Devan's March column: CFGC support Pathway of Hope

March 27, 2017

 

One of the things the Community Foundation of Grundy County (CFGC) puts an emphases on is partnering with other agencies to improve the life of Grundy County.

 

As CFGC began planning out our 2017 budget, we discussed what impact projects we’d like to focus on.  Two local organizations currently have programs that were of interest to us. One of these programs is the Pathways of Hope program at We Care of Grundy County and the other is the Brush with Kindness program at Grundy Three Rivers Habitat for Humanity.

 

Pathways of Hope is a program of the Salvation Army that helps families build a strong future by providing job training, housing options, legal services, education, and more through a holistic case management system.

 

The Pathways of Hope program was rolled out in Grundy County in 2016 through the Salvation Army’s partnership with We Care. However, the Pathways of Hope program only allows for case managers to work with families who have children under the age of 18.  Since we know there is a need for case management services for those who do not have children, CFGC saw this as an opportunity to form a new partnership.

 

CFGC has pledged to financially support We Care for three years to ensure the Pathways of Hope program is available to individuals in Grundy County who need one-on-one case management to navigate the challenges to a better future, but do not have children.

 

We Care recently hired a part-time case manager for such clients. If you have an interest in participating in the Pathways of Hope program, contact We Care directly at 815-942-6389.

 

CFGC has also partnered with Grundy Three Rivers Habitat for Humanity to extend their current Brush with Kindness program to focus specifically on senior home projects. CFGC will financially support a new program Habitat has created called Aging in Place.

 

The Aging in Place program will be very similar to the existing Brush with Kindness program; however, the Aging in Place program will allow for interior and exterior projects; whereas, Brush with Kindness only allows for exteriors projects.

 

The purpose of this new Aging in Place program is to assist senior citizens with home repairs and/or modifications that will allow them to remain in their homes longer. Examples of potential projects are installing grab bars, hand rails, or constructing wheelchair ramps.

 

An application must be completed by the homeowner and the home must be insured to be considered for this program. Habitat may not be able to complete all requested projects due to funding and/or the scope of the repairs.  If you or someone you know could benefit from this program, contact Habitat to discuss your needs at 815-942-1452.