth. We have a track record of breaking bread with youth in Y on the Fly, Tiger Academy, Freedom School, Don Moyer Boys & Girls Club, Novak Academy, and local parks and neighborhoods. Gathering youth around food provides us with opportunities to learn more about their interests, the geniuses they already are, and the geniuses they'd like to be in the future. Funds will be used to provide dinner for 6-10 participants on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at the Street College Center at Lincoln Square Mall. The participants are middle- and high-school students from both Urbana and Champaign.

Not only would our participants benefit greatly from your financial support of meals, we would also love to take the opportunity to bring them into the Co-op to acclimate them to the wonderful food and resources. We’d love to arrange a tour, possibly attend a cooking class, come eat a meal in the education room, take them on a grocery shopping trip, or any other ideas your wonderful staff may have.

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Mission: Recognizing that access to accurate, complete information regarding immigration law is geographically and economically restricted for underserved immigrant populations in downstate Illinois, the Immigration Project endeavors to provide access to justice for immigrants and their families through immigration-related legal and educational services to immigrants, refugees, their families and others in downstate Illinois, in a manner and context which recognizes the full dignity of each individual.

Project Proposal: The Immigration Project (TIP) requests $5,000 to provide interpretation and interpreter transportation to assist in representing immigrant children in their fight to remain safe in the United States. The funding will be used exclusively for interpretation during legal case-preparation meetings and USCIS asylum interviews, as well as the transportation and travel expenses required when qualified interpreters must accompany children to interviews in Chicago.

The federal grant that previously funded legal services for these children was unexpectedly cut while their cases were still pending. This loss of funding left TIP responsible for more than 100 active cases involving children who continue to need legal representation and language access. Since August, USCIS has begun scheduling many of these children for asylum interviews. These cases cannot simply be paused because the original funding ended: the children must continue preparing their claims, meeting filing deadlines, gathering evidence, and appearing for scheduled interviews that could determine whether they are permitted to remain safely in the United States.

USCIS requires applicants attending asylum interviews to bring their own interpreters when needed. Interpretation is also essential during the preparation process. Attorneys must meet with each child to understand their experiences, develop a complete case history, review supporting evidence, explain the asylum process, and prepare the child to answer detailed questions during the interview. These conversations frequently involve traumatic experiences, including violence, abuse, abandonment, persecution, or dangerous journeys to the United States. Children must be able to communicate in the language in which they feel most comfortable and can describe their experiences most accurately.

TIP’s clients speak Spanish, French, Haitian Creole, and Indigenous languages such as Kanjobal, K’iche’, Q’eqchi’, and Chatino. Interpretation costs vary considerably depending on the language and whether the service can be provided remotely. Online interpretation costs approximately $0.80 per minute for Spanish and French, $1.00 per minute for Haitian Creole, and $2.00 per minute for Indigenous languages. A Spanish-speaking independent contractor costs approximately $40 per hour, in addition to mileage and travel time when in-person attendance is required.

Indigenous-language interpretation presents the greatest financial challenge because qualified interpreters are scarce and may not be available in Illinois. In these cases, TIP may need to bring an interpreter from another state to attend a child’s USCIS interview in Chicago.  

Round Up For Good funding would allow TIP to respond to these immediate, case-specific needs. Depending on the languages and interview schedules involved, the grant could fund remote interpretation for multiple preparation meetings, in-person Spanish interpretation for several cases, or one to two complete Indigenous-language interview assignments. TIP will direct the funds to the children with the most urgent upcoming interviews and the greatest language-access barriers.

Accurate, skilled interpretation can significantly affect the outcome of an asylum case. Credibility is often central to the government’s decision, and an interpreter’s ability to convey a child’s words faithfully, consistently, and sensitively can prevent misunderstandings that might otherwise be viewed as contradictions. Qualified interpreters also help children understand questions, communicate with their attorneys, and participate meaningfully in decisions about their cases.

This project will ensure that vulnerable children are not placed at a disadvantage simply because they do not speak English or because the interpreter for their language is difficult or expensive to locate. By funding interpretation from case preparation through the asylum interview, Round Up For Good will help TIP provide continuity of representation and give each child a meaningful opportunity to tell their story, understand the legal process, and pursue safety in the United States.

