Helping People. Changing Lives.

Open Letter to Residents of Suburban Cook County, Illinois

2011-12-28T08:24:00.004-06:00

Dear Residents of Suburban Cook County:

CEDA Board of Directors appointed an ad-hoc task force in 2010 to develop an agency wide Transformation Plan. The Board task force’s charge was to address the fiscal and service delivery challenges facing the agency. At the October 18, 2011 CEDA Board of Directors meeting, the 2-year plan was adopted. The new CEDA service delivery model is for suburban Cook County only. Service delivery in the city of Chicago is unchanged.

During the summer of 2011, CEDA conducted a county-wide Community Needs Assessment to 3,265 residents. The new service delivery models are consistent with the 2011 Community Needs Assessment (CNA) results. A copy of the 2011 CEDA Community Needs Assessment is posted on the CEDA website: www.cedaorg.net.

CEDA’s long-term capacity will increase due to repurposing CEDA properties to maximize the overall number of clients served. The new plan will expand considerably CEDA’s service delivery countywide footprint as we add partner locations to our program specialists' worksites.

I am available to answer any questions and to further discuss how we can continue to work together to benefit struggling families throughout all of Cook County Illinois.

Sincerely,
Patricia Doherty-Wildner
Interim CEO

New England Governors Call for Quick Action on LIHEAP Funding

2011-12-14T08:07:00.001-06:00

By Ivan Brandon, National Fuel Funds Network

Washington, DC (12/13/11) -- Governors and Lt. Governors from New England today urged Congress move quickly to provide adequate funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program. The state leaders said major funding cuts to the federal energy assistance program would create a “crisis” for cold weather states.

Speaking during a media conference call arranged by the American Gas Association, Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin, Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee, Massachusetts Lt. Governor Timothy Murray, Connecticut Lt. Governor Nancy Wyman, and an advisor to Maine Governor Paul LePage all called for immediate action by Congress.

Peter Shumlin said we “need Congress to act this week to appropriate funds for LIHEAP.” He described proposed reductions in LIHEAP funding as “inhumane and unacceptable.”

A continuing resolution providing temporarily funding for LIHEAP is scheduled to expire Friday and today Congress is expected to begin consideration of legislation funding the program and other government departments for the rest of the fiscal year.

Last year, LIHEAP received $4.7 billion in funding but this year’s appropriation is expected to be considerably less. President Obama requested $1.9 billion for LIHEAP while the Senate version of the appropriations bill provides $3.6 billion and the House bill contains $3.39 billion.

The state government leaders speaking on the conference call urged Congress to pass the Senate version of the bill. Gov. Shumlin said Congress “must pass” the Senate version. The governor pointed out that home heating oil, the most commonly used source for home heating in Vermont, currently costs $4 a gallon and LIHEAP assistance grants will only cover the cost of a half tank of oil.

Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee called for swift action by the Congress. The governor said there are many elderly residents in his state living off of incomes between $11,000 and $21,000 a year. “We have to look after those most in need,” Chafee said.

Connecticut Lt. Governor Nancy Wyman said “cold homes are unacceptable” adding that senior citizens and the families of service men are being affected by the loss of LIHEAP funds. She said 600 servicemen from her state will be deploying to Afghanistan in the coming months and “they don’t need to be worrying about whether their families are able to keep warm this winter.”

An advisor to Maine Governor Paul LePage called for “quick action” by Congress. He said 65,000 households received assistance through LIHEAP last year but added that the amount of the assistance grants this year would be reduced by one third because of the funding cuts. He urged that LIHEAP be funded at the “highest level possible.”

American Gas Association President and CEO David McCurdy released the results of a study showing that one out of every five natural gas customers are behind on their payments. The study also showed that disconnections were down by 9 percent compared to last year. McCurdy said the reduced number of disconnections demonstrates the importance of LIHEAP. The survey is available on the AGA website at http://www.aga.org/our-issues/liheap/Documents/Fall%202011%20Write%20Up%20-%20arrearages%20NR.pdf.

