We’ve been busy with 941-HELP and I first want to thank all of our fellow not-for-profit organizations who have been working with us to input information so that 941-HELP is as accurate as possible – your work is very much appreciated!!
In case you haven’t heard, 941-HELP is a new information and referral program developed by the Morris Community Foundation through our Grand Victoria Foundation “CommunityWorks” project. As the three CommunityWorks teams researched and discussed issues that affect Grundy County, they realized that there are plenty of services for Grundy residents – it’s a matter of getting that information into the hands of the residents so they can access those services.
The result is 941-HELP – Grundy resources for Grundy residents. The four ways to access this program are phone, internet, computer kiosks, and card racks.
The phone number 815-941-HELP (4357) is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The website is https://www.815941HELP.com, which is also available 24/7. The first computer kiosk was installed at the Gardner BP, which is open 24/7. The first card rack is at the Downtown Laundromat on Washington Street in Morris, which has late hours.
Because this project is so large, the Foundation has hired Mary Lee Howard to assist us. Mary Lee is traveling around Grundy County to introduce 941-HELP to organizations and businesses with the goal of securing additional locations for computer kiosks and card racks. We have additional sites confirmed and will announce these locations as soon as the installations are complete.
If you are interested in allowing us to place a computer kiosk or card rack at your location, please contact Mary Lee at 815-941-0852 or [email protected].
So far we have loaded 941-HELP with most of the human services and governmental agencies that serve Grundy residents. We’ve done our best to list local phone numbers and addresses rather than long distance ones.
It’s also important to note that residents can begin accessing most state and federal resources by first contacting a Grundy agency. We believe this is an important first step because the local organizations have a very good understanding of the services available and their status in Grundy County. When this is the case, we’ve listed the local agency phone number on 941-HELP rather than the state or federal long distance number.
Also, we’d like to point out that 941-HELP is not done nor do we expect it to ever be done. We’ve built it so that it will always be evolving and changing to reflect the changes in services and agencies. Local organizations are reminded to keep us updated on their changes in service, staff, hours, address, etc. so that we can keep the 941-HELP data current.
Plus, we’re still looking for data. For example, we are seeking information for the various not-for-profit youth sports programs around Grundy County. The programs are usually led by volunteers, therefore the phone numbers can change. If you are one of the leaders of a not-for-profit youth sports program in our county, please send your program information to the Morris Community Foundation for listing on 941-HELP. Please fax your information to 815-941-9110 or e-mail it to [email protected]. If you have questions, please call me at 815-941-0852.
In closing, I want to thank my behind-the-scenes team who’ve been working so hard to get 941-HELP up and running: Brent Newman, my tech guru; Denise Gaska at We Care; Mitch Bailey at Bailey Printing; and Ray & Rose Grossi at Midwest Signworks. The first computer kiosk and card racks have been prototypes, and I appreciate their input and ability to make changes as we go along!
If you haven’t tried it yet, please check out the 941-HELP computer kiosk at the Gardner BP, or log on to https://www.815941HELP.com, or stop by the Downtown Laundromat on Washington Street to see the card rack. We think you’ll be proud and excited that we’ve put all Grundy resources in one place!!
Box:
Four Ways to Access 941-HELP
- 815-941-HELP (4357)
- https://www.815941HELP.com/
- Computer kiosk at Gardner BP
- Card rack at Downtown Laundromat in Morris
Use attached logos.