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Mission: The Land Connection Foundation (TLC) works to build a more just, equitable, and resilient local food and farm system in Illinois by providing education, resources, and support to farmers, landowners, food businesses, and consumers. We believe strong local food systems depend on healthy farmland, thriving farms and local businesses, and communities where everyone can access locally grown, raised, and produced food.

Our work centers on four interconnected areas: farmland access, farmer training, food access, and consumer education. We educate through workshops, field days, conferences, webinars, and other learning opportunities to help farmers and community members build knowledge, skills, and relationships. We provide practical support through technical assistance, mentorship, and by fostering connections to other farmers, organizations, and resources.  

TLC’s goals are both immediate and long-term. TLC aims to deliver persistent programs that allow us to respond to immediate and evolving community needs. Thus, TLC aims: 

1. To ensure that food-insecure individuals have access to local, healthy foods  
2. To increase the number of Illinois farmers utilizing organic practices  
3. To improve access for farmers to available farmland.  

These short-term goals support TLC’s broader, long-term vision for systemic change. TLC envisions vibrant, healthy, and just communities, rooted in a strong local food system. In the long term, TLC seeks:

1. To make farming a viable and rewarding career path  
2. To restore and protect our region’s soil, water, and other natural resources  
3. To support the health and wellness of our community    

While TLC serves communities throughout Illinois and across state borders, the work of our Food Access team takes a hyperlocal approach by focusing on the greater Champaign County community.  For example, TLC acts as a Link Hub for East Central Illinois, ensuring that income-restricted individuals and families can access locally grown, raised, and produced foods with their supplemental nutrition benefits by increasing their value at 11 farmers markets and farmstands across the region. This means that government benefits can be doubled or tripled when used with local farm and food businesses, keeping our community fed and ensuring our farmers are paid for their hard work.

Project Proposal: Through Common Ground’s Round Up for Good Grant, TLC will expand and bolster our Food Access Programming, bringing direct relief to CU individuals and families experiencing food insecurity while simultaneously supporting Champaign County-area farmers and food businesses. Every grant-funded dollar will go towards three overarching and interconnected goals: 

1. To reduce food insecurity in our community, while respecting human dignity and individual food choices  
2. To supply educational resources on procuring and preparing local foods  
3. To put dollars directly into local farm and food business operations  

TLC envisions an inclusive and vibrant community in which everyone has access to nutritious and delicious food. When basic human needs are met, communities flourish. To that end and with grant support, TLC will expand two key food access initiatives: 

NEIGHBORFOOD BUCKS is a low-barrier, dignity-centered program providing direct and immediate food assistance to community members who cannot access federal nutrition programs (e.g., Link, SNAP, WIC). Throughout the year, TLC will distribute NeighborFood Bucks through community organizations serving immigrant, unhoused, formerly incarcerated, and other chronically insecure populations.  

Each year, since the program began in 2023, TLC issues farmers market tokens to anyone who asks for help, without income verification, by building relationships with local organizations (e.g., churches, immigrant services, disability centers) serving chronically food-insecure populations. While this program is funded through generous support from private donors, changing eligibility requirements for federal nutrition programs has led to a significant increase in need for food assistance across Champaign County. As of September 2026, our NeighborFood Bucks distribution has quadrupled since 2025.  

BUY ONE, GIVE ONE (BOGO) began in Fall 2026, in response to our community’s growing need for food assistance. Through this program, TLC invites farmers market shoppers each week to purchase additional portions of eligible foods (e.g., fruits and vegetables, meat, eggs, and commercially prepared breads, cheese, and other food products) for direct and immediate distribution to a local food pantry. In the past year, TLC has worked with the Champaign County Health Department and Champaign’s Church of the Brethren to distribute approximately $7,000 worth of locally grown, raised, and produced foods to CU households. This program is funded by TLC. Grant support will enable our team to expand our promotional efforts and purchase program supplies (e.g., insulated transport containers).  

NeighborFood Bucks and BOGO are two vital, year-round Food Access programs operated by TLC. Each program serves to strengthen community resiliency by expanding access to healthy, nutritious foods while simultaneously supporting our local food economy.

