Community Action of Winnebago & Boone Counties

06/11/2026

Last week, we turned up the heat on the Cicero Institute! Together, we confronted the billionaire-backed think tank at the center of the federal efforts to defund affordable housing and the nationwide increase in laws that make it a crime to be homeless.

06/04/2026

At the Home Illinois Summit, a frontline team from Rockford, IL, took the stage!

They shared what's already happening in their community through their 100-Day Challenge® focused on homelessness prevention. As of Day 60, they've already helped 58 families stabilize their housing and connect to crucial supportive services.

They shared that their success emerged from:
-The new relationships built across sectors, such as senior services
-The new ways of working together that didn't exist before
-A more coordinated response to reach more people, more effectively

CONGRATULATIONS to Christina Schutt and Veronica Morales, and the City of Rockford Illinois team for bringing this to a statewide audience.

And special thanks to the Re!nstitute, the Office to Prevent and End Homelessness (OPEH) and the Illinois Department of Human Services for creating space for frontline voices to shape the conversation.

!NSTITUTE

06/02/2026

We are so excited to celebrate the grand opening of the Lafayette apartments and we are looking forward to a great partnership!! Congrats to all involved, it is beautiful!! We can’t wait to move in our first tenants!!

NEW HOUSING: We're proud to be a financial and service partner in the transformation of the Lafayette Apartments and the creation of new housing opportunities in downtown Rockford. Today, we celebrated the ribbon-cutting for the historic rehabilitation of the Lafayette Hotel, which has been restored and converted into 54 affordable housing units.

Even more fitting, today's celebration took place exactly 99 years after the Lafayette Hotel first opened its doors. Thanks to the leadership of Gorman & Company, the Illinois Housing Development Authority, and many dedicated partners, this historic landmark has been given new life and will continue serving Rockford residents for generations to come.

06/01/2026

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH RESOURCES: Recently, our IMPACT staff were proud to attend the Building Bridges to Understanding event hosted by NAMI Northern Illinois and the Winnebago County Community Mental Health Board (WCCMHB) to share behavioral health resources with the community.

The IMPACT program, uses Mental Health Navigators to work with mentally ill, unhoused individuals. The team meets with unhoused people where they are, working toward housing goals, follow-up support, service linkage, and connections to mental health, substance use, and community resources.

This program really works to get the participants off the streets and help them obtain the behavioral health supports they need to be successful. IMPACT is funded through the Winnebago County Community Mental Health Board with the voter-approved half-cent sales tax. See less

05/29/2026

Was a a pleasure to be part of this important conversation.

05/19/2026

Happy 61st birthday Head Start! This Summer, Head Start is going on tour! Need to sign your child up for Head Start Preschool? We’re heading out in our Head Start school bus around the city to complete enrollment and hand out Head Start swag. Where do you think we should show up this Summer? Keep an eye out for more information coming in June! We can’t wait to see you there!

Watch our Head Start Preschool on Tour video here: https://canva.link/headstartpreschoolontour

Questions: Give us a call at 779-348-7169

05/11/2026

On May 4th, the Mayor presented the proclamation for Mental Health Awareness month. Among those present to accept the proclamation were Mary Trujillo, Mental Health Program Manager for the Mayor's Office, Andrell Bragg-Shaw from the Winnebago County Mental Health Board, and Mental Health Navigators Ellee Holden, Dwight Clark, and Marie Barcelona. Ellee, Dwight and Marie work one on one with those experiencing mental illnesses who are currently unsheltered, as part of our IMPACT program.

The IMPACT program is proudly funded y the Winnebago County Community Mental Health Board (WCCMHB) through the half-cent sales tax approved by local voters.

05/09/2026

"It is not what you get out of life that counts. It's what you give and what is given from the heart."

— Sargent Shriver

05/05/2026

is here!

gets results! We achieve positive, long-term outcomes that enhance local assets and infrastructure, support local entrepreneurs, advance self-sufficiency for working families, and bring a strong return on investment to our communities.

02/20/2026

IMPACT: Our Mental Health Navigators are on the streets working to engaged identified unhoused, mentally ill persons. They will facilitate the necessary referrals to medical, mental health, and supportive services to decrease the barriers for stable housing thereby maintaining and improving health outcomes and quality of life. This will help increase the access to services by this underserved population. Using client centered resources, the navigators will get individuals to the specific services that they need which will include providing transportation or bus passes. For participants who are more hesitant to engagaing in services, community partnerships can be engaged to bring services to a location where they (the clients) are more comfortable.

In the last quarter, 19 individuals were served. Of those exiting the program, 57% went to positive housing placements. This program is funded by the Winnebago County Community Mental Health Board through the half-cent sales tax approved by the local voters.