Mark Wolfe, executive director of the National Energy Assistance Directors Association, told the media that a recent survey of LIHEAP recipients found that the number of recipient households containing at least one veteran has increased to 20 percent. The NEADA survey can be viewed at http://www.neada.org/communications/press/LIHEAP%20Veteran%20Study%20V3%20doc.pdf.

CEDA Highlights Energy Saving Retrofit Technologies for Multi-family Residence

2011-10-31T09:09:00.001-05:00

Weatherization Measures Demonstrated at West Side Apartment Building

CHICAGO - October 28, 2011. On the Friday before National Weatherization Day, representatives from CEDA Weatherization joined officials at a 22-unit apartment building on Chicago’s West Side to highlight services provided through the Illinois Home Weatherization Assistance Program (IHWAP).

“Over one-half of the Austin community housing stock was built before 1950,” said Robert L. Wharton, president/CEO CEDA. “It’s essential that these apartments and homes are weatherized to bring down energy costs for the families.”

CEDA hosted a local press conference at 10:00 a.m. at 17 S. Central in Chicago, Friday, October 28, 2011 to announce new measures undertaken to enhance energy conservation and efficiency in this multi-family residence. Following the press conference, participants took a guided tour of the property, getting a first-hand look at completed weatherization measures and state-of-the-art weatherization technology used to make homes more energy efficient.

“We know that in these tough economic times our money is being stretched in every direction… so this is a great benefit for this community to have received this weatherization program offered by CEDA today,” Alderman Deborah Graham, 29th ward.

Property Managers, Bishop Joseph and Jeannie Jones, moved back into the Austin community to renovate the property several years ago with the support of their church, Pleasant Ridge MB Church, which sits across the street.

The couple came to CEDA in 2010 for help with energy efficiency measures, which were completed on all units, including attic insulations and furnace repairs.

“We open our doors to the homeless. We open our doors to anybody in distress,” said Jeannie Jones. “We see the difference of what this weatherization did for this community.”

Building resident Charmin Edwards, who moved to the property after being displaced by Hurricane Katrina, expressed her contentment with the work done in her unit. “It’s been fabulous what CEDA has done,” she said.

Annually, CEDA, other community action agencies and energy conservation groups nationwide observe the month of October as Weatherization Month, celebrating the achievements made to help improve the lives of thousands of families.

POVERTY AMONG WOMEN AND FAMILIES, 2000-2010: National Women’s Law Center Report

2011-09-20T11:01:00.001-05:00

This report provides a gender analysis of national Census data for 2010. The National Women’s Law Center (NWLC) supplies this analysis, as it has for several years, because little information broken out by gender is available directly from the Census Bureau’s series of reports titled Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States. Determining, for example, if there were changes to the poverty rate among black women or elderly women living alone, or the gap between the wages of Hispanic women and white, non-Hispanic men, requires examining separate detailed Census Bureau tables – which is the way NWLC prepared this report. However, while this report provides a picture of poverty and income data, its scope is largely confined to statistical analysis; it does not attempt to capture what increased poverty and economic insecurity mean in real terms for women, their families, and their futures.Full report on their website.

http://www.nwlc.org/press-release/nwlc-analysis-new-census-data-shows-record-numbers-women-poverty-without-health-insura">

U.S. poverty rate reaches 15.1 percent

2011-09-13T12:07:00.000-05:00

The nation’s poverty rate spiked to 15.1 percent in 2010, the highest level since 1993, the Census Bureau reported on Tuesday, September 13, 2011 providing vivid new evidence about the nation’s inability to escape the lingering effects of the recession. To read entire article, go to: http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/us-poverty-rate-hits-52-year-high-at-151-percent/2011/09/13/gIQApnMePK_story.html?wpisrc=al_national

HUFFINGTON POST: Illinois' Low-Income Heating Assistance Program Could Be Slashed By 60 Percent

2011-09-02T17:35:00.001-05:00

Low-income individuals, senior citizens and the disabled are being warned by the state to apply as early as possible for state and federal assistance in paying their heating bills this winter as funds for the program are running low.

