Wheeling Township Quietly Meets Community's Needs
As the first line of defense for ever-growing human service needs in the Northwest Suburban area, Wheeling Township has quietly addressed mental health and the public's well-being throughout the years. Whether directly or indirectly, the Township and its elected officials consistently recognize the need for additional social support being made available to residents of the community through services offered in-house, or by providing financial funding support to local organizations which already successfully offer preeminent, prospering programs.
Over the past decade, Wheeling Township has provided more than $7.4 million dollars of funding to local agencies which offer dedicated and specialized mental health services, address homelessness, provide safety net services for youth, and a variety of other socially critical issues. Some of the organizations which receive significant funding from the Township include the Josselyn Center (mental health), Journeys/The Road Home (homelessness), Omni (behavioral health), WINGS (domestic violence), Alexian Brothers Center for Mental Health (mental health), Clearbrook Center (intellectual/developmental disabilities), Little City (intellectual/development disabilities), Suburban Primary Healthcare Council (health insurance for uninsured individuals), Kindred Life Ministries (teen families), Shelter (youth/family support), Avenues to Independence (intellectual/ developmental disabilities), Harbour (youth homelessness), and the Mobile Dental Clinic (health/wellness). All of these organizations offer programs and services which support the needs of individuals who might be experiencing emotional, psychological and physical challenges due to a variety of significant life events, anxiety or other mental health issues.
Wheeling Township chooses to provide funding to these highly qualified organizations because they are staffed with talented, professionally skilled specialists who successfully deliver solutions to challenging issues. These organizations efficiently and professionally address our community's mental health and human needs concerns - and do so with firmness of purpose and dedicated resources.
In addition to providing allocated funding to pertinent organizations within the community, Wheeling Township delivers cohesive and indispensable services through its own programming and collaborative efforts. For example, recognizing the need for freedom and independence, the Township has six to seven buses on the road every weekday, providing rides to critically important medical appointments, grocery stores/pharmacies, jobs, and personal care. Rides are available for any resident over the age of 60 or for permanently disabled persons over 18. For those individuals who worry about food insecurity, access to nutritious food through the Township's Food Pantry is available. Others may be eligible for the Township's Home Delivered Meal program.
For persons facing life-threatening hardship, potential eviction or utility disconnections, financial assistance may be available through Wheeling Township's Emergency Assistance program, or ongoing aid through General Assistance. As a way to help ensure access to a warm home, grant funding is available to those who qualify for LIHEAP (Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program). Other types of wellness, personal well-being, and community engagement programs are also available.
Wheeling Township considers itself to be a safety net for its residents, taking note of, and addressing their needs, issues and concerns for more than 150 years. There are approximately 155,000 residents living within Wheeling Township, and many face financial, emotional or physical challenges. Funding for Township services and programs is derived from less than 1% on the average homeowner's tax bill. The Township works tirelessly to increase the quantity and diversity of the services offered, while also reducing its reserves and keeping the budget flat so that taxpayers aren't negatively impacted.
The steadily increasing challenges of mental health and human support needs have been systematically addressed by Wheeling Township for many years, both internally and in tandem with the value-added funding of competent local organizations which skillfully provide targeted resources and results. For more information about the wide variety of programs, services and support that the Township offers its residents, please call 847-259-7730, or visit www.wheelingtownship.com.