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Mission: The University YMCA, founded in 1873, develops campus and community leaders committed to social justice, environmental protection, interfaith cooperation, and global engagement by fostering dialogue, reflection, and action. The Y established the New American Welcome Center in 2017 to co-create a community where all immigrants can thrive and flourish by engaging local institutions and mobilizing community resources to ensure equitable access to services, economic opportunity, and meaningful belonging.

Project Proposal: The New American Welcome Center’s Immigrant Relief Fund (IRF) was established in March 2019 to provide one-time, time-sensitive emergency financial assistance to immigrants experiencing unexpected financial hardship in Champaign County. We have distributed over a million dollars to families and individuals. The IRF serves as an important safety net for individuals and families who face urgent expenses but do not qualify for other forms of public or charitable assistance. Funding from the Round Up for Good Grant will strengthen our Immigrant Relief Fund, which has distributed over $1 million in direct aid to local immigrant households since April 2019. While impending cuts to public benefits will increase assistance requests, the support from Common Ground Food Co-op will help us mitigate these policy changes and ensure uninterrupted aid for our community's most vulnerable residents.

The IRF was created in recognition of the unique barriers that immigrants can encounter when seeking emergency support. Eligibility requirements, limited access to public benefits, language barriers, employment instability, and other circumstances can leave immigrant community members with few resources when an unexpected crisis occurs. The IRF helps bridge this gap by providing flexible assistance when it is needed most.

Our staff carefully review and prioritize requests to ensure funds have the greatest impact, while also connecting people with other supportive services. Individuals can seek IRF assistance to address a wide range of urgent and essential expenses, including funeral and burial costs, medical bills, emergency dental care, past-due rent, costs associated with house fires or other unexpected damage, and other critical needs. The IRF helps individuals stabilize their finances during a crisis.  This can prevent a temporary emergency from becoming a longer-term crisis involving housing instability, debt, or further financial hardship. While the IRF is generally intended to provide one-time assistance, the fund recognizes that extraordinary circumstances may necessitate additional support.

At its core, the IRF reflects the New American Welcome Center’s commitment to ensuring that immigrants in Champaign County have access to support during moments of crisis. By providing timely, flexible, and compassionate assistance to those who may otherwise fall through the gaps of existing systems, the IRF ensures individuals and families can meet immediate needs, regain stability, and move forward with greater security and dignity.

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Mission: The Nest Postpartum exists to ensure that families with babies in the NICU do not have to navigate one of the most frightening and overwhelming experiences of their lives alone. We transform the NICU experience from one of isolation and hardship into one grounded in community, compassion, and care. We provide practical and emotional support, including meals, transportation, lodging, financial assistance, and other essential resources, to ease the daily burdens families face while their baby is hospitalized. By meeting these basic needs, we give parents the ability to stay close to their baby, care for themselves, and remain present for their family during a critical time.

Project Proposal: The Round Up For Good Grant will directly support our NICU Family Support program, helping families with the everyday costs that can become overwhelming when their baby is hospitalized. Grant funds will provide assistance with food, transportation, and lodging, helping parents remain close to their baby without having to choose between being at the hospital and meeting their family's basic needs.

For a family in the NICU, a simple meal, a tank of gas, or a safe place to sleep can mean so much more than a financial expense. It can mean one less thing to worry about during an already overwhelming time. Your community's round-up dollars will help us make sure families can focus on what matters most: being there for their baby.

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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 would use the Round Up for Good Grant to continue to provide an emergency fund for families in crisis. We estimate being able to support approximately 50 families with this fund based on the previous year.

In 2026, our Round Up for Good grant helped us become more adaptable to a rapidly-changing legal and policy landscape for immigrants and refugees. With Common Ground’s support, we were able to fill gaps for clients who weren’t eligible for other local grants or who had been affected by abrupt changes to public benefits like SNAP. We procured specialized foods for immigrant families who, having been excluded from SNAP, could not be served by food pantries due to particular dietary needs, such as a client receiving dialysis treatments and another receiving chemotherapy. Co-op members’ generosity supported families after the deaths and deportations of loved ones, after home fires, and more. We have seen many families who were struggling with the emotional devastation of loss, and we have been proud to be able to prevent a financial crisis or further financial insecurity during a difficult time. Since the fiscal year began this July, we have already served 10 families through these crisis funds.