As CBS Chicago reports, families who rely on the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) to pay their energy bills and keep their homes cool were forced to go without assistance this summer. The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, which oversees the program, prioritized their newly limited funding to help those who qualify for the program stay warm during the fast-approaching winter months.

"While we would have liked to have offered services both in the summer and in the winter, our priority is the winter program," department spokeswoman Marcelyn Love explained to CBS. "We have maintained as much funding as possible to help protect people this winter."

Earlier this month, the heating assistance program was reportedly facing a drastic cut in federal funding -- from $98 million to $41 million -- leaving behind a hole that states will inevitably not be able to fill.

Senior citizens and individuals with disabilities can begin to apply for the program Thursday. Low-income families with children can apply as early as Oct. 1, while all others will have to wait until Nov. 1, WJBC reports.

In order to qualify for the program on the basis of income, a single person must report a monthly income no greater than $1,361. A two-person household's maximum monthly income can be $1,839.

In 2011, the department's drafted 2012 plan reported that, of the eligible population of over 860,000 households, just over 60 percent utilized the program -- far exceeding their 35 percent service target. Despite this clear discrepancy, the department's proposed service target goal for 2012 remains fixed at 35 percent.

National Energy Assistance Directors Association Appeal to the President

2011-08-23T11:21:00.000-05:00

The Honorable Barack Obama
President of the United States
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, D.C. 20500

Dear President Obama:

On behalf of the state directors of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), we are writing to express our concern about your recent statement in Iowa that states have not been able to spend their full LIHEAP allocation. We would like to clarify the situation concerning unspent LIHEAP funds.
First, LIHEAP is more than a heating program; it is also used to provide cooling assistance to low income families. This has been especially important this year as a result of extreme warm weather conditions in many parts of the country.
Second, while the winter heating season is over, many states are running cooling programs and other emergency assistance programs that will run through September 30, 2011. We recently surveyed the states and found that the remaining funds for FY 2011 are being used to pay for cooling bills this summer and emergency reconnections for families that have fallen behind on their bills due to loss of employment or other circumstances. In fact, the states are expecting to serve a record number of households this year, approaching nine million for the first time in the program¹s history.
The state directors understand the need for deficit reduction; however, your proposal to cut the LIHEAP program to $2.5 billion (from $5.1 billion in FY
2010) would require states to reduce the number of households served by as many as four million families. As we approach the beginning of the 2011-12 heating season, we believe that the number of households applying for assistance will remain at the nine million level, or could even move higher reflecting the continuing economic distress and high energy prices. As such, we respectfully request that you consider supporting LIHEAP at the FY 2010 funding level of $5.1 billion.
As state officials, we hope that once the economy recovers, the number of households applying for assistance will return to the historical average of between 4.5 and 5.0 million families. However, the present need is significant and the existing funds are insufficient.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Jo-Ann Choate
National Energy Assistance Directors' Association Chair

Energy Insecurity is a Major Threat to Child Health

2011-08-04T17:10:00.000-05:00

August 2 was National Fuel Funds Network LIHEAP Action Day in Washington D.C. Advocates from across the country met with Congressional Staffers to discuss the importance of full funding for LIHEAP. Make sure your voice is heard.

http://www.nationalfuelfunds.org/AdvocacyPublicPolicy/stovall%20statement%20summer%20action%202011.p

Message for conservatives: Want to reduce costly taxpayer paid emergency room visits of uninsured and under insured children? Support full funding for LIHEAP!

According to Children's HeathWatch, young children in energy insecure homes are at high risk for food insecurity, poor health, hospitalizations, and developmental delays.

ELIMINATING FOOD DESERTS IN CHICAGO

2011-07-21T14:30:00.000-05:00

Mayor Rahm Emanuel, a big advocate for the eradication of food deserts in Chicago, announced today that Walgreens will add or expand food choices in 40 of its retail stores located in neighborhoods identified as food deserts. Source: Crain’s Chicago Business Midday Report

THUMBS UP FOR GOVERNOR QUINN!

