Congratulations to Our FY25 Community Partner Grantees

The Community Foundation of Will County (CFWC) recently announced the following 2025 Community Partner Grants. Grants are intended to help the recipient organizations expand existing programming and build capacity to meet the needs of communities in Will County.

Following are the 2025 grants awarded to 15 Will County organizations

Ezio Community Development Services, Inc. in Joliet

Joliet, Crest Hill, Romeoville and Lockport

Ezio Community Development Services is launching the ECDS Tool Lending Library to meet a basic need for low-to-moderate-income residents in Joliet, Crest Hill, Romeoville, Bolingbrook and Lockport. Tools can be expensive to purchase, and some items may only be used once. Instead of purchasing these items, they encourage residents to borrow them from the tool library. The ECDS Tool Lending Library is designed to provide homeowners and renters with access to tools and equipment needed for maintenance or remodel projects. This initiative ensures equitable access to a variety of tools and reduces out-of-pocket expenses for low to moderate-income families.

Will-Grundy Center for Independent Living DBA Disability Resource Center

Joliet

The funding from the Community Foundation of Will County will be used for The Assistive Technology for Children Program, which aims to empower children with physical or developmental disabilities by providing them with essential assistive technology to gain independence. The goal of the Assistive Technology for Children’s Program is for the children with disabilities to receive a device such as iPads, laptops, communication software, vests (weighted and pressure), weighted blankets, scooter boards, rocking seats, car-hand and speed controls, swings, trampolines, and kinetic toys for ages 0-23. Using these devices is expected to significantly enhance children’s independence in various aspects of their lives.

Trinity Services, Inc.

Joliet

Funding provided by the Community Foundation of Will County will support the launch of the Recovery Café Will County, a peer-led, community-based program designed to fill a critical gap in ongoing recovery support services. This funding will be used to help furnish and equip the 2,600-square-foot Recovery Café space located in Joliet, creating a warm, safe, inclusive, trauma-informed, drug- and alcohol-free environment. At full capacity, the Café will serve up to 150 active Members annually, providing peer-led Recovery Circles, access to case management, and meaningful opportunities for connection, meals, and healing activities.

ShareFest Will County

Will County

Funding provided by the Community Foundation of Will County will help continue growing ShareFest’s efforts to support neighbors across the county who are facing food insecurity and other challenges. With these resources, ShareFest will expand access to nutritious food, essential items like clothing and hygiene products, and important services such as healthcare referrals and job training. The goal is to reach more people per month, and create a welcoming, store-like experience where every visitor can choose the items they need most. Through collaborative efforts, innovative logistics, and community-centered service delivery, ShareFest will strengthen the local food system and support the health and stability of thousands of Will County residents.

BluePrint Agency NFP

Joliet

BluePrint Agency (BPA) is experiencing rapid growth due to an increasing demand for comprehensive, trauma-informed services for women impacted by systemic oppression, violence, and behavioral health challenges. As their client base expands, their ability to track, manage, and evaluate client outcomes across multiple programs becomes increasingly complex. To address these challenges and improve efficiency, they will be using the funding to implement an Electronic Health Records (EHR) system—Apricot Impact Management—alongside Network for Good, an online fundraising and donor management platform. This combined investment will significantly increase their organizational capacity to deliver coordinated, person-centered care and sustain operations through diversified funding.

Joliet Softball Association

Joliet

The Joliet Softball Association (JSA) has been a proud part of the Joliet community since 1972, providing girls ages 4–14 with opportunities to learn the game, build confidence, and create lifelong friendships and memories. In partnership with the Joliet Knights of Columbus, they will use this funding to restore and maintain the softball field at the Knights of Columbus property. Funds from this grant will be used to restore the infield by removing pebbles and resurfacing them with safe, appropriate material, and a maintenance plan will be established to prevent future overgrowth. Additional improvements include repairing or replacing fencing, benches, and dugouts, as well as installing signage or other equipment needed for safe play. Their intended outcomes are to restore the field to a playable condition by the upcoming season, increasing participation in JSA’s programs, and providing more opportunities for girls ages 4–14 to engage in recreational softball.

2morrowstartz2day, Inc.

Plainfield

The Leading into 2Morrow Youth Afterschool Program will officially launch in September 2025 and run through June 2026. This initiative is designed to support youth from low- to moderate-income households, with a particular focus on marginalized and impoverished communities. Many participants come from families receiving SNAP benefits, living in low-income housing, or experiencing housing instability, including stays in shelters. This funding will allow the program to operate efficiently while leveraging community support and volunteer contributions. With structured guidance and dedicated resources, Leading into 2Morrow will empower students to overcome obstacles and build brighter futures.