We would continue to use the Round Up for Good Grant for this kind of crisis care, providing a safety net during emergencies. We’re especially concerned with being able to help clients acquire temperature-regulating appliances during extreme temperatures, and we continue to be passionate about connecting our community members to help with food, housing, medical, and other types of insecurity arising out of crisis situations. Round Up For Good funds will be used to provide a sense of support and solidarity to our immigrant and refugee community members during a trying time, helping them achieve dignity, security, and comfort.

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Mission: The Salvation Army, an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal Christian Church. Its message is based on the Bible. Its ministry is motivated by the love of God. Its mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination.

Project Proposal: The Round Up For Good Grant would help The Salvation Army of Champaign County provide tangible, immediate resources to individuals and families facing poverty, housing instability, food insecurity, and other crises. Grant funds would be used directly for essential goods and services that help people move from crisis toward stability and hope.

One specific project would be strengthening our emergency assistance and basic-needs response. Grant funding would allow us to purchase and distribute essential items such as nutritious food, hygiene products, cleaning supplies, infant necessities, and other household goods to local individuals and families who are struggling to meet basic needs. These tangible resources often provide the critical bridge that keeps a family from falling further into crisis.

We would also use a portion of the funding to support our Pathway of Hope initiative, which works with families experiencing significant barriers to stability. Rather than simply addressing an immediate need, Pathway of Hope walks alongside families as they work toward goals such as stable housing, employment, reliable transportation, financial stability, and improved well-being. Grant-funded resources would help remove practical barriers that can prevent families from achieving those goals.

For example, a relatively small investment in food, hygiene supplies, transportation assistance, household necessities, or other critical resources can make the difference between a family remaining housed and becoming homeless, or between a parent being able to pursue employment and remaining trapped in crisis.

The Round Up For Good Grant would therefore have a direct and measurable impact: dollars raised in our community would be converted into tangible resources placed directly into the hands of our neighbors who need them most. These resources would complement the compassionate case management, relationships, and long-term support provided by our staff and volunteers.

Our mission is to meet human needs without discrimination and to bring hope and lasting change to our community. This grant would help us put that mission into action in a very practical way—providing immediate help while creating pathways toward greater stability and independence for Champaign County families.

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Mission: The Station Theatre challenges and entertains audiences with classic plays, musicals, and innovative works. We seek out and nurture local talent, providing a supportive environment that fosters a love of theatre. We encourage exploration of ideas, beliefs, and relationships to better understand the world we inhabit and the diverse voices that envelop us.

Project Proposal: The Station Theatre is entering Season 54, our most ambitious and diverse season in recent memory. Nine productions. Nine stories of identity shaped by power and reclaimed through choice. Works by Black, Latinx, and women playwrights. Casts and crews that reflect our community. This is who we are and who we are working to become.

Round Up For Good funds would support targeted marketing and outreach to underserved audiences in Champaign County across the latter three quarters of Season 54 and into the first two productions of our 55th season, which launches in September 2027. Two shows in particular anchor this proposal: Harry & the Thief by Sigrid Gilmer, a genre-bending sci-fi comedy about time travel and Harriet Tubman directed by a Black woman director with a predominantly Black cast, and White by James iJames, a sharp and provocative exploration of race, gender, and art.

For too long, community theatre has defaulted to audiences that already know it exists. We want to change that. Funds would be used for print materials distributed in community spaces, targeted digital advertising reaching audiences outside our existing networks, and partnerships with community organizations that serve Black, Brown, and low-income residents of Champaign County. We want to be in barbershops and laundromats and community centers. We want people to walk into the Station for the first time and feel like the show on our stage was made for them - because it was.

Critically, this outreach isn't just about filling seats. As we approach Season 55, we want underrepresented communities to have a voice in what stories get told on our stage. Our play selection process begins in earnest ahead of the 55th season, and intentional outreach now means those communities are at the table - not just in the audience, but shaping what comes next.

The Station Theatre has called Urbana home since 1972. We believe live theatre has the power to challenge, connect, and transform. We also believe that power only works if everyone in our community has access to it. This grant would help us take a meaningful step toward making that true.

