Resource Directory /

Champaign Resources

  • Ameren Illinois Economic Hardship Recovery Program

    Ameren Illinois’ Economic Hardship Recovery Program provides information on various energy assistance programs, payment options and tips on lowering your utility bill.

    This step-by-step resource includes information on:

    • Assistance paying your energy bills, applying for financial assistance and eligibility guidelines
    • Exploring payment options
    • Tips for lowering future energy bills and energy efficiency programs

    Click here for a list of assistance programs statewide, including Warm Neighbors Cool Friends (WNCF), a program designed to help moderate-income seniors and families who have temporarily experienced a hardship but may not meet the guidelines of government programs.

    For more information, contact Ameren Illinois at (800) 755-5000 (residential customers) or (800) 232-2477 (business customers).

  • Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program

    The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) helps eligible low-income households pay for home energy services (primarily heating during winter months).

    Illinois residents with a household income that does not exceed an amount determined annually by the Department of Commerce are eligible. The program determines annual eligibility levels based on available funding and may not exceed 200 percent of the federal nonfarm poverty level.

    See the How to Apply for LIHEAP page for more information. To help find an office serving your area, visit this complete list of LIHEAP application agencies based on county.

    For more program information, check out the LIHEAP frequently asked questions or call the Help Illinois Families Call Center at (833) 711-0374.

  • American Sign Language Lessons

    If you are interested in learning or practicing the basics of American Sign Language (ASL), these sites provide free lessons to get you started:

    There are also free YouTube videos available to help you learn, practice and supplement your sign language instruction:

  • Cued Speach Program for Families of Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Children

    Cue College’s Cue Family Program provides a free, online Cued Speech class to families of deaf and hard-of-hearing children.

    Cued Speech combines a small number of simple hand cues with the natural mouth movements of speech to make the sounds or “phonemes” of spoken language clear through vision alone.

    The Cue Family Program includes free access for one year to the online Cue College course, “CS100 – Introduction to Cued American English – Self Study”, for parents, guardians, additional family members and caregivers of a child with hearing loss or other communication challenges.

  • Toilet Training Children with Special Needs – HealthyChildren.org

    The American Academy of Pediatrics’ website HealthyChildren.org provides parents of children with disabilities information for determining when to start and how to begin the toilet-training process.

    The information includes:

    An overview of physical and developmental challenges and how they can impact toilet training
    Tips on when and how to begin toilet training
    The importance of having a parent support network and focusing on celebrating your child’s overall growth, not the mistake

    This information is also available in Spanish.