Give Something Back

Will County

Funding from the Community Foundation of Will County will help expand Give Something Back’s trauma-informed coaching and college tour programs for high-need youth who have experienced significant adversity, including homelessness, foster care, poverty, and community violence. They address these challenges through long-term, individualized coaching that supports students from middle school through young adulthood, helping them set and achieve goals related to education, wellness, and career paths. Funding will support college tours to help increase college confidence, application rates, and enrollment. The intended outcome is to help more students visualize and access a path to higher education and long-term success. 7777 West Lincoln Hwy. Frankfort, Illinois 60423 www.willcountycf.org

Farm2Veteran

Manhattan

Farm2Veteran is a local nonprofit based in Manhattan, Illinois, dedicated to tackling food insecurity among veterans in Will County by providing them with free, farm-fresh meals. Since 2020, they’ve delivered over 100,000 nutritious meals—featuring locally sourced meat, eggs, and produce—to veterans who are often facing financial, health, or housing challenges. They aim to go further than traditional food pantries by delivering high-quality, fresh foods that support both physical health and emotional well-being. This grant will help cover the cost of producing and delivering 3,000 meals across the county—ensuring our aging and at-risk veterans receive the nourishment they need to feel cared for and supported.

Will County Project Linus

Bolingbrook

Will County Project Linus has distributed 1,786 blankets last year to UChicago Medicine AdventHealth Bolingbrook, Lightways Pediatric Grief Camp, Dr. James Mitchem Early Childhood Center, Hope and Divine Purpose Transitional Living Home, Women of Self Love, Giftmart Family Charities, Will County Children’s Advocacy Center, Will County Community Health Center, St Joseph Medical Center and many others. Some of their Blanketeers and service project groups have limited resources but unlimited time to make these blankets. Providing them with material and yarn enables them to do more. In addition, they are holding monthly blanket making days and quarterly/semi-annual public blanket making days.

Spirited In Success S.I.S.

Joliet

Spirited In Success (SIS) is dedicated to unlocking the full potential of young girls by providing a transformative environment that offers a supportive network of mentors, therapists, educational initiatives, and community outreach. Funding from The Community Foundation of Will County will support the commitment of empowering 15 young girls to start their life-changing journey of healing, self-care, financial literacy and continued education. Over the course of Fall 2025 and Spring 2026, each 10-week session will implement a monthly Family Night series designed to strengthen family engagement while reinforcing key themes from our youth programming: Academics, Nutritional Health, Mental Wellness, and Financial Literacy.

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Will County

Joliet

The Imagination Library of Will County, a local partnership with the Will County Economic Development Foundation in collaboration with The Dollywood Foundation, was publicly announced in December 2024. The goal of the program is to deliver free, high-quality, age-appropriate books to children ages birth (0) to five (5) years throughout Will County. Children enrolled in the program will receive monthly books until they turn five years old, promoting early literacy to nearly 39,000 children and providing monthly books to many households that might otherwise not have immediate access. Delivering 12 age-appropriate books a year fosters a love of reading and a positive long-term impact.

Illinois Youth and Family Services

Lockport

Funding from the Community Foundation of Will County will help go towards the purchase of a gently used van to help them expand their violence prevention work in Will County. Their street outreach team goes into neighborhoods every day to connect with individuals who are not only at risk of being victims of violence, but who are also at risk of committing violence themselves, and work with them make safer choices, prevent retaliation, and connect them to services that can change the direction of their lives. Having a van would help them reach more people who are at risk of both committing and being impacted by violence, respond more quickly to crises, transport victims and high-risk individuals to safety, and connect more people to life-changing programs.

One Family Illinois in Lockport

Will County

Funding from the Community Foundation of Will County will support the Sibling Foster Care Program at Lockport Village, which provides a safe, stable, and healing home for youth in the foster care system, especially siblings who are often separated due to lack of available foster homes. At Lockport Village in Will County, up to six siblings can live together in one of 17 single-family homes, cared for by full-time, highly trained foster parents. The village also includes on-site education support, therapy, and family resources, creating a true community environment. The goal is to help children reunite safely with their biological parents or achieve permanent homes through adoption or guardianship, and to reduce the risk of them returning to foster care. This funding will help One Family Illinois increase stability, boost its permanency rate from 25% to 40%, and ensure that more kids have the family support they need to thrive.

Crete Creative Gallery and School

Crete

Funding from the Community Foundation of Will County will support the Crete Creative Gallery and School 2026 exhibits schedule and educational programming. Their exhibit programming features public Art History and Appreciation seminars, projects during Opening Receptions, and art fundamentals classes to further the community’s connection to, understanding of, and education related to the art on display. Additionally, they host an Art Market where visitors can engage directly with artists and learn new art techniques. Their goal is to further the scope of programming reaching more community members who could benefit from their no-cost and accessible creative programming. In the spirit of their mission, their goal is to provide quality creative outlets through exhibits and classes that engage the community with minimal barriers of entry.