Newsroom

On May 10, the Champaign County Community Coalition hosted a wide variety of speakers highlighting work being done in the community. Participants heard from local law enforcement that were excited to share news about the steady downward trend for community gun violence. They also discussed a few community engagement events like Touch-a-Truck, Coffee with a Cop, and CPD’s Open House.

Joe Wiemelt from Freedom School (USD 116) highlighted the robust programming from the alternative school to help youth that are struggling to succeed. He also brought a panel of middle schooler’s to talk about their experience with Freedom School and why it was important to them. Following that, Amy Brown from the Don Moyer Boy’s and Girls Club talked about new programs and initiatives being implemented as they move into their new space at the Martins Center and continue to hire passionate staff.

Capricia Whittaker, Y on the Fly Director, covered the conception and implementation of Y on the Fly and how they continue to grow today. Then Taren Nance introduced the Anti-Violence Collective and proposed a calendar for collective community use to make sure that community resources are being utilized in the best way. Finally, the C-U Public Health District discussed the dangers of fentanyl and how to help someone in crisis. The two things that need to happen are for someone to see something and someone to do something. That can save a person’s life.

On April 12, the Champaign County Community Coalition welcomed many wonderful speakers to engage with the community during its monthly meeting. Coalition members heard from Alliance for Inclusion and Respect about the upcoming Ebertfest, which celebrates films, genres and formats that have been overlooked by distributors, audiences and/or critics. Interim Urbana Police Chief Surles gave a powerful talk about the fentanyl crisis in Champaign County through the campaign, “One Pill Can Kill.” Police and public health professionals are working in tandem to address this ongoing concern in the community.

The Coalition was also honored to welcome US Attorney for the Central District of Illinois Gregory Harris to speak to us about his role in the position. Harris was nominated by President Biden on October 27, 2021, and unanimously confirmed by the US Senate on December 7, 2021. Harris shared information about how the Department of Justice (DOJ) has evolved over the last 30 years he has been involved. He focused on how proactive DOJ has become in trying to stop violence by addressing underlying causes, specifically with youth. He commended the work of the Champaign County Community Coalition because it is at the forefront of community outreach to address these causes. The Communications Division records the Community Coalition’s meetings for playback on CGTV and on-demand viewing. 

The Champaign County Community Coalition hosted its monthly All-Goals Team Meeting on March 8.  The meeting agenda was packed with eleven different speakers this month! Attendees heard local police department updates followed by a presentation from Urbana’s Mayor Diane Marlin about Urbana’s ARPA funding allocations.

April Faulkner (Equity and Engagement) previewed “Engage Champaign”, a new platform that allows residents to interact with community initiatives and projects. Unit 4 discussed truancy in schools and the importance of making school attendance, and therfore youth success, a communitywide issue. Attendees also heard from the That’s What She Said project – an empowering platform for women to tell their stories. Public Health and United Way discussed food insecurity in Champaign County and ways to work together to make food more accessible. And finally, the League of Women Voters introduced two students ambassadors who shared their experience working to increase voter registration at local high schools and how they have each grown through the experience. 

The meeting was recorded by the Communications Division and will be available for playback on CGTV and CGTV Online.