December 2022
Shared Blessings hosted our holiday get-together at the Betty Jane Brimmer Center to support the Wraparound Center located at Trewyn school. The Wraparound Center’s director, Dr. Derrick Booth, was our speaker. The Wraparound Center provides programs that help both Peoria Public School students and parents. The programs deal with problems including substance abuse, being a victim of a violent crime, truancy, juvenile probation, food issues, and anger management.
November 2022
Our November Shared Blessings meeting was held at the Hult Center for Healthy Living. Our donations went to the Hult Center for Healthy Living’s Mental Health & Suicide Prevention Programs and Services. The Hult Center provides a unique array of programs to improve mental health in our community. In addition to providing the traditional suicide prevention education and trainings to adults and professionals throughout the community, their team is also working to “upstream” suicide prevention efforts. Research shows that equipping children at a young age (upstreaming) with resiliency and coping skills helps them to positively deal with adversity later in life that could lead to anxiety, depression, and suicidality. To accomplish this, the team of Health Education Specialists and Licensed Clinical Counselor provides social emotional learning to Pre-K and elementary students. Holly Bill, Hult Center’s Assistant Manager and Suicide Prevention Gatekeeper Trainer, provided information on their suicide prevention programs for all ages.
September 2022
Our September project was Moonlight Coalition for Adult Learning. Their mission is to provide an accessible, walk-in opportunity year-round for individuals seeking a GED. Students, aged 16 and over, are served at Logan and Proctor Recreation Centers in Peoria. Remote classes are offered when requested by the student. Moonlight covers the entire cost for instruction, supplies, materials, and testing for every student. Qualifying students may also receive job readiness and training support. Hedy Elliott was our speaker.
July 2022
Our summer no-show project was Peoria Grown. Director Julie Eliathamby said Peoria Grown’s mission is to address food insecurity issues through improved coordination of resources, access to affordable, healthy food, emphasizing fresh produce, and education on nutrition and making healthy food choices. Peoria Grown is committed to addressing health equity and nutrition insecurity in food desert areas by providing access to fresh produce. Community members living in food desert areas are people of color, low-income individuals, uninsured or underinsured, and people living with chronic illnesses.
Peoria Grown’s Market 309 works with other organizations like Heartland Health Clinic who allows referrals and a ten-dollar voucher to the Peoria Grown Market 309. Those individuals can shop for fresh produce, receive health education, and have their blood pressure checked. Peoria Grown believes that by working with other community organizations, all individuals will have a fair opportunity to achieve their highest health and well-being regardless of color, race, gender, identity, age, or ability.
April 2022
Our April project was the Next Generation Academy program along with the Friendship House. The NGA is a basketball program open to both girls and boys starting at age 8. The aim is to empower young athletes and to motivate student-athletes on and off the court. The Next Generation Academy not only teaches kids on the court but also life lessons off the court as well. Their vision is to develop student athletics and educate leaders of the next generation. All of the NGA athletes are involved in community outreach programs and mentoring programs. They work with each family for grade reports and progressing both academically and socially to instill leadership among every child. Marcellus Sommerville, the CEO of Friendship House, was the speaker for the evening.
February 2022
Our February project was for CASA of the Tenth Judicial Circuit. Pam Perrilles and Mike Murphy were our presenters. CASA has been serving children and families in our community since 2005. By recruiting volunteers to help advocate for what is in the best interest of the child, they are reducing the time a child spends in foster care and help make permanency a reality at a much sooner rate. CASA’s mission is to ensure that every abused and neglected child is placed in a safe and permanent home, by utilizing specially trained community volunteers who advocate for abused and neglected children going through the court system. The volunteers and staff members build lasting relationships that often extend past the closing of a case.