2011-07-08T16:24:00.002-05:00

The following letter was sent to all US Governors requesting a "sign-on" for full-funding for FY 2012 LIHEAP. Illinois' Governor Pat Quinn is one of the first 7 governors to sign-on. We urge all Community Action Agencies to encourage their governors to sign before the July 11 deadline.

Dear Chairman Inouye, Ranking Member Cochran, Chairman Rogers, and Ranking Member Dicks:

As you work to finalize funding levels for FY 2012, we urge you to provide at least $5.1 billion for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), the most recent level authorized by Congress. Given the continuing challenges facing our economy, this program remains an essential lifeline to those vulnerable households struggling to pay home energy bills. As Governors who have had to make cuts in our own state budgets, we appreciate the tight budgetary climate Congress faces. We believe that – consistent with Congress’s budgetary constraints – this $5.1 billion allocation can be met through reduced spending for other, less critical, federal programs.

LIHEAP extends seasonal grants to help low-income families and seniors pay their heating and cooling bills. LIHEAP payments serve as “bridges,” allowing households to avoid shutoffs so that they do not have to make the difficult choice between paying for home energy bills or other necessities, such as prescription drugs or food. As Governors, we have worked to ameliorate the volatile nature of home energy costs to our most vulnerable residents by authorizing significant state contributions to emergency relief funds or supplementing existing state-federal programs.

High rates of unemployment and foreclosures have forced record numbers of Americans, many for the first time, to seek out LIHEAP assistance. The program currently helps 8.9 million struggling families heat their homes, a 35 percent increase since 2008. LIHEAP funding also provides critical cooling assistance for vulnerable populations, especially the elderly, many of who are on fixed incomes. According to the CDC, heat waves are one of the most dangerous weather-related exposures.

Contrary to recent assertions that sustained LIHEAP funding is unnecessary because fuel costs have declined from highs in 2008, prices for many fuels exceed 2008 levels. For example, in the first three months of 2011, the average price of home heating oil was 5.5 percent higher than the comparable period in 2008, and the price is expected to continue to climb. The U.S. Energy Information Administration projects that the average annual price in 2011 will exceed 2008 prices by 12 percent for home heating oil, almost 5 percent for propane, and 5 percent for electricity. For 2012, the projected annual average price increases over 2008 are even greater: 22 percent for home heating oil, 13.5 percent for propane, and 5 percent for electricity.

Reducing funding for LIHEAP to under $2.6 billion would endanger the heating assistance received by additional 3.1 million households nationwide who have been able to receive aid under current funding levels. Given the extent of the program’s current utilization, price increases for a number of fuels, and the expected fuel price increases for this winter, reducing LIHEAP funding at this time would cause considerable harm.

We greatly appreciate your continued commitment to helping our neediest families. We hope that you take this opportunity to actively support LIHEAP by funding this critical program at $5.1 billion.

Sincerely,

Emergency Assistance Available for Seniors and Persons with Disabilities

2011-06-24T12:18:00.000-05:00

CEDA has a great program that helps seniors and persons living with disabilities in emergency situations meet basic everyday needs. If you know of a senior or person with a disability who lives in suburban Cook County and is in need of immediate assistance, call your local CEDA location today (visit http://www.cedaorg.net/ for locations) to learn how they may be eligible to receive up to $200 through The Relief Services Program.

Saving Community Action

2011-03-18T09:01:00.000-05:00

Save Community Action

2011-02-25T09:47:00.002-06:00

Dear Congress:

We are writing to express our deep concern about funding cuts in Community Services Block Grants (CSBG) that will be in both the administration’s budget request for Fiscal Year 2012 and House Bill H.R. 1 passed by the House of Representatives February 19, 2011. The Community and Economic Development Association of Cook County, Inc. (CEDA) understands the nation’s budget deficit requires immediate attention. We do not feel, however, that substantially reducing the CSBG grants will have any major impact. Further, we believe that such action will impede rather than assist the country’s economic recovery.

