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The Illinois Bar Foundation Board of Directors awarded $295,005 to thirty six not-for-profit organizations throughout Illinois. BUILD, Inc. $5,000 to support Project BUILD. Project BUILD is the rehabilitation program at the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center. Project BUILD works with youths released from the Detention Center to teach them life skills, such as appropriate behavior, violence prevention strategies and conflict resolution in order to reduce recidivism. Cabrini Green Legal Aid Clinic $15,000 to support its Criminal Law Program. CGLA provides free legal services in the areas of family, housing and criminal law to low-income residents of Chicago. The criminal law program provides representation and other legal services to clients facing criminal charges and who seek to clear their arrest and conviction records. CARPLS $20,000 to support its legal assistance hotline. CARPLS’ legal assistance hotline provides low-income clients with immediate access to legal advice, referrals and brief services and streamlines the legal aid system in Cook County. CARPLS attorneys resolve more than 65% of its cases without the need for further referral, alleviating the burden on traditional legal aid programs designed to provide in-court representation. By supporting its hotline services, CARPLS hopes to increase the number of clients served, increase the depth of service provided to those clients and lower the cost per case. CASA – 15th Judicial Circuit $4,000 to support its volunteer recruitment and training efforts. CASA – 15th Judicial Circuit aims to provide for each abused child they represent, an advocate who, free from heavy caseloads and bound only to protect the child’s best interests, will take the time to carefully monitor the case and make sound recommendations to the court. CASA of Franklin County $2,500 to train and recruit new CASA advocates. CASA of Franklin County strives to help abused and neglected children who are victims to not become victims again in the legal system. They provide volunteers for court-based advocacy to speak up for the best interest of the children. CASA of Franklin County currently serves 55 children, the most ever, but they are still only able to serve 48% of the cases. With a grant from the Foundation, they expect to add 10 to 15 additional advocates. CASA of Jefferson County $2,500 for new advocate training. CASA of Jefferson County was established in June 2006 to advocate for abused and neglected children within the Juvenile Court system by training and managing volunteers to represent those children’s best interest in the court. CASA of Vermillion County $3,000 to support this new CASA program. CASA of Vermillion County was recently established in 2007 to advocate on the behalf of abused and neglected children. CASA volunteers are highly trained community volunteers who are appointed by a judge to represent the best interest of abused and neglected children in court. Each CASA volunteer is assigned to one case at a time and serves on that case until it closes. CASA of Will County $7,500 to hire a part-time specialized case manager to oversee the Juvenile Justice Project. Unlike other state CASA programs, CASA of Will County works in the delinquency courts. In this new collaborative program involving the Will County Health Department and the Will County Juvenile Probation, the juvenile justice advocates will work closely with court personnel, service providers, school personnel and the children and their families to provide mentoring, resource and referral assistance, monitoring and case management services. CASA of Williamson County $4,000 for new advocate training. CASA of Williamson County is serving 92% of the children in the juvenile court, and have experienced dramatic growth over the past few years. They hope to train 30 new volunteers in 2008. A CASA volunteer is a highly trained and managed community volunteer who is appointed by a judge to represent the best interest of abused and neglected children in court. A CASA volunteer gathers information about the child and reports it to the court at every hearing. Catholic Social Services of Southern Illinois $8,000 to support its Awakenings program. The Awakenings program is a 14-week program designed to help offenders examine their attitudes and behaviors. The goal of Awakenings is to reduce recidivism by returning the participant to society with a better understanding of personal responsibility he/she has for his/her actions, giving new skills to cope with fluctuating emotions and a new control over his/her actions. This year, the program hopes to graduate 50 adults and 24 juveniles, a 50% increase from 2007. Catholic Urban Programs Neighborhood Law Office (NLO) $15,000 to support its Strong Urban Neighborhoods program. The Neighborhood Law Office works with the residents of East St. Louis to create healthy, safe and strong neighborhoods, which in turn help stabilize and revitalize a decaying city. NLO teams with citizen organizations to file lawsuits against owners of derelict structures, monitors the East St. Louis city code enforcement and demolition programs and demands accountability from city officials charged with protecting public health and safety. Recently, NLO expanded into home and neighborhood preservation by preventing bond-for-deed foreclosures. The Center for the Prevention for Abuse $7,000 support its Court Advocacy Program. The Advocacy Program assists victims of domestic violence in their efforts to petition the court for orders of protection. The