Partners for Our Communities secures major grants to help under-resourced children and families

(Palatine, IL) Partners for Our Communities (POC), a local Palatine not-for-profit community organization has been providing vital resources for children and families for over 26 years from Northwest Community Healthcare's Community Resource Center in Palatine. POC has expanded its footprint and is now serving North Suburban Cook County at seven sites. POC is a leader in mobilizing 50+ partnering agencies and service providers to provide healthcare, youth development, violence prevention, employment, immigration, adult leadership, food, and rent assistance resources.

POC secured two significant grants to assist families with community resources and case management services in 2021. The first is a $100,000 grant from the State of IL Welcoming Centers for Refugees and Immigrants. POC hired two case managers and two bilingual support staff and serves as a one-stop human service center that provides comprehensive and holistic case management and service coordination to individuals and families in a linguistically, culturally sensitive manner. Staff is trained to connect individuals with government benefits and services and social service providers as needed through case management or referral. POC hosts a variety of community education workshops to help under-resourced families learn about resources and information that can advance their successful integration and build immigrant and refugee communities' capacity. This grant supports direct services, technology, and management.

The second grant for $100,000 is from the Cook County Department of Public Health to hire three Community Health Workers and 5 COVID Contact Screeners to conduct COVID contact tracing, which is vitally important to keep under-resourced communities healthy. The Contact Tracing grant is an initiative to raise awareness and covers staff and PPE for the community served and staff working at various sites. In collaboration with Palatine Township, Northwest Community Healthcare, and other community partners, the campaign aims to prevent and control the spread of COVID-19 and lessen its impacts through:

• Education and outreach to priority communities and populations;

• Expansion of existing programs and services that can help households isolate and quarantine, or address social and economic challenges; and

• Increased availability and access to testing.

This effort provides grassroots education and support by organizations already embedded in and trusted by the communities they serve. CCDPH is invested in funding organizations that have successfully provided programming driven by community voice.