The cost of $8 for adults and $4 for children under 12 will benefit
the $1 million goal of this county before the end of this year's
event June 14-15. Tickets are available from Relay For Life leaders
or can be obtained at the door the day of the brunch.
This is also the 100th anniversary of the American Cancer
Society's effort to save lives and create more birthdays through
funds from this event and others, enabling research for a cure.
On Saturday, the Logan County Relay For Life teams will sell $10
luminaria bags at Lincoln IGA from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m.
On Wednesday, these luminaria will draw attention to the 100th
anniversary as all of those purchased will be placed on the front
porch of each participating home and lit at sundown to show support
in helping to stamp out this disease. In 1913, when the American
Cancer Society began, the word cancer was not spoken and almost all
patients were lost to this dreadful disease.
For more information, contact Tonita Reifsteck, 855-1645, or
Nicole Lee, 828-1100.
Healthy
Families Task Force brings community service agencies together -- Part 1
On behalf of the Healthy Families Task Force, Coleen Moore coordinated a
meeting last week of area family service providers. The Healthy Families
Task Force is a part of the Healthy Community Partnership, which is directed
by Angela Stoltzenberg.
The purpose of the meeting Thursday was to open a dialogue so that
the groups and individuals could get acquainted with one another,
and to raise awareness on what each organization does to assist
families in Logan County.
Moore began by talking about a training she had attended last
year and how it had benefited her in her program. She said in that
meeting she had seen some of the most frightening statistics for
this area. Ranking high on the list of issues for young children
were problems with childhood obesity and child abuse.
She said that at one time, her school had 30 foster children. So,
she was very well-versed in the problems of child abuse, as well as
how to work with the state Department of Children and Family
Services and the foster care program.
She said she was led to write a grant through the Illinois Action
for Children and won the grant. This gave the Healthy Families Task
Force the momentum to start a program of working together to offer
valuable services to those in need.
She said the best part of the meeting Thursday was the
opportunity for the various groups to talk about what they do and,
more important, to share information on how to access the services
they do provide. Moore said it would surprise them to find out how
many people say they don’t know how to get the help they need; they
don’t know whom to contact.
Moore began the presentations around the room by discussing her
program, Christian Child Care.
Christian Child Care
Christian Child Care is located on Wyatt Avenue in the
single-story building of the Odd Fellows campus. The phone number
for the office is 217-732-5750.
Christian Child Care offers affordable day care services for
working families. Depending on the income level of the family, day
care services can be supplemented with payments from DCFS. DCFS pays
the qualifying portion of the day care bill and parents are
responsible for the balance, if there is one.
Moore said that when she took over as the director of the day
care six years ago, it was in dire straits financially. She told the
group that it was community support that helped her get the center
back on its feet, but money is always going to be a problem for the
day care.
In addition to financial improvement, Moore and her staff have
worked hard to achieve high ratings from the state on the quality of
care they provide. Currently the center is holding a strong 3-star
rating. Moore said that in all of Illinois, there are only slightly
over 400 day care facilities that have that high a rating, something
she is pleased with, but not satisfied with. She wants to see her
agency earn a 4-star rating. But again, there are improvements that
would have to be made, and that means more money. Moore said she
hopes to do more parent-teacher activities and more parent
trainings. This will go toward her higher rating.
She said it was very hard to run the agency on what they do have.
She said, "I would love to give my staff raises," but she told the
group the money just isn’t there. She doesn’t want to raise rates
because her parents are already struggling with the fees. She also
noted that in Springfield the same services she offers would cost
over $400 a month, and in Bloomington it would cost over $300 a
month. Christian Child Care rates are about half that amount.
Head Start
There were three representatives in the room from the Community
Action Partnership of Central Illinois: Marcia Hieronymus, Mackenzie
Montgomery and Libby Canady. Hieronymus began their presentation by
offering a rundown of all the services the agency offers.
Community Action offers programs such as Low Income Heating and
Energy Assistance, which provides funds to help pay heating costs
for seniors and low-income families. The agency also provides a
weatherization program to help make homes more energy-efficient. In
addition they offer senior meal programs with home delivery and
congregate dining sites, and the Foster Grandparent program that
links seniors to at-risk children in the public school system.
Community Action also administers the Logan Mason Transportation
Program.
The group was there to primarily talk about Head Start and Early
Head Start. In this area there are three Head Start classrooms that
serve approximately 90 children. The Community Action Head Start
program serves six counties, and the total enrollment is close to
400 children.
Hieronymus said right now they are recruiting for the fall
classes, and families are being encouraged to sign up their
children. The program is divided into two stages: the birth to
3-year-old group and the 3- to 5-year-old group.
Hieronymus said the programs are available free of charge to
qualified families. The program includes daily transportation to
school for the children and healthy meals and snacks during the
class period.
Head Start is federally funded, and Hieronymus said they, too,
face challenges as government funding is always changing and they
have experienced some deep cuts.
