Community Development Spotlight

When it comes to building a stronger community, funds from federal housing and development grants have a big impact in Oak Park. Each month, the Village of Oak Park continues to highlight the great work of the many community organizations that are recipients of Community Development Block Grant funds, including this month’s featured partner, Community Support Services.

Please expand the title below to read more about each recipient organization.

Community Support Services

Community Support Services (CSS) has been an important and essential nonprofit agency in Illinois for over 40 years. One of the largest providers of respite for families in Illinois, CSS’ impact on lives of individuals is immeasurable. Their programs, which include respite, residential and independent living, community day services, supported employment, CSS Academy Programs, and home-based support, have helped countless of individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities (I/DD) and their families in the Oak Park community during the last four decades. The dedication of CSS to strengthening independence, self-esteem, and community participation is invaluable.

As a private organization, Community Support Services helps provide essential services to individuals with I/DD and their families across 51 communities to work toward empowering them to lead fulfilling and enriching lives as active participants in their community.

For more information to receive services, volunteer, or donate please visit www.cssservices.org or contact 708-354-4547.

Beyond Hunger

No one can concentrate on work or school on an empty stomach. So, providing nutritious food to people who need it is at the heart of Beyond Hunger’s work. But the organization also knows that bags of food won’t end hunger in the long term for the more than 40,000 people they serve annually. That’s why Beyond Hunger looks at the underlying causes of hunger, addressing issues of inequity in how they source and deliver food and resources. Beyond Hunger is serious about its mission: harnessing the power of communities to end hunger. Together with partners like the Village of Oak Park, they create collaborative solutions for hunger and nutrition security that forge a more racially equitable food system.

For over 40 years, Beyond Hunger has provided food and resources for people in our community. They draw on community members’ knowledge and skills to shape programming that delivers resources people need to live healthy active lives. In addition to providing food to families, Beyond Hunger also provides summer meals for school children, connects individuals to valuable benefits like SNAP dollars, offers nutrition education and cooking classes to combat chronic illness and delivers groceries to homebound older adults. As an organization, they focus on health and nutrition, intentionally offering food that nourishes and sustains - and that families love to eat!

Community members can visit Beyond Hunger (848 Lake St. in Oak Park) once per month to pick up groceries on Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. or Wednesdays from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. When arriving, Beyond Hunger asks that individuals bring an ID and proof of address in one of the 13 zip codes that they serve.

To learn more about Beyond Hunger programs, service area, or how to volunteer or donate, please visit www.gobeyondhunger.org.

More About CDBG

Each year the Village receives funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) through the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program.

For Program Year 2022, which began in October, Oak Park received more than $1.6 million in federal CDBG.

The federally funded, but locally administered program, is specifically earmarked to help support and nurture a wide range of programs and services for individuals and families that HUD defines as low and moderate income.

A share of the funds also goes toward public infrastructure improvements for persons with disabilities and in areas of the Village that meet income-eligibility requirements based on census data.

From direct hunger relief and domestic violence services to emergency shelter for homeless individuals and ADA-compliant crosswalks, federal funds are allocated locally to activities that have a direct impact in Oak Park. Nonprofit agencies apply for CDBG grants through the Village each year.

A rigorous application process managed by professional Village staff and the Community Development Citizens Advisory Commission determines how the money is allocated.

Staff and commission volunteers review all grant applications and make recommendations to the Village Board, which makes the final decisions on funding allocations.

For Program Year 2022, funds were allocated locally to 15 organizations that serve persons of low and moderate incomes.

A share of the grants also funded infrastructure projects such as alley improvements in census-defined areas of the community and bringing sidewalks into compliance with standards outlined in the American Disabilities Act.

The Village additionally uses CDBG funding for its small rental and single-family rehabilitation loan programs earmarked for residents whose incomes meet HUD guidelines.

For more information, visit www.oak-park.us/cdbg, email grants@oak-park.us or call 708.358.5416.

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Community Development Spotlight

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