Center for the Prevention of Abuse is the only agency in the state of Illinois to provide emergency and longer-term housing and supportive services to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault/abuse and elder abuse. They serve more than 4,000 individuals affected by violence each year. Chicago Legal Advocacy for Incarcerated Mothers (CLAIM) $5,000 for its on-site legal aid and client education programs. CLAIM provides programs on legal aid and family law matters to mothers in jail and prison, educational programs to help mothers forge sound plans for their children and in many cases avoid foster care placement, and advocacy for more humane policies by raising public awareness and through educating policy makers. Chicago Metropolitan Battered Women’s Network $10,000 to support the Domestic Violence Court Policy and Advocacy Project. This project helps increase the safety of victims by removing guns from the abusers in cases where orders of protection are issued or pending. The Chicago Metropolitan Battered Women’s Network helps improve the lives of victims of domestic violence through operating the City of Chicago Domestic Violence Help Line, the Centralized Training Institute and leading public policy and advocacy efforts. Chicago Volunteer Legal Services Foundation (CVLS) $10,000 to support the Chancery Court Access to Justice Program. Chancery Court judges appoint CVLS to represent and assist pro se low-income parties in mortgage foreclosures and partitions, actions to quiet title, subsidized housing evictions and appeals of government administrative decisions. The project has accepted 200 cases in its first 20 months and anticipates accepting approximately 100 new each cases year. Community Crisis Center (CCC) $8,000 to support the hiring of a new domestic violence court advocate at the Elgin Branch Court. Currently, CCC serves victims at the Elgin Branch Court on an on-call basis, offering assistance to those who have difficulty with transportation to the Kane County Judicial Center in Geneva. This court advocate will be dedicated to the Elgin Branch Court and will have bilingual skills in order to better assist those Spanish-speaking clients. The Community Crisis Center was one of the first domestic violence shelters in the state of Illinois. Their services include: a 24 hour crisis hotline; information and referral; emergency shelter for up to 40 women; transitional living support; individual and group counseling; legal, medical and welfare advocacy; financial assistance and food and clothing referrals; a batterer intervention program; and community education. Constitutional Rights Foundation $7,500 to support its expansion of its Equal Justice Under Law program to schools south of I-80. The Equal Justice Under Law program engages students and their peers from diverse education and socioeconomic backgrounds in discussions of the U.S. Supreme Court cases and examinations of public issues. The Constitutional Rights Foundation works with elementary and secondary schools to develop critical thinking skills and to promote a commitment to the rule of law and to encourage civic participation among young people. Crisis Center Foundation $6,000 to support its Legal Advocacy Program. The Crisis Center Foundation provides a myriad of services that help victims of domestic violence regain or develop the skills needed to live without further abuse. The legal advocacy program educates domestic violence survivors of the remedies, rights and options under the Illinois Domestic Violence Act, and assists in accessing and navigating law enforcement, civil and criminal justice systems. Equip for Equality $10,000 to support its Special Education Clinic. Its Special Education Clinic is a single place for parents to obtain comprehensive information, legal advice, strategies and referrals on children’s special education rights. With resources and strong pro bono interest from the private bar, the Clinic is poised to make a positive impact in the lives of students with special education needs. Equip for Equality is the only statewide, cross-disability, comprehensive advocacy organization providing self-advocacy assistance, legal services, and disability rights education while also engaging in public policy and legislative advocacy and conducting abuse investigations and other oversight activities. Family Rescue $8,000 to support its Court Advocacy Program. Family Rescue provides comprehensive support services and shelter to victims of domestic violence and encourages prevention through community activities. The Court Advocacy Program provides crisis counseling, education regarding the Illinois Domestic Violence Act, advocacy with police and judicial system personnel, court accompaniment for survivors who want to obtain an Order of Protection in civil court and/or proceed with criminal misdemeanor or felony charges. It is the only agency in Chicago that will assist any woman walking into the courthouse seeking a civil Order of Protection. Family Shelter Service $7,000 to support its Court Advocacy Program. Family Shelter Services serves victims of domestic violence by providing three shelter locations, counseling, court advocacy, 24-hour crisis hotline and a children’s program. In late 2007, the DuPage County Courts launched electronic filings of Orders of Protection. Family Shelter Service is helping the courts and the community in the new move towards electronic filing to ensure the project works appropriately for the victims it is intended to serve. First Defense Legal Aid $10,000 for its legal services. First Defense Legal Aid