Community action programs serve as the major vehicle by which our most vulnerable citizens receive vital services which assist them on the path toward economic stability. Community action programs created and retained 18,432 jobs over the past two years of which 525 were created and retained by CEDA.

CEDA is one of the 1,065 community action agencies in the United States. In FY 2010, CEDA assisted 240,000 households in Cook County, Illinois through a variety of services. CEDA has a network that includes Head Start centers, Women, Infant and Children (WIC) centers, LIHEAP and Home Weatherization partnerships and University joint projects. Moreover, every CSBG dollar is multiplied by 57 times over in private and other public funding. Our Head Start program leverages $7.00 for every $1.00 in federal government funding.

As you recall, the President stated in his State of the Union Address, “I recognize that some in this chamber have already proposed deeper cuts, and I’m willing to eliminate whatever we can honestly afford to do without. But let’s make sure that we’re not doing it on the backs of our most vulnerable citizens.”

Reduction in CSBG funding will seriously damage already scarce community resources and will have a devastating impact.

CEDA, its Board of Directors and the 240,000 constituents we assist within the Cook County legislative districts, respectfully request that you vote to oppose any reductions in CSBG and support retaining full funding for Head Start, LIHEAP, Home Weatherization and all programs administered by Community Action Agencies

Respectfully,
Honorable Seth D. McCormick, Jr.
Chairperson, CEDA Board of Directors

Weatherization Works! Slide Show Video

2009-10-23T15:44:00.001-05:00

Hispanic Heritage Month - Video Submission

2009-10-09T15:28:00.000-05:00

My mom is my hero.

Hispanic Heritage Month - Video Submission

2009-10-09T15:26:00.000-05:00

Accounting teacher is my hero. She motivated me to continue to study.

Hispanic Heritage Month - Video Submission

2009-10-09T15:24:00.000-05:00

My wonderful sister is my hero

Hispanic Heritage Month - Video Submission

2009-10-09T15:21:00.000-05:00

My sister is my hero

Hispanic Heritage Month - Video Submission

2009-10-09T15:20:00.001-05:00

8th grade school teacher made a difference

Hispanic Heritage Month - Video Submission

2009-10-01T09:20:00.000-05:00

Mike Sanchez from Ultimate Kicks in the Logan Square neighborhood shows kids Tae-Kwon-do and that they too can none day compete to go to the Olympics.

Hispanic Heritage Month - Video Submission

2009-10-01T09:19:00.000-05:00

Cristina tells why her father, Zeke Montes from Teleguia publishing is her Hero

Hispanic Heritage Month Video Submission - In Spanish

2009-09-30T16:48:00.000-05:00

The Community is the Hero ( in spanish)

Hispanic Heritage Month Video - Student Submission

2009-09-30T16:34:00.000-05:00

Student thanks his dad for making him the person he is.

Hispanic Heritage Month Video Submission

2009-09-30T16:32:00.000-05:00

Assistant professor's hero is the latin american studies department of UIC.

Hispanic Heritage Month Video - Rudy Lozano

2009-09-30T15:26:00.000-05:00

Rudy Lozano is hero for professor for the leader he was and the example he still can be for todays leaders.

Hispanic Heritage Month Videos - Student Submission

2009-09-30T15:24:00.001-05:00

Student thanks her father for the sacrifices he made for his family and how she is going to finish college to show her gratitude.

Hispanic Heritage Month Videos - Student Submission

2009-09-30T15:21:00.000-05:00

Student looks up to her older brother who became a dentist and gives back to community

Hispanic Heritage Month - Local Hero Eladio Gonzalez

2009-09-28T11:06:00.000-05:00

Help us celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month

2009-09-17T10:31:00.000-05:00

CEDA wants you to submit a thirty-second (30) video, telling us about your local Hispanic Hero. This person can be your mother, father, or any person you believe has done wonderful things or deserves to be your “Hispanic Hero.” Maybe someone you know has accomplished a special achievement, like, becoming the first Hispanic teacher at your school or is a leader in his or her community. These are the exciting stories of people we want you to share with us. Upload your videos to the CEDA YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhXJQzKxWz4. Selected YouTube videos will be available for viewing here at our CEDA blog until October 15.

