Community Organizing and Family Issues (COFI)

06/10/2026

It is with great sadness that we share the news of Dexter Leggin's passing over the night. Dexter was a long-time POWER-PAC parent leader and peer trainer/team builder turned-organizer from the Westside of Chicago. Dexter supported the COFI/POWER-PAC IL Westside and Southside branches.

This monumental loss to our community comes at a time when we just celebrated our 30th Anniversary - 30 years of Turning Dreams Into Action. Dexter played a huge role in not only dreaming with us, but committing to action time and time again, especially when it came to Chicago Public School students and the POWER-PAC IL Elementary Justice Campaign. He was a dad and foster dad to many.

We hope to continue celebrating three decades of work by sharing photos and videos from our gala event last week as we also continue to honor Dexter.

Dexter will be deeply missed for his joyful energy, love, and commitment to our parent leaders and families. We hold him and his family in our thoughts and prayers today.

06/07/2026

State Senator Karina Villa - We were SO HONORED to have you join us as our featured speaker on Thursday as we celebrated 30 years of parent organizing - Turning Dreams Into Action. Can't wait to see what else we can do together in the coming 30 years!

06/03/2026

06/02/2026

A special thank you to The Chicago Community Trust for joining our list of sponsors! Our 30th Anniversary Gala sponsors are helping us build parent power and turn dreams into action! Parent-led action is powered by the generosity of donors and sponsors who believe community voices deserve a seat at policy tables.

🔗See the full list of sponsors here and learn more about our 30th Anniversary: https://cofionline.org/about-cofi/30-years/

06/01/2026

A big congratulations to COFI and POWER-PAC IL leader, Karen Lynn Morton, for this incredible honor! Last week, she received the Ora Schub Trailblazer Award from BUILD Chicago for her transformative restorative justice work across Chicago. Her peace-building efforts are rooted in faith, reconciliation, and dignity. And as a founding member and Co-Chair Emeritus of POWER-PAC IL, she has advanced racial justice, civic engagement, and leadership development for years.

Way to go, Lynn! We celebrate your impactful journey! 🎉🎉🎉

05/30/2026

We’re just a few days away from our 30th Anniversary Gala on June 4, and we want to give a HUGE THANK YOU to all of our sponsors who are helping us build parent power and turn dreams into action!

Thank you to SEIU Healthcare IL & IN, one of our Action Takers Sponsors, for supporting our mission and helping us bring more COFI and POWER-PAC IL parents to policy tables. ✨

🔗See the full list of sponsors here: https://cofionline.org/about-cofi/30-years/

🎫 There are a few more tickets left! Purchase your tickets here: https://secure.lglforms.com/form_engine/s/3bTeMzfuAgAhLz10yJ1lYw

05/29/2026

🚨🚨 Tell your state legislators to tax the rich and invest in our communities! Take action now: https://icirr.quorum.us/campaign/161787/

🚨TAKE URGENT ACTION TODAY: Time is running out to hold off Trump‘s billionaire tax breaks and protect healthcare and SNAP by passing state revenue solutions! Email your legislator TODAY and demand they tax the rich!

We won’t allow working class people and families to carry the burden of funding vital resources while the ultra rich receive tax breaks. With the Illinois Revenue Alliance’s four revenue proposals we could raise up to $4 billion that the state desperately needs to fund critical programs everyday people rely on.

No matter where you live in Illinois, you can take action right now and help us pass progressive revenue! Use the link below to email your legislator today!

https://icirr.quorum.us/campaign/161787/

TOMA ACCIÓN: ¡Tenemos poco tiempo para proteger la asistencia médica y SNAP y frenar los beneficios de Trump hacia los multimillonarios! ¡Envía un correo electrónico a tu legislador HOY para exigir que aprueben soluciones de ingresos estatales e impongan impuestos a los ricos!

Los ultra ricos se benefician de recortes en sus impuestos, mientras que la clase trabajadora y las familias cargan con el peso de financiar servicios esenciales. Con las cuatro propuestas de ingresos de la Illinois Revenue Alliance podríamos recaudar hasta 4000 millones de dólares que el estado necesita urgentemente para financiar programas esenciales de los que dependen nuestras comunidades.

¡Puedes actuar ahora mismo para apoyar desde cualquier parte de Illinois! ¡Utiliza el enlace abajo para enviar un correo electrónico a tu representante!

https://icirr.quorum.us/campaign/161787/

05/29/2026

"Babies Can't Wait!" Hundreds of providers, advocates, and educators' voices echoed in the Capitol Rotunda on May 13 as they rallied for lawmakers to increase investments in early childhood, and we're still chanting! If you missed it, there's still time for you to join the movement and take action. Read the highlights and find out how to make your voice heard in our recap blog: https://hubs.li/Q04jjK_k0

05/27/2026

Catch COFI and POWER-PAC IL parent leaders in Springfield today with the Illinois Revenue Alliance! Parent leader Cye Cye will share a testimony during today’s rally about the importance of raising progressive revenue to help sustain essential programs like SNAP and immigration services. Watch below!