Financial Assistance and Grant Programs Resources
Illinois Valley Center for Independent Living (IVCIL) in Spring Valley
The Illinois Valley Center for Independent Living (IVCIL) serves individuals with disabilities and their families living in LaSalle, Marshall, Bureau, Putnam, and Stark counties. Located in Spring Valley, IVCIL provides services and advocates for the rights of people with disabilities to choose what is best for themselves and their families.
IVCIL also provides community grants. Individuals and agencies can apply year-round. Other IVCIL programs and services include:
- Independent living and community services
- Youth and transition services
- Peer counseling
- Personal assistant program
- Site accessibility assessments
For questions, call IVCIL at (815) 224 – 3126.
Illinois Valley Industries helps adults with intellectual, sensory, physical and developmental disabilities participate in their community, live independently, contribute to society and enhance the quality of their lives. Illinois Valley Industries programs for Grundy County residents include community day services, self-direction assistance, community employment and personal support services.
For questions or more information, contact Illinois Valley Industries at (815) 942-6133 or info@ivigrundy.com.
If you or one of your family members has mental health and/or substance use challenges and would like to receive support by phone, call the Illinois Warm Line at (866) 359-7953.
Wellness support specialists are professionals who have experienced mental health and/or substance use recovery in their own lives. They are trained in recovery support, mentoring and advocacy.
The Illinois Warm Line is not a crisis hotline, but is a source of support as you recover or help a family member to recover. Illinois Warm Line hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., except holidays.
The Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) also provides a list of state and national helplines offering someone to talk to or help during a crisis.
Immigrant Services of Champaign-Urbana
Immigrant Services of Champaign-Urbana (ISCU) provides a welcoming hand and a variety of resources to help immigrant families build success. ISCU partners with over 45 faith-based, university and community groups and hundreds of individuals from across the greater Champaign-Urbana area. Help includes food, family liaisons and community guides, English-as-a-second-language classes, legal assistance and more depending on the families’ needs.
ISCU programs and services include:
- Case management
- Transportation to medical and legal appointments
- The New Beginnings Assistance Program offering gently used furniture and household items
- Community Health Program providing referrals, outreach events and health awareness
For questions, please call (217) 800-5725 or email ISCU@ISC-U.org.
The Immune Deficiency Foundation (IDF) is a nationwide organization that can assist with finding specialists, providing financial assistance and providing educational materials. Primary immune deficiency diseases are a group of relatively rare conditions caused by intrinsic or genetic defects in the immune system.
For more information, contact IDF at (410) 321-6647 or IDF@primaryimmune.org.
InfantSEE is a public health program that provides a no-cost comprehensive eye and vision assessment for infants 6-12 months old, regardless of a family’s income or access to insurance coverage. The assessment is designed to detect problems early to ensure babies have the opportunity to develop the visual abilities they need to grow and learn.
The InfantSEE assessment is completed by a doctor of optometry. It includes discussing the patient’s and family’s health history and testing for excessive or unequal amounts of:
- Nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism
- Eye movement ability
- Eye health problems
InfantSEE is managed by the Optometry Cares – The American Optometric Association (AOA) Foundation.
Infinite Potential Through Technology (Infinitec)
Infinite Potential Through Technology (Infinitec) brings assistive technology to people with disabilities in Illinois. Infinitec provides information about assistive technology as well as training, equipment and access to specialists and resources.
Infinitec includes information about mobility devices, home modifications, independent living, orthotics and prosthetics, adaptive toys, adaptive sports, hearing resource guides, vision resource guides and more.
Internet Essentials from Comcast provides affordable home internet for qualifying households, low-cost computers, free WiFi hotspots and free internet training. Families may qualify if they live in an area where Xfinity Internet service is available and are eligible for public assistance programs, including the National School Lunch Program, housing assistance, Medicaid, SNAP, SSI, and other programs.
The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE)’s Resiliency Toolkit is a collection of resources designed to foster safe and healthy school climates. In response to the growing mental health challenges that Illinois youth face, this toolkit offers developmentally appropriate tools to help students, parents, caregivers and school personnel build the resilience necessary to thrive.
ISBE’s Resiliency Toolkit topics include:
- Mental health
- Discrimination and harassment
- Preventing and addressing bullying
- Substance use prevention and more
For questions, please contact ISBE’s Wellness and Student Care Department at (217) 782-5270.
It Gets Better Project – LGBTQ+ Youth Local and Global Resources
The It Gets Better Project’s mission is to uplift, empower, and connect lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) youth around the globe. The It Gets Better Project offers LGBTQ+ youth on- and offline resources that include events, local community service providers that can provide on-the-ground assistance and thousands of stories as told by members of the LGBTQ+ community and their allies. The It Gets Better Project also provides educational materials and resources for teachers and student leaders.