March Legislative Updates for Alliance Members

Friday, March 21 | 8:00 AM | Virtual

A virtual one-hour touchpoint to inform Alliance members of state and federal legislation impacting the human service sector. 

Stay informed on key state legislation impacting human services in Illinois! Join us for this one-hour touchpoint featuring Lauren Wright, Executive Director of Illinois Partners, as we push for living wages for human service workers and advocate for increased state funding.

Who Should Attend?
Executive & Managerial Staff

Why Attend?

• Get the latest legislative updates Learn how to support the Living Wages, Thriving Communities campaign

• Engage with coalition partners & legislators

• The 2025 Legislative Session will include a re-introduction of the Human Service Equitable Pay Act and Community Partner Fair Contracting Act, as well as an ask for increased appropriations for the Human Service Professional Loan Repayment Program.

Join Us for the Next RESPOND Meeting!

Wednesday, March 12th | 9:00 AM

We’re excited to welcome Robert Desio, Senior Manager of Public Policy & Benefits at Northern Illinois Food Bank, for an insightful discussion on SNAP benefits and how his team supports neighbors in accessing essential resources. He’ll also share how the food bank is responding to current challenges facing SNAP and other nutrition programs.

Who Should Attend?
Client-facing staff, supervisors, and anyone seeking resources and referrals for their agency’s clients.

#AllianceforHumanServices #RESPONDMeeting #CommunitySupport #SNAPBenefits #FoodSecurity #NonprofitCollaboration

Meet our speaker!
Joanna Jaimes, our Engaged Citizens Program Manager at Mano a Mano

Joanna joined Mano a Mano in March 2020. She oversees the Engaged Citizens program. She is a first-generation college graduate and grew up in Vernon Hills. She is passionate about social justice and serving the immigrant community in Lake County. Before joining Mano a Mano, she completed her social work practicum at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Washington D.C. Joanna brings a wide range of research and data analysis skills to Mano a Mano. Joanna received her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Social Work degrees from Calvin College. She holds a Master of Social Work degree with a concentration in social policy and evaluation from the University of Michigan.

RESPOND Meeting

Meet our Speaker.

Emily Petway, Executive Director and Founder at GiveNKind

Get to know GiveNKind.

GiveNKind began as a local movement to help fulfill the needs of Chicagoland nonprofits by matching them with individuals who had donated a specific item. Occasionally, GiveNKind received calls from businesses and distributors looking for placements for their excess goods. These calls increased over time, and GiveNKind responded. GiveNKind has evolved to solve large-scale resource issues while providing essential resources to thousands.

REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN!

The Legislative Forum provides an opportunity for organizational and individual members to bring topics before a panel of local legislators prior to the next legislative session.

We are delighted to share that our partner, Illinois Partners for Human Service, will be lead moderator for this event and our fellow Alliance member, the College of Lake County will be our host site.

Grayslake Conference Center: Room A013

Reframing Human Services Webinar

Join Illinois Partners for Human Service for “Reframing Human Services,” a conversation about how we talk about human services as a vital building block for community well-being that ensures everyone can thrive. 

This training will share communication strategies to help us tell a better story of our work with the community to provide services, support, and connections that enable everyone to reach their full potential. We will also feature real life examples of reframing including an in-depth look at an Illinois organization who has been on their reframing journey for many years. 

By highlighting human services as essential to everyone’s ability to thrive, we can build stronger community connections and increase support for equitable policies and distribution of resources. Technical assistance is offered after each training session to answer questions, address challenges, or assist participants with new communication materials.

Facilitators: Adela Carlin, Senior Director of Training and Community Partnerships and Katherine Cavanaugh, Training Manager 
Guest Speaker: Kim Cornwell, Chief Executive Officer of EP!C and IL Partners Board Member

December is Disability Awareness Month, with December 3 being International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD). To honor these initiatives, our guest speaker will discuss the new PACE Transportation services and offerings, highlighting the Pace On Demand and Ride Lake County Dial A Ride. These programs are both a part of the ReVision: PACE Network Restructuring Project.

Meet our Guest Speaker:
Ed Gallagher: Your Connection to Public Transit and Community Engagement
Ed Gallagher, Community Relations Representative for Pace suburban bus, connects Lake and McHenry Counties to innovative transit solutions. He serves as a key liaison to local officials, nonprofits, and employers, ensuring they have the resources to educate their communities about transit access. In addition to his role at Pace, Ed is active on several boards, including AHS and the Workforce Development Boards for Lake and McHenry Counties.

Guest Speaker
Eric Foote, Director of Finance and Operations
PADS Lake County

Eric has spent much of his life doing his best to help others. Growing up the older brother of a person with an intellectual disability gave him early inspiration to work in the special education program at his school as well as volunteering at regional Special Olympics events. After college he turned this desire to help into work with nonprofits and eventually government where he switched his focus to grant making for organizations like PADS.

Four years of government was enough though, and Eric is glad his next step was to PADS, an organization that provides tremendous benefit to people in need. As Director of Finance and Operations, he strives every day to ensure both the big picture and small details are well managed. When things are at their best the organization works for the people served, the staff providing the service and the community that supports this important organization.

November is National Homelessness Awareness Month and National Homeless Youth Awareness Month. PADS Lake County will be joining us to share more about our county's unhoused community members, their programs and services, and transitional housing efforts.

More details soon. Save the date!

Was last year's audit more challenging than in the past? Are you starting to build the organization’s 2025 budget and need some tips? Are government grants leading to more challenging cash flow situations? Bring your questions to our meeting welcoming Courtney Olson, Senior Vice President/Managing Director of Business Banking at First Bank Chicago.