In 1994, the Scottish Rite Masons joined forces with the world-renowned Massachusetts General Hospital to launch a major endeavor to help ease the life-long burdens of dyslexia. Until the Children's Learning Centers were launched in the 15 states of this organization's Northern Jurisdiction, no other national charity had adopted this critical need as a major concern. Although studies revealed the existence of remarkably effective programs for treating dyslexia, no one was addressing the issue and its cost to individuals and society in a systematic way.
The initial goal was to open 55 Learning Centers in 15 states. At that time, the Masons made the following philanthropic pledges:
o To help children with dyslexia learn to read and to reach their full potential;
o To help their families end the frustration, guilt, and disruption caused by dyslexia;
o To help communities by building Learning Centers to help youngsters succeed in and out of school; and
To fully fund this endeavor.
The Children's Learning Centers, now in 15 states, provide tutoring at no charge to children from kindergarten through high school who have been diagnosed as dyslexic. Children are eligible regardless of economic status, race, religion, or Masonic affiliation. The positive impact of early intervention on the lives of these children and their families is enormous, and inspires our commitment to this program.
Mission Statement: Provide, free of charge, the highest quality multisensory
reading and written language tutorial services for children
with dyslexia, through a network of nationally recognized
centers of excellence
Promote and encourage education of tutorial trainees,
professionals, and the public, to become resources in
teaching children to read.
Advance the body of scientific knowledge of dyslexia through
support of clinical research, to improve today’s standards
and tomorrow’s care.
Mission Area: Vermilion County, Champaign County, Iroquois County
Location: 109 W. North St. Danville, IL 61832
Website: http://www.danvillelearningcenter.webs.com/
The Good Samaritan Inn is a soup kitchen located in downtown Decatur, Illinois. We serve a free hot midday meal to an average of three hundred adults and children each day. We are open seven days a week. 2012 marks our thirtieth year of operation. We have nine full and part time staff. We are entirely funded by private donations, and rely greatly on volunteers, who come daily to help prepare and serve the meal. Currently volunteers come from forty-five different churches and eighteen community groups, businesses, and schools.
Mission Statement: The mission of The Good Samaritan Inn is to serve the hungry, economically disadvantaged person a hot, nutritious noon meal.
Mission Area: The greater Decatur community
Location: 920 North Union Street, Decatur IL 62522
Website: www.goodsamaritaninn.org
Founded in 1994, Camp Care-A-Lot is a week-long residential camp that is both fun and educational for children ages 6-10 who come from low income homes. There is no charge to the families and it is staffed by volunteers who serve as day help or week-long Camp Counselors.
Mission Statement: The mission of Camp Care-A-Lot is to have a positive impact on the life of a child through a camping experience.
Mission Area: Education
Location: Sangamon County, Illinois
Website: www.campcarealot.org
We are a not-for-profit organization which educates the legislature concerning matters relating to people with disabilities. We also hold trainings for Professionals, students, parents, and others interested in the welfare of people with disabilities.
We just formed this not-for-profit group to raise funds to support the animals in the care of this county facility. We hope to find grants and connect with other people who help with dog and cat welfare facilities.
Mission Statement: FOSCAC is dedicated to enriching the lives of, and eliminating the euthanasia of, adoptable pets in residence at Sangamon County Animal Control Center. These objectives will be served by promoting and facilitating adoptions and transfers to other animal shelters, by participating in community outreach events to enhance awareness of SCAC, and by educating the community on animal welfare issues.
Mission Area: animal shelter
Location: Springfield, Illinois
Website: none yet
Mission Statement: The mission of the Education Justice Project is to build a model college-in-prison program that demonstrates the positive impacts of higher education upon incarcerated people, their families, the communities from which they come, and society as a whole.
Mission Area: education
Location: central IL
Website: www.educationjustice.net
The Champaign-Urbana Area Project is organized to serve as a catalyst for citizens working together to address problems and issues affecting them. CUAP provides services to “at-risk” youth and their families.
Mission Statement: Champaign Urbana Area Project
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Mission
The Champaign-Urbana Area Project is organized to serve as a catalyst for citizens working together to address problems and issues affecting them. Specifically, CUAP is to provide services to “at risk” youth and their families.
These activities seek to empower low-income citizens and shall include, but not be limited to: cultural, educational, recreational, community organization and development, self esteem enhancing, and social activities which result in preventing juvenile delinquency.