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Mission: We support the holistic growth of minority families, women, and youth in our community by offering healing-centered engagement, resources, enrichment, and therapeutic support to help families reach their greatest potential. We are committed to offering services, support, and advocacy that dismantle racial disparities and systemic oppression, while encouraging hope.

Project Proposal: The Well Family Kitchen

At The Well Experience, food is vital to how we build community, care for children, strengthen families, teach life skills, and respond to food insecurity. We already offer year-round youth and family programs, have space for a kitchen, and receive fresh produce from local community gardens to share with families. What we do not yet have is the commercial kitchen equipment necessary to fully use those resources.

From Garden to Table: The Well Community Kitchen will equip The Well Experience with the infrastructure needed to move our kitchen toward public health approval and transform it into a year-round resource for healthy meals, nutrition education, and family empowerment.

Round Up For Good funds will support the purchase and installation of a commercial three-compartment sink, handwashing sink, commercial hot-holding equipment, stainless steel pans and lids, serving utensils, thermometers, and food-safety materials. Before installation, we will work with public health officials to ensure equipment and improvements meet applicable requirements.

These purchases may seem simple, but what they make possible is much greater.

Currently, when The Well provides meals during youth programs, family nights, workshops, and community events, we often must purchase food prepared by restaurants or approved providers. This allows us to serve families safely, but it is expensive and limits how our resources can be used. At the same time, families are navigating rising grocery costs and food insecurity. Many need more than a meal; they need practical skills for making healthy choices with the resources available to them.

A functioning community kitchen will allow us to address both needs.

Families will learn how to plan affordable meals, shop on a limited budget, read food labels, prepare fresh produce, reduce food waste, stretch ingredients across multiple meals, and create nutritious foods their children will eat. Produce donated by community gardens can become more than food placed in a bag and sent home. Families can learn how to prepare, store, and incorporate it into familiar, culturally relevant meals.

Children and teens will participate. Through our after-school, summer, and family programming, young people can learn basic cooking skills, food safety, nutrition, meal planning, and how food choices support lifelong wellness.

The kitchen will strengthen our ability to provide healthy meals throughout the year. Once required approvals are obtained, we can increasingly invest charitable dollars in ingredients rather than restaurant-prepared meals and redirect savings into programs serving children and families. These improvements will also position The Well to pursue eligible summer and after-school child nutrition opportunities, creating another pathway to meals when school meals are unavailable.

This is not a temporary program. It is an investment in infrastructure that expands what The Well Experience can provide for years.

We will measure success not by whether we purchased a sink, but by what happens because the sink is there. We will track meals and snacks prepared, children and families served, food-budgeting and healthy-eating sessions offered, participants reached, donated produce incorporated into programming, and reductions in spending on prepared meals.

Our goal is to create a kitchen where a child can receive a healthy meal after school; a parent can share a meal with their children while learning how to stretch a grocery budget; a teenager can learn to prepare food safely; and locally grown produce can reach families with food and knowledge to use it.

The Well Experience empowers marginalized families, women, and youth to reach their full potential through healing-centered care, enrichment, and equity-driven advocacy, advancing opportunity and hope. Food access is deeply connected to that mission. Families cannot thrive when basic needs remain unmet, and children cannot fully engage in learning and enrichment when they are hungry. We want to pair access with education, resources with skills, and immediate support with long-term empowerment.

Round Up For Good is built on the idea that small amounts of change, combined, can create meaningful, lasting community impact. A commercial sink, food warmer, pans, and utensils are individual pieces of equipment. Together, they remove a barrier that prevents us from fully using an existing kitchen to nourish, teach, and serve our community.

Common Ground shoppers' change can help change what is possible at The Well: turning an existing kitchen into a place where local food, healthy families, education, and community come together.

Estimated Project Budget:

Three-compartment sink and drainboards: $1,800
Handwashing sink and splash guards: $450
Hot-holding cabinet or steam table: $1,500
Plumbing, installation, and permits: $900
Stainless pans, lids, utensils, thermometers: $300
Food-safety signage and logs: $100

Total: $5,050

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Mission: Uniting Pride 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: Our mission is to facilitate fulfilling, joyful, healthy, and vibrant lives for community members from actively marginalized gender and sexual identities. At this moment, we are finding that our neighbors are, simply, struggling. With economic conditions raising the cost of food prices, and with housing insecurities running rampant in Champaign-Urbana's housing crisis we have found that our neighbors are struggling to get their basic needs met. It is challenging to live a healthy life when one is food insecure.

