Illinois Partners wrote a letter to Governor Pritzker asking for clarity around the $200M in proposed budget reductions to health and human services, and 182 coalition partners signed on in support.  We are grateful to Deputy Governor Sol Flores, who responded immediately to schedule a call to discuss in early January.  For full letter content, read here

A number of issues were discussed at last week’s McLean County and Peoria Local Area Council meeting, including the effect of Covid-19 on Mental Health. According to studies, nearly 1 in 5 Covid-19 patients develop a mental illness within three months of testing positive for the virus, further emphasizing the need for fully funded and available human services.  Read more here.

Get the latest news on nutrition programs, mental health assistance and more through the Department of Human Services’ weekly bulletin.

“The Department of Human Services will provide $32.5 million for programs aimed at fighting poverty during the pandemic in a variety of ways. That work is expected to help 73,000 people across Illinois by giving them stipends to rebuild businesses, providing food to food banks and giving funds to organizations to rebuild communities.”