Mission Area: Champaign County
Location: Champaign, IL
Website: http://cuapweb.org
Parents Understanding Self Help (PUSH) is an organization of Christian women whose desire is to walk alongside young, single mothers, encouraging them, instructing them, guiding them, by demonstrating the Love of Christ.
Mission Statement: The Push (Parents Understanding Self Help) is a faith-based ministry whose purpose is to assist young single mothers in escaping poverty by demonstrating the love of Christ through mentoring and education.
Mission Area: Jasper County Illinois
Location: Newton, Illinois
Website:
Through a collaborative effort involving Sangamon County physicians and safety net agencies CATCH seeks to enroll low-income, medically uninsured residents to have access to coordinated,medical services including access to physicians,medical testing,screening and prescriptions medications. Each person enrolled in CATCH will have a primary care medical home and timely access to other medical services they need. As a result, the physical and mental health of the population enrolled in CATCH will improve, and the resources of the community will be used with optimal efficiency.
Mission Statement: The mission of CATCH is to improve access to healthcare for the low-income uninsured residents of Sangamon County.
Mission Area: Health
Location: Sangamon County, Illinois
Website: scmsdocs.org
The Champaign County YMCA has had a rich history in our community offering programs that promote family relationships, youth activities and healthy lifestyles. The YMCA is recognized as an association of men, women and children of all races, religions, ages and abilities that pursue healthy lifestyles.
Mission Statement: To put Christian Principles into practice through programs that build healthy spirit, mind and body for all.
Mission Area:
Location: Champaign
Website: www.ccymca.net
Nobody longs for a safe and loving family more than an abused or neglected child, who has been removed from their home and placed in foster care. CASA volunteers (Court Appointed Special Advocates) are empowered by the courts to help make this dream a reality. CASA volunteers are the one consistent adult in these children’s lives, vigilantly fighting for and protecting their fundamental right to be treated with the dignity and respect every child deserves. Serving as the foster child's voice in court, CASA volunteers bring positive change to the lives of these vulnerable children, as well as their children and generations to come.
Mission Statement: The mission of CASA of Vermilion County is to advocate for abused and neglected children within the juvenile court system by training and managing volunteers to represent those children's best interest to the Court.
Mission Area: Vermilion County
Location: Danville, Illinois
Website: www.casavermilion.org
Generations of Hope is a unique 15-year-old, 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation, licensed child welfare agency, and intergenerational neighborhood/community, located on the former Chanute Air Force Base in Rantoul, Illinois.
Mission Statement: Our mission is to develop and sustain the intergenerational neighborhood, Hope Meadows, for adoptive families of foster children that promotes permanency, community and caring relationships, while offering safety and meaningful purpose in the daily lives of older adults.
Mission Area: Illinois
Location: Rantoul, IL
Website: www.generationsofhope.org
Mission Statement: The Reading Group provides services for children and youth with unique learning needs and provides support and education for families and school personnel. The Reading Group promotes awareness of the specific needs of children who may need non-traditional approaches.
Mission Area: Education - Reading Disabilities
Location: 3011A Village Office Place, Champaign (at Village at The Crossing)
Website: www.readinggroup.org
The Champaign Urbana Theatre Company just celebrated its 20th season! Besides musicals,CUTC also has fundraising events for just about everyone! Murder Mystery's, Singing Valentines,In Concert-series, Acting classes and more!
Mission Statement: The Champaign-Urbana Theatre Company (CUTC),started in the fall of 1991 with ten local theater-buffs.At that time, the historic Virginia Theatre in downtown Champaign, Illinois, was in danger of being destroyed, and this core group decided to preserve the facility, while also fostering community theater. As a result of this meeting, the Champaign-Urbana Theatre Company was founded and incorporated as a non-profit organization.
Mission Area: Arts,Theatre
Location: Champaign Urbana
Website: www.cutc.org
Mission Statement: The Mt. Zion District Library is committed to gathering, preserving, and providing information which allows residents to be informed, knowledgeable, and competitive in the world around them. Its mission is to promote full and equal access to information and ideas which support formal education, independent learning opportunities, and life enrichment materials by providing quality service to all residents of the district.