Montgomery talked about the health aspects of Head Start. In
addition to offering good nutrition, the program works to get needed
medical services for the children. She said their biggest challenge
is in finding dental care. Many of the families have medical cards
that will subsidize the needed services, but the problem is that
there is a shortage of dentists locally who will take the card. Head
Start does take advantage of the dental clinics offered by the Logan
County Department of Public Health, but in many cases their services
are not enough to meet the needs of the child.
Canady talked about the early childhood program and what it
offers to parents of small children. She said the program reaches
out to parents to offer parenting help and education.
The program also offers help for parents in conducting job
searches and writing résumés. In addition they do job interview
trainings.
The Community Action corporate offices are at 1800 Fifth St. in
Lincoln. Their phone number is 217-732-2159.
Department of Child and Family Services
Cince Bowns was on hand from the Department of Child and Family
Services. DCFS deals with abused, neglected and delinquent children.
Bowns said they do a lot of work with mandated reporter training and
have a memorandum of understanding with the local Head Start.
Mandated reporting is a program specifying that agencies working
with children are required to observe child behavior and report to
DCFS any actions that could be an indication of neglect or abuse in
the home. DCFS investigates those reports on a one-on-one basis and
acts accordingly. DCFS can be reached by calling 217-735-4402.
Lincoln Christian Church
Marsha Wells of Lincoln Christian Church is a youth minister at
the church. The church offers worship programs for children, and a
day care program is also available.
Lincoln Christian Church is across from Latham Park on North
McLean Street.
___
Part 2 of this report (below) continues with glimpses
of area youth summer programs offered by 4-H, Salvation Army, United
Cerebral Palsy and the Lincoln Park District.
[By NILA SMITH]
Healthy Families Task Force brings community service agencies
together
Part 2
Last week several agencies and organizations gathered to share
information with each other about who they are and what they do. The
meeting was sponsored by the Healthy Families Task Force of the
Healthy Communities Partnership.
The group sat down to a casual lunch of sandwiches provided
by Lincoln IGA and soft drinks provided by the United Way of Logan
County.In the relaxed setting of a meeting room at Lincoln
Christian Church, the guests took turns sharing information about
their agencies and programs.
Logan County Sheriff's Department
The sheriff's office often crosses paths with many of the social
agencies that were present in the room.
John Bunner of the Logan County sheriff's office said that, as is
the case with most government bodies today, the challenges the
department faces are budget cuts. Bunner said the department is
available to assist the other programs present in any way they can.
He also noted that he personally has experience with children since
he works as a truancy officer for the Logan-Mason-Menard Regional
Office of Education.
Bunner can be found at the Logan County Safety Complex on Pekin
Street.
Logan County 4-H
Patty Huffer was on hand representing Logan County 4-H.
Accompanying her was Carissa Akpore. Akpore has been with the Logan
County Extension office for about a month and is intent on working
with the youth programs. She told the group that 4-H is more than
just cows and cooking. There are programs in a wide variety of
venues that will attract the interest of all youth.
She also talked briefly about a program offered called a poverty
simulation. In the simulation, young people are faced with
real-world challenges that involve managing money and bank accounts
and keeping up with the daily living expenses of a family.
Apkore also noted that the 4-H and Extension office is interested
in partnering with other youth-based agencies to offer summer
nutrition camps.
The Logan County Extension office is on the northwest corner of
the Logan County Fairgrounds in Lincoln.
United Cerebral Palsy of Springfield
Amanda Miller was present from the United Cerebral Palsy agency
in Springfield. She spoke about their summer camps for children and
the very successful therapeutic horseback program. She also spoke
about their online programs that can be accessed from home
computers.
Miller said one of the biggest challenges for her organization is
in providing transportation for the clients. She said her hope and
dream is to one day have a real transportation program.
Miller noted that in addition to cerebral palsy, her agency
serves clients with other impediments as well, including a current
caseload of approximately 35 children who are autistic.
The United Cerebral Palsy office can be contacted by calling
217-525-6522.
United Way of Logan County
Marla Blair was on hand as the administrative director of the
United Way of Logan County. The phone number for United Way is
217-735-4499.
United Way offers a lot of financial funding to not-for-profits
that assist those in need in the community. Blair said this year she
has 15 agencies and 16 programs that seek annual funding. She said
applications for funding are currently being taken and decisions
will be made in June for this year's funds.
Blair said that United Way is evolving into more than just
putting money in the hands of agencies. United Way is working toward
becoming a social service agency that will work with its own
programs in addition to helping other agencies in the communities.
Blair also spoke about the new 2-1-1 program that is being
formatted for Logan County. The 2-1-1 program is widespread and has
been implemented in other areas. Logan County is not yet online in
the system, but the time is drawing ever closer when it will be.
Blair explained that the 2-1-1 is like 911 for emergencies and
411 for information, but what it does is provide information about
services available for those in need. When it is up and running in
Logan County, it will be a resource system that will give the caller
information about social service agencies, health providers,
schools, day cares, churches and much more.
Blair also shared that she had recently written a grant
application through the Healthy
Communities Partnership to receive a grant from the ALMH
foundation, and had just learned that she received the award. The
money will be used for marketing and advertising of the 2-1-1.
