The Peoria County Board for the Care and Treatment of Persons with a Developmental Disability announced a record $900,000 award to five local agencies for the 2018-2019 service year. The board was able to fund 99.5% of received proposals, largely due to last year’s passage of an advisory referendum raising the property tax levy. “The Board and I would like to thank all the voters and taxpayers who supported this increase and the Peoria County Board members and community stakeholders who rallied around the cause,” states Greg Chance, Care and Treatment Board president.
Grant funding for the service year beginning July 1, 2018 includes:
- Camp Big Sky, “Living a Life Like Any Other” programming: $34,000
- Camp Big Sky, Learning Center equipment: $3,097
- EP!C, educational services: $250,000
- EP!C, specialized programs: $239,409
- Community Workshop & Training Center, community employment services: $227,000
- Community Workshop & Training Center, adult day program: $53,500
- Heart of Illinois Special Recreation Association: $32,000
- Easterseals Central Illinois, early intervention in natural environments: $45,129
- Easterseals Central Illinois, sensory integration therapy improvements: $15,865
The impact of this funding is very real. Camp Big Sky will be able to furnish its new Learning Center to support its adult volunteer training program—which was held in a storage building when it started. “This new center is going to really provide a much more learning-conducive environment,” says Brad Guidi, Camp Big Sky mission director. “The equipment we can purchase with this grant is another big step toward getting this program where it needs to be.”
The Community Workshop and Training Center (CWTC) will use the funding to assist people with disabilities in gaining and maintaining employment through ongoing job coaching and employer support. “The more diverse our funding… the better our programs can be,” says CWTC Executive Director Patti Gratton. “We appreciate the support of the Peoria County Board, the Care and Treatment Board, and our whole community.” iBi