Mission Area: Mt. Zion and surrounding area
Location: Mt. Zion, IL
Website: http://www.mtzion.lib.il.us
Safe Kids Macon County provides education to children and parents of Macon county on 6 major topics including Child passenger Safety, Water Safety, Pedestrain Safety, Fire Safety,Wheeled Sports safety and Safe Sleep.
Mission Statement: Safe Kids Macon County provides education to children and parents of Macon county on the prevention on unintentional injuries to children ages birth through 17
Mission Area: macon County
Location: Macon County Health Department
Website: Safe Kids.org
Mirrors, Inc. is organized exclusively for charitable purposes, which include lessening the burdens of government, by providing predetermined intervention support services to homeless, disadvantage and disabilities persons. It is designed to provide its program participant base with the tools to manage their individual affairs, make individualized judgments and provide a forum whereby independency and positive self-reflection is an expectation and equally encouraged.
The organization also shares space with community partners by mobilizing its training centers in low-come areas and community setting locations specifically, near the east side of Springfield. By choice, Mirrors further intends to assist in defining and identifying resources in skill development and predetermined intervention.
Mission Statement: To provide predetermined intervention to the homeless, disadvantage and disabilities person, facilitating their lifestyle in becoming self-sufficient.
Mission Area: East Side
Location:
Website: deshun_mims@hotmail.com
The Elizabeth Ann Seton Program (EAS) Program, Inc is a non profit, 501c3 organization which was incorporated in 1996, in Springfield, Illinois. The EAS Central Office is housed on the St. John's Hospital Campus. Mentoring and educational programs serve women and children in the Springfield, Jacksonville, Chatham, and Beardstown communities.
Mission Statement: To embrace the sanctity and dignity of life by nurturing pregnant and parenting women. EAS partners with multifaith congregations and community organizations to provide mentoring support, education and practical assistance to women and their children.
Mission Area: Springfield, Litchfield, Beardstown (and surrounding communities)
Location: Springfield
Website: www.elizabethannsetonprogram.org
ICAC: Illinois College Advising Corps is a college access program that seeks to increase the number of low-income and underrepresented students applying to, and attending a post secondary institution.
The University of Illinois places recent graduates as advisers in Illinois high schools to reach out to students who may wish to attend a college or university, but lack the knowledge or resources needed to be successful. Outreach to these students can vary from college visits, ACT/SAT prep workshops, college application, scholarship research and financial need workshops.
The combination of six distinct elements is the pillar of our programmatic strength and the reason for our highly successful outcomes.
The distinguishing innovations of the ICAC program are as follows:
1. ICAC utilizes a near-peer model. Our program recruits recent college graduates from University of Illinois as advisers whose backgrounds are similar to the high school students they serve. More than 60 percent of our program’s advisers arefirst-generation college graduates.
2. ICAC works in partnership between the high schools and University of Illinois. University of Illinois and the participating high schools share the commitment to increase the numbers of low income, first-generation, and underrepresented students who succeed in postsecondary education, and commit their own staff and resources to supporting ICAC’s work in their school.
3. ICAC provides full-time college advisers to the underserved high schools at no additional cost to the school. Our advisers partner with counselors, teachers, and administrators and function as additional staff whose single focus is on improving the school’s college-going culture and ensuring that students apply and enroll in colleges where they will succeed.
4. ICAC focuses on best fit. ICAC advisers focus on helping students identify and apply to postsecondary programs that will serve them well academically and socially— increasing the likelihood that these students will earn their degrees.
5. ICAC advisers provide a holistic approach. ICAC advisers strive to foster a school-wide, college-going culture and to provide targeted assistance to low income, first-generation, and underrepresented students who are capable and qualified but are at the greatest risk of failing to attend college.
6. ICAC strives to keep the relationship. Recently, ICAC created a retention program to follow up on the students who have moved onto college. Our former Advisers are hired at one of the three UI campuses as Graduate Assistants and Retention Coaches to support students during the transition to college and to ensure their students continue to have the guidance needed to successfully complete college.
A number of high-profile initiatives have focused on closing the education achievement gap between low income, first-generation and underrepresented groups and their more advantaged peers. Yet, the gap in college-going and –completion rates is unlikely to be closed unless the gap in college advising is closed first.
Mission Statement: To increase college attendance and completion by Illinois students particularly those who are low income, underserved and first generation.
Mission Area: Education
Location: Bond County, Illinois
Website: icac.uillinois.edu