With this in mind, Uniting Pride is happy to provide a small food pantry for all community members in need, no matter their gender or sexual orientation. Our pantry has no barriers, meaning that individuals and families are able to take as much as they need, with no restrictions in regard to the frequency of their visits. The only barrier we present is filling out our demographic survey for our main grant funding. With these low barriers, we have a diverse crowd of community members coming in to use the pantry. Often, these are parents looking to feed a whole family.

Our pantry primarily consists of shelf-stable staple food items such as beans and rice, as well as soups, sauces, pasta, canned meats, one-pot ready meals, peanut butter, and jelly. We also provide personal care items such as soap, body wash, menstrual products, emergency contraception, toothpaste, and deodorant. All of which are high demand items that are frequently requested when our supplies run low.

These items do run out quickly. We keep the pantry stocked primarily with bulk purchases from Eastern Illinois Food Bank for the best prices to keep the strain off of our small budget. Due to the size of our budget, we are only able to restock every few months. Additionally, Eastern Illinois Food Bank does not provide us with personal care products. While we do take (and very much appreciate) community donations, these are few and far between and are not enough to keep us stocked between orders. The community need continues to grow regardless of our capacity to feed all of the people. We have seen a spike in need this year alone, and are currently serving over 30 meals per week.

If awarded, we will use the funds from The Round Up for Good Grant to keep our food pantry stocked with high demand items, as well as diversify what we have to offer for the community. We are looking to provide more products at a greater volume to meet the need of our neighbors. We also hope to offer more diverse personal hygiene items. This grant will ease the burden on our small budget (around $2,000 per year) and allow us to keep the pantry stocked more consistently between restocking orders from Eastern Illinois Food Bank.

Uniting Pride would like to thank Common Ground Food Co-Operative for their consideration, as well as thank the community members that nominated us for this grant!

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Mission: Urbana-Champaign Reproductive Justice (UCRJ) is dedicated to lifting up and solidifying our regional commitment to achieving reproductive justice for our community. We are guided by SisterSong's definition of reproductive justice as the "the human right to maintain personal bodily autonomy, have children, not have children, and parent the children we have in safe and sustainable communities." Many organizations and individuals in the Urbana-Champaign region are already working to create the circumstances critical to achieving reproductive justice, including abortion access, gender-affirming care, food security, birth justice, living wage, comprehensive sex education, and safe housing. We believe that the full liberatory vision of reproductive justice for all can only be achieved through deliberate, creative, and sustained collaboration. Through innovative collaborations, UCRJ aims to educate our community about reproductive justice, elevate work being done locally, and create opportunities for community members to get involved in efforts to achieve reproductive justice for all.

Project Proposal: 

UCRJ would utilize the Round Up For Good Grant to support the following ongoing activities:

-CU Birth Equity Fund
The CU Birth Fund provides direct financial grants towards doula and homebirth midwife services for expecting pregnant people of color in East Central Illinois. These funds are used for birth doula care, homebirth midwifery, and post-partum doula care by members of our community. By supporting wrap-around guidance and support throughout the pregnancy and birthing process, the fund supports families who are at greater risk of medical mistreatment and trauma during the birthing process.  The ultimate goal of the Fund is to improve care for pregnant and birthing people to help reduce BIPOC perinatal mortality in our community. We have been able to provide support for 5 families thus far, including the birth of twins. We would use this grant to support eligible applicants seeking assistance. 

-Free emergency contraception/safe sex supplies
We distribute free emergency contraception and safe sex supplies at community sites (i.e. Cunningham Township, Uniting Pride, and food pantries) and community events. We also run a free program to get safe emergency contraceptives (EC) to people in the greater Urbana-Champaign, Illinois community. People seeking supplies email a general UCRJ email and our dedicated volunteers arrange dropoffs/pickups. We no longer receive these supplies for free like we used to, and this grant would help cover the cost of EC (purchased in bulk). 