Mental Health Centers of Central Illinois
Peggy Ross-Jones from the Mental Health Centers of Central
Illinois said that the agency serves a six-county area, which
includes Logan County and the Logan-Mason Rehabilitation Center in
Lincoln.
She explained that in youth services, her agency is contacted by
other agencies that have concern for a child, and the MHCCI comes to
the child and does a screening to determine if there is a need.
The agencies provide counseling and psychiatric care. She said
MHCCI uses the Logan Mason Transportation Program through Community
Action to get clients to psychiatric treatment in Springfield. Other
needed services are offered locally. She also spoke briefly about
the Logan-Mason Rehabilitation facility in Lincoln for adults and a
home-based service that is offered for children.
She said that if anyone has heard the rumor that people are on a
waiting list for years to receive the services and care that MHCCI
offers, it is true. She said the funding is not there for the agency
to help everyone at once, so many have to wait long periods of time
to get attention.
The contact number for MHCCI is 217-735-1413.
Lincoln Park District
Marcia Greenslate and Roy Logan were on hand from the Lincoln
Park District. They provided several handouts about programs offered
at the park district.
Perhaps their biggest bit of news was that they have funding to
start construction on the new aquatic center. The park district is
targeting summer of 2014 for the grand reopening of the pool.
Logan also talked about the summer program that the district will
offer in replacement of the pool. He said the "Awesome Afternoon
Adventures" will offer kids a wide variety of opportunities. He said
the program includes swimming at Lincoln College on Tuesdays and
Thursdays, but will also have many other activities, including a
tour of the local grocery store, fire department and a walking tour
of historic downtown Lincoln, just to name a few.
The main offices of the park district are at 1400 Primm Road in
Lincoln, next door to Lincoln Community High School. The contact
number is 217-732-8770.
Logan County Housing Authority
Steve Allen of the Logan County Housing Authority told the group
that one big issue he wanted to drive home is that 98 percent of the
people who live in subsidized housing are really good people. He
said the housing authority homes often get a bad reputation from the
2 percent who do tend to cause problems in public.
Allen said that because his housing authority is ranked very
highly among housing authorities in the United States, they are not
currently suffering severe funding problems. He said yes, they are
seeing decreases, but it will be a few years before it will have a
serious affect on this agency. He added that he still has the
ability to give raises to his staff.
One of the representatives from Community Action drove home the
stigma of public housing. She explained that Head Start has a
classroom at Centennial Courts. She has had people say they didn't
want to send their children to that classroom because it was at the
housing authority. However, she said that once they do get the
children there, they don't want to leave, because the staff members
are so caring and it is a nice location.
Allen said the housing authority has invested a lot of money in
the facilities at Centennial Courts, and they are proud of what they
offer the community.
Allen's office is at 1028 N. College St. in Lincoln. His phone
number is 217-732-7776.
Lincoln Parents' Center
Cari Rohlfs from the Lincoln Parents' Center was also on hand.
She said the services her organization provides are very similar to
the Head Start programs. The primary difference is that the LPC
programs are state-funded instead of federally funded. She said her
organization also suffers from money restrictions all the time.
The Lincoln Parents' Center hosts play groups four times a month
during the school year and once a month during the summer. The
summer play group dates this year are June 26, July 31 and Aug. 28,
from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. each day.
The center works with families as a whole and provides services
such as transportation to medical appointments.
The Lincoln Parents' Center is part of the Academic Development
Institute, 305 N. Kickapoo in Lincoln. The phone number is
217-735-4192.
Salvation Army
Tony Shuff of the Salvation Army could not attend the meeting,
but he provided the meeting coordinator, Coleen Moore, with
information about the programs he has to offer.
Moore spoke briefly about the flood cleanup kits offered this
year after the heavy rains. She also talked about Salvation Army's
free summer camp for kids age 7-17 and the Illinois American Water
assistance program that helps those in need get caught up on their
water bills and avoid shut-off. In addition, the Salvation Army
offers a food pantry and clothing pantry and has an emergency
shelter program at the Keest Center in Lincoln.
The Keest Center is on North Kickapoo Street in Lincoln. The
phone number for the center is 217-732-5899.
Healthy Families Task Force
Moore wrapped up the meeting by addressing the work of the
Healthy Families Task Force. She said the group had promoted
celebrating the Week of the Young Child with grocery bag art that
was placed on bags at Lincoln IGA and Kroger.
The task force is talking about having a family day in November
as a stress reliever for the holidays. She said holidays can
sometimes be the worst times for families. She believes they will
work the project into a movie night when families can relax and
enjoy some time away from the stressors in their lives.
Moore said that encouraging family events and helping parents is
so very important to keeping children healthy and happy. She drove
home her point, saying, "Parents don't plan to abuse their children;
it just happens." The goal of the Healthy Families Partnership is to
offer programs that will deter abusive behavior and keep the family
unit more stable.
Moore also told the group she loves to see collaborations. She
wants to see the groups continue to share information and start a
program of working together. She added that there will be more
meetings such as this in the future to help keep this open dialogue
moving in the right direction.
[By NILA SMITH]
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