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Sponsor of the Month

Fraternal Order of Police proved a friend to local seniors with a $2,000 donation in November to Family Service for our Senior Counseling & Advocacy clients. These funds assist people age sixty or older with pressing medical needs that hinder their independence and safety. This annual support returns security and a quality of life to many local seniors each year.

Additionally, the Fraternal Order of Police will provide holiday food baskets that our staff will deliver to seniors and families in need. The Senior Resource Center has identified 70 seniors and First Call for Help has identified 32 families to receive this holiday sustenance.

Thank you Fraternal Order of Police for your generosity—it makes such a big difference!

Thanks to Ten Thousand Villages Community Shopping Night to Benefit First Call for Help

Thanks to all of you who shopped at Ten Thousand Villages on December 15, to benefit First Call for Help. It was fun to look at all the handcrafted gifts available and know you are providing skilled artisans in third world countries with fair trading opportunites. All the while knowing that 20% of sales will be donated to Family Service First Call for Help to assist people with need in our own community. We thank Ten Thousand Villages and their volunteers for making this win-win event such an enjoyable holiday experience .

Recognizing community generosity

Hickory River helps us honor first responders

Hickory River provided the barbeque when Family Service Senior Resource Center hosted a First Responder’s Luncheon to honor local police and fire fighters. The October 18 event was our way of thanking these daily heroes for their many sacrifices that help keep our community safe. It also gave our staff a chance to share information with these professionals and allow us to serve seniors even better. Many thanks to Hickory River for some fantastic barbeque beef and pork as well as salads, beans, and rolls; the officers declared the food officially amazing!

Emphasizing the giving in Thanksgiving

First Call for Help coordinates annually with local organizations to arrange for donations of food baskets to families in need. We want to thank several groups for their caring generosity. Members of St. Patrick’s Church donated baskets to 50 families, empty tomb staff & volunteers fed 35 families, while the Jewish Federation assisted 20 families. Your collective giving brought thankfulness to more than 100 families this year.

Thanks to members of Sinai Temple for sharing the spirit of caring

The members of Sinai Temple are manning all seven routes of Meals on Wheels daily for the first two weeks of December. They have done this for many years in a generous recognition of our difficulty getting volunteers this time of year. Between finals season at area schools, holiday demands, winter weather, as well as cold and flu season–it’s a logistical challenge. So each year they cover a period in December and make sure those meals arrive hot and on time!

Brightening the Holidays for Children

The Womens Business Council “adopted” 41 children in our Grandparents Raising Grandchildren program and provided wrapped gifts for all of them! They also made a generous cash donation so staff could meet additional needs. You can imagine the difficulty for grandparents on a fixed income to meet the basic expenses of raising a second generation of children. What a wonderful way to share the spirit of the season–bringing smiles to children and grandparents alike!

In what is becoming a wonderful annual tradition, the Optimist Club has once again provided gifts for some of the children whose families are receiving counseling services. We know the holidays can make extra stress for anyone, but they are especially hard for people already experiencing challenge–including loss and grief. Thanks to the Optimist Club for making sure that these children have a little extra lift in their lives at this time. It’s the fact that someone cares that means so much!

Pick up 2011 HelpBooks today

Why do you need a copy of the HelpBook?

It’s the comprehensive resource guide for human and social services in Champaign County. You can find information in seconds. Know the name of the agency you want–it’s listed by name in our alphabetical index. If you don’t know what agency provides a type of service you need, then find all local options in our category index.

This collaboration of Family Service and the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District is available at no cost to you.

Pick up your copy at:

Family Service, 405 S. State St., Champaign, 61820 or ‘

C-U Public Health District, 201 W. Kenyon Rd., Champaign, 61820

Senior Task Force

Anyone in the community interested in learning about or being a local voice for senior issues is invited to join this collaborative group. They meet monthly on the third Wednesday, 9:00-10:00 am at Lincoln Square Mall outside the Health Alliance offices unless otherwise specified.

There will be no January meeting–next meeting is Wednesday, February 15, 2012, 9-10 am

Call Rosanna McLain, Senior Resource Center Director, at 217-352-5100 for more information.

Community Presentations

Monthly presentations are provided by local professionals and social service agencies on the second Tuesday of every month from 9:30-10:30 am. These complimentary presentations are open to the community at Family Service at 405 S. State St., Champaign.

Next presentation details to be posted soon…

Limited Seating!

To register to attend this presentation, please contact Dawn McKinley at 217-352-0099 or email dmckinley@familyservicecc.org.

Support Group Directory Available

The 13th edition of the Support Group Directory is a service of the Family Service Self-Help Center and lists hundreds of area support groups by category. Copies are available for pick-up at Family Service, 405 S. State St., Champaign. Please call Sharon, Self-Help Coordinator, at 217-352-0099 if you are interested in a complimentary copy. We suggest a $5 donation for each additional copy. The new version is also online by clicking the link at the right under “Find Area Services”.