CEDA les pide que presenten un video de 30 segundos sobre un héroe hispano que sea miembro de su comunidad. Esta persona puede ser su madre, su padre, o cualquier otra persona que ustedes creen que ha hecho algo especial y merece ser su “héroe hispano”. Quizás ustedes sepan de alguien que ha alcanzado una meta especial, como por ejemplo ser el primer maestro hispano en su escuela o ser líder en su comunidad. Deseamos que compartan con nosotros historias emocionantes de las personas que conocen. Ustedes pueden entregar un video de 30 segundos sobre su héroe hispano al canal YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qgZNUf_Lhg. Los videos seleccionados se podrán ver en el blog de CEDA en www.cedaorg.blogspot.com hasta el 15 de octubre.

History of Community Action

2009-08-12T10:06:00.001-05:00

Do you CEDA?

2009-05-21T11:27:00.000-05:00

CEDA will be launching a new media and marketing campaign this summer to reach communities that have little knowledge about what we do as a Community Action Agency. This campaign will also serve to help the public better recognize CEDA (pronounce it correctly) and familiarize themselves with the programs and services we offer.

The concept is to ask the question “Do you CEDA?” followed by a tagline and image that conveys several messages to indicate “…I see the impact of community action.”

Below are a few sample taglines we are considering for our campaign.

What are your thoughts?

For Weatherization:
Do You CEDA?
I see the reduction in my utility bills every month.

For Head Start:
Do you CEDA?
I see the growth in my daughter/son’s ability to learn

For LIHEAP:
Do you CEDA?
I see the impact of energy assistance

Fatherhood and Healthy Marriage

2009-05-01T12:14:00.000-05:00

CEDA offers a number of programs through Fatherhood and Male Involvement services that include Read to Me Dad Day, Male Sports Day, and Economic Stability and Employment. These services work to equip single-parent fathers and males from low-income backgrounds with the skills they need to succeed in life.

Do you think there are enough programs available to assist single-parent fathers and males from low-income backgrounds?
What can be done to help males who have been unemployed for a long period of time transition back into the workforce?
What can be done to create healthier relationships between fathers and their children?

Where does the middle-class go for emergency assistance?

2009-05-01T11:33:00.000-05:00

The Need:
Too many Illinois middle‐class families are no longer able to keep up with the mounting costs of running their households. A generation ago, a typical American middle-class family lived on the income of a single breadwinner. In recent years it has taken two working spouses to live the modern middle-class dream. Today, many middle‐class families economic status has suddenly
changed. Due to substantial loss of income, they are unable to survive the skyrocketing cost of energy, housing, health care and college while saving for retirement and managing growing debt.

Keeping It Simple‐Keeping It Private:
CEDA will meet with organizations, private businesses and others to gage support for a new broader based fuel fund. Requests for assistance can be done online. Intake, distribution of funds, Q&A, phone inquiries, presentations, and reports will be serviced through the Administrator (CEDA). CEDA will also market and advertise the fund.

Community and Economic Development Association of Cook County, Incorporated is a 501(c)3 not‐for‐profit organization. Your donation is tax‐deductible to the extent allowed by the law.

Contribution:

Contributing to the Neighbor‐to‐Neighbor Network Fuel Fund
It’s as easy as 1‐2‐3.

CEDA will provide the opportunity for foundations, philanthropists, corporate matching programs and neighbors to contribute to their Network on behalf of middle‐class
families with energy insecurity.
Donors may contribute online at www.cedaorg.net with a credit card or mail checks directly to Neighbor‐to‐Neighbor Network Fund c/o CEDA. 208 S. LaSalle, Suite 1900, Chicago, IL 60604‐1001
Donors may specify the neighborhood to which their contribution will be applied.