Several non-profit organizations in the Champaign-Urbana area will receive a $250,000 grant to expand their services to asylum seekers. The federal funding, distributed by the Illinois Department of Human Services, will be given to the New American Welcome Center at the University YMCA, the Refugee Center and Cunningham Township. According to a press release from
URBANA – The Urbana City Council is expected to officially award almost $10 million in federal pandemic relief money on Feb. 27. Mayor Diane Wolfe Marlin said the proposed plan includes investing in improvements to community health, access to food and recreation. “These funds were distributed to cities to help cities themselves recover from COVID-19,
CHAMPAIGN — Champaign-Urbana nonprofits are using COVID-19 relief to help victims of labor and sex trafficking free themselves. To become free and independent, victims need a legal status via a trafficking – or “T” — visa. Lisa Wilson is the executive director of The Refugee Center in Champaign. She says T visa applicants need a
CHAMPAIGN — A network of legal aid groups across Illinois is hoping to expand, and is asking for more state money to do so. Tanya D. Woods is one of the nonprofit leaders behind Illinois Access to Justice. She says the places that are called food deserts due to a lack of grocery stores are
CHAMPAIGN – Immigrants make up about 12% of Champaign County’s total population and have contributed to the county’s economic growth in recent years, contributing tens of millions of dollars in state and local taxes and injecting hundreds of millions of dollars into the local economy. At the same time, the rapid rise in the immigrant