-Abortion after-care packages
We sponsor quarterly opportunities to create abortion after-care packages for patients at local abortion clinics (Equity Clinic and Planned Parenthood). This grant would help cover the cost of the supplies needed to make the kits- they contain maxipads, cozy socks, tea, ibuprofen, ginger chews, and other abortion self-care items. 

UCRJ is a small, volunteer-led collective of people working towards reproductive justice in all its capacities. We continue our community programming through various small grants opportunities (such as this one) or individual donations. We are very appreciative of being nominated.

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Mission: WEFT Community Radio was established in 1975 and first hit the FM radio airwaves on September 25, 1981, as one of the country’s first nonprofit community radio stations.  For more than four decades, WEFT has remained committed to its mission: creating access to the broadcasting platform for people who might otherwise have limited opportunities to share their music, ideas, knowledge, concerns, and the issues that matter most to their communities.

Project Proposal: Project: Deeper Community Involvement Through Expanded Training.

Currently, WEFT offers in-person training four times per year.  The Round Up for Good Grant would allow WEFT to expand those training times and also create a "recorded" version of the training for those interested in learning more in between the in-person training sessions.

WEFT is more than a radio station—it is a platform for connection, participation, and community expression. Staff and volunteers actively build relationships with local organizations, community leaders, artists, businesses, and event organizers, helping ensure that local voices are heard. Over the past year alone, WEFT has broadcast live and recorded performances by more than 100 local artists, interviewed leaders from more than 100 local organizations, and aired thousands of announcements promoting local events, programs, and community resources.  WEFT’s programming is shaped by local people—not corporate interests or algorithms.  Volunteers from a wide range of backgrounds, experiences, and interests determine what they want to share with listeners, creating programming that is independent, diverse, authentic, and deeply connected to the community.  WEFT also works continually to expand access to community radio.  Through outreach at local events, information sessions, and volunteer training, the station introduces new people to the possibilities of becoming a broadcaster and using radio as a tool for connection and expression.

This year alone, more than 50 people from diverse backgrounds and with a wide range of interests have participated in volunteer training, bringing new ideas, perspectives, and energy to the station.  This is what makes WEFT such a rare and valuable community resource. It gives people a voice.  It creates opportunities for artists and organizations to reach new audiences. It connects neighbors with one another and helps listeners discover the people, ideas, music, and resources that make our community vibrant.  Most importantly, WEFT provides a media resource that reflects the people who live here—not simply those who already have access to traditional media. Its impact reaches far beyond its broadcast signal, carrying the creativity, knowledge, concerns, and passion of East Central Illinois throughout the region and around the world.  WEFT is a community treasure worth protecting and strengthening.

As a WEFT underwriter, Common Ground Food Co-op understands the power of building a stronger community by amplifying local voices. Through participation in Round Up for Good, Common Ground can help WEFT sustain this vital work while expanding its outreach, volunteer training, and ability to connect more people with community radio.  With on-air training, teaching, and connecting local non-profit and community organizations with the resources that WEFT has to offer, the goal is to EXPAND the vibrant network that WEFT has provided for four decades to reach even more groups, teach more individuals, and create partnerships with even more community organizations.  Every contribution helps create opportunities for more people—especially those whose voices are too often overlooked—to participate, be heard, and connect with their community.  Supporting WEFT means investing in local voices, local culture, and a stronger, more connected community.

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Mission: Wesley Food Pantry's mission is to alleviate food insecurity in our community one family at a time by providing them with one week's worth of nutritious groceries.

Project Proposal: 

Wesley Food Pantry operates food assistance programs from three locations in Champaign-Urbana. In 2025, we served almost 13,000 households, representing over 28,000 individual community members. Those numbers continue to increase with each passing month. Our pantries work on a client-choice model, meaning guests get to choose what they take home from a variety of nutritious options. We strive to provide a variety of healthy and culturally diverse food such as rice, beans, and fresh produce at each distribution. 

One way we nudge guests to increase their intake of fruits and vegetables is by providing recipe ideas, cooking tips for inexperienced cooks, and bundling meal ingredients together. As in a grocery store, creating a visually appealing display entices guests, and children in particular, to try new fruits and veggies. A Common Ground Round-Up for Good Grant would be used to purchase items to support this program such as labeling supplies, bags, display shelving, spices, and ingredients to supplement the donations we receive. 

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