Congratulations to Our FY23 Community Partner Grantees

The Community Foundation of Will County would like to congratulate the following FY23 Community Partner Grantee Organizations.

Have Questions?

If you have questions about how we can help you with our Program Grants contact:

Lisa Corrao
Executive Director
The Community Foundation of  Will County
815.201.3700
E-mail

BluePrint Agency – Joliet

Low-income women in Will County face a variety of challenges and can benefit from counseling services. These challenges include mental health issues, domestic violence, sexual abuse, financial stress, substance abuse, and parenting challenges. This grant would provide financial assistance to women who may not be able to afford counseling services. Organized support groups and workshops for women to discuss common challenges and develop coping strategies as well as increase their safety, access to housing, and improve parenting skills.This grant would also provide additional licensed counselors (new hires), provide training and education to current counselors to enhance their skills, knowledge and stay up to date with best practices. Lastly, the grant will help to purchase technology and equipment needed to provide high- quality counseling services. This will include: additional laptops, tablets, video conferencing software for tele-health.

Give Something Back – Serves Will County

This organization works with youth in Will County who have experienced the child welfare system, homelessness, traumatic crimes, the incarceration of a parent (and/or other adversities). They start working with young people as early as middle school and stay with them into young adulthood, through the start of their career path toward a family-sustaining wage. The grant will help with Youth Success Coaching, Post-Secondary Education Transition Coaching, Post-Secondary Success Coaching, and Career Coaching. Coaches help students create Student Action Plans and stick with them. With Give Back monetary support, and scholarship support from Lewis University students have the opportunity to receive tuition and room and board for up to four years towards their bachelor’s degree.

Love Moves Us – Joliet

Dollars for this grant will be used to provide programming, training, education, meals, meeting space, and incentives for the foster/adoptive families involved with Love Moves Us. This group equips communities, churches, agencies and individuals to better respond to the needs of foster and adoptive children and families by providing support groups with childcare, parents’ night out events, training and service projects. Love Moves Us is a trauma-informed, nonprofit organization created to walk alongside foster and adoptive families. They provide monthly support groups in Will County where families can receive assistance, education, and peer-to-peer conversations. Services provided by LMU include, but are not limited to: complimentary catered dinners for the entire family, life skills programming for the kids which helps to buildtrust based on the evidence-based Trust Based Relational Intervention (TBRI), specialized parenting tools and training for the adults, unique programs and activities for kids, peer-to-peer discussion times among families who share the challenges of raising foster/adoptive children and community support for families so they and their children can fully develop and succeed.

Northern Illinois Food Bank

The Food Bank requests funding in support of our Milk2MyPlate Program that helps to ensure our Will County neighbors facing food insecurity have access to local fresh milk, at no charge. Low-fat milk is often not available at local food pantries because it is seldom donated due to a short shelf life and the cost of purchasing fresh milk at full price is beyond the budget of most food pantries. Assisting the foodpantries with acquiring milk helps alleviate their limited food budgets and builds their capacity to provide consistent access to dairy products for neighbors when they cannot afford to buy them at the grocery store. In Will County, Northern Illinois Food Bank collaborates with the following four agencies to distribute 1,052 gallons of fresh milk each month to neighbors through the Milk2MyPlate Program: Randi Chambers Northern Illinois Food Bank Printed On: 12 July 2023 2023 Grant Application Form 4 – Frankfort Township Food Pantry, Kuzma Care Cottage, The Salvation Army, H.E.A.L. and Riverwalk Food Pantries.

Senior Services Center of Will County – Joliet

Senior Services of Will County is seeking funds to expand its evidence-based programs in its Lifestyle Division to address social detriments to the well-being of residents ages 55 and older living in Will County at its new 127,000 square foot Ovation Center set to open in Romeoville at the end of the year (repurposed Target building). There will be many offerings, activities, educational programs and conferences which promote health and independence. It is incorporating a lease model for companies that provide services for older adults making it a one-stop shop. Silver Cross Hospital and Advent Health Systems will be on-site to help with medical concerns along with a home care company. Other tenants that will benefit not only seniors but the community at large will include Discover Wellness (community based mental health and massage therapy services), MediPlan Advisors (insurance provider), Friends Over 50, a pharmacy, a local health department, beauty and wellness services and Catholic Charities.

ShareFest Will County – New Lenox

ShareFest Will County is requesting the use of roughly $15,000 to purchase 1 Used 2002 GMC Dry Van, Cabover Truck – COE, Box Truck,to meet the health, hunger and social demands of local residents. ShareFest has provided food, toiletries, detergent and other items to 13 homeless Veterans and their families residing in Joliet hotels whose stays are funded by the Veterans Assistance Commission of Will County. 260 pounds of food are delivered every week. This effort requires specific sourcing of food items that are not typically provided by food banks which include microwavable meals, single serve items, fresh fruits and shelf stable items. In addition to hosting pop up pantries, providing supply to Will County pantries with low inventory, low funding and increased demand, ShareFest also provides weekly food deliveries to 49 homebound residents of Will County occurring every Monday.

Trinity Services, Inc. – New Lenox

STRIDES Therapeutic Equestrian Center and Petting Zoo provide engaging animal experiences to over 3,000 people in the surrounding Will County communities, many of whom have disabilities and/or are children in need of enrichment. However, the colder months this creates asignificant barrier, preventing riders from enjoying the experiences and beneficial therapy offered at the barn. Trinity Services is presenting this proposal to provide support to STRIDES in two areas. First, its existing heating system solely focuses on heating the arena, neglecting the crucial aspect of warming the stalls. By incorporating an additional heating system we can effectively mitigate the issue of heat dispersionfrom the arena. This comprehensive heating solution will enable riders to truly enjoy access to the barn’s services throughout the year, ensuring optimal comfort for both animals and riders alike. Secondly, there are numerous individuals who yearn for the chance to experience horseback riding but are unable to do so due to their wheelchair use. Twenty years ago, a local Lions clubs help fund a ramp. Regrettably,the wheelchair accessible carriage needs repairs, rendering it unusable. The grant will also help with this project.

Will County Project Linus – Bolingbrook

Project Linus is an all volunteer, nonprofit organization. First, we provide children who are seriously ill, traumatized or otherwise in need through the gifts of new, homemade blankets lovingly created by volunteer Blanketeers. Second, we provide a rewarding and fun service opportunity for interested individuals and groups in local communities, for the benefit of children. Will County Project Linus has distributed blankets to Will County Community Health Center, Will County Children’s Advocacy Center, Dr. James Mitchem Early Childhood Center, St. Joseph Hospital, Women of Self Love and many others. Some of our Blanketeers have limited resources but unlimited time to make these blankets. Providing them with material and yarn enables them to do more. Blanket material cost ranges from $20 to $50+ depending on blanket type and size.

Friends of the Library – Joliet

Grant was used to underwrite the traveling exhibit ‘Violins of Hope’ at the main library in downtown Joliet featuring violins played by Jewish musicians before and during the Holocaust. The exhibit included an evening with Israeli violin makers Amnon and Avshalom Weinstein who have spent the past 20 years collecting and restoring Holocaust-era violins, creating a collection of more than 70 instruments.