is the only program offering free, around-the-clock legal assistance for individuals in Chicago Police Department custody. Since the Office of the Cook County Public Defender is prohibited from representing clients in criminal matters until appointed by a judge, First Defense volunteers provide legal services to arrestees and detainees at a critical time until a public defender can be appointed. Illinois CASA $10,000 to fund the implementation phase of the CASA Community Awareness Program. Illinois CASA is the organizing body for CASA in Illinois and is responsible for developing new CASA programs and expanding existing ones. The Community Awareness Program is a professionally designed campaign that will seek to increase volunteer recruitment, community education and prepare for future development for the local CASA programs. Illinois Equal Justice Foundation $5,000 for its Equal Justice Illinois Campaign. The Equal Justice Illinois Campaign is a bi-partisan effort to increase state appropriation for civil legal services for low-income persons. The funds for civil legal services help non-profit organizations across the state provide legal information, advice, mediation and representation to low-income persons. Last year, the funds served 118,000 people in Illinois. Illinois Judges Association $7,500 for its Judicial Intern Opportunity Program. This program offers a $1,500 stipend for full-time summer internships outside of Cook and Lake counties to first and second year minority or financially disadvantaged law students who want to do legal research and writing for state judges in Illinois. Last year, IJA provided internships to a minimum of 19 law students, and they hope to place more students this year. Illinois Legal Aid Online $20,000 to support its Statewide Legal Services Websites. Illinois Legal Aid Online provides comprehensive, internet-based resources for legal aid advocates, pro bono lawyers and members of the public seeking legal information. With the websites visited over a million times a year, Illinois Legal Aid Online is an innovative project that increases the capacity of the entire legal aid delivery system while reaching a large number of low-income people. Maryville Academy $5,000 to support the Maryville Victim Offender Conferencing Program. This program is designed to restore victims, youthful offenders and their community by providing victims of juvenile crime the opportunity to meet the offender in a safe and structured setting while helping the youthful offender take responsibility for his/her conduct and taking action to repair the harm to the victim and to their community. Mikva Challenge $20,000 to fund Project Soapbox. The Mikva Challenge develops the next generation of civic leaders, policymakers and activists by providing over 3,200 of Chicago’s young people with the opportunity to participate directly in the democratic process. Project Soapbox, a nascent program, will focus on developing the public speaking, debate and civic leadership skills of Chicago high school students while also expanding students’ knowledge of their rights under the First Amendment of the Constitution. Mutual Ground, Inc. $5,000 to support its Domestic Violence Legal Court Advocacy Program. Bilingual/ bicultural court advocates provide victims of domestic violence assistance in courthouses in Kane County, the Aurora Branch Court, the Kane County Judicial Center and the Kendall County Courthouse. Mutual Ground is the only provider of court advocacy services in their area. Prairie State Legal Services $15,000 to support its Telephone Counseling Service. Prairie State Legal Services provides legal services to low-income residents in 35 counties in Northern and Central Illinois. The Telephone Counseling Service is the primary point of access for more than 21,000 applicants for legal services in their service area. This service allows attorneys to interview callers, assess the situation, link urgent issues with staff attorneys in branch offices and provide prompt legal advice and counsel to eligible person. Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law $5,000 for the Safe Homes Initiative. The Shriver Center was part of an advocacy team that succeeded in passing the Safe Homes Act. The purpose of the Act is to allow a victim of domestic violence living in rental housing to break her lease early or request an emergency lock change if there is an imminent threat of domestic violence against herself or her family. Under the Safe Homes Initiative, the Shriver Center will help educate advocates and victims of domestic violence about their rights so they can take appropriate action if needed. Sojourn Shelter & Services $6,000 to support its Central Illinois Pro Bono Project. Sojourn Shelter & Services is a domestic violence program serving five central Illinois counties, collectively comprising the largest service area of any domestic violence provider in the state. The Pro Bono Project is a collaborative project that aims to enlist area attorneys to assist victims of domestic violence with Plenary Orders of Protection. To date, nearly 50 attorneys have provided pro bono advice, information, and representation to over 150 victims. The Veterans Legal Support Center at The John Marshall Law School $5,005 for training manuals for the ISBA’s Committee on Military Affairs. The training manuals will be distributed to volunteer attorneys who are willing to help veterans or to teach others how to do so. The Veterans Legal Support Center at The John Marshall Law School is the nation’s first law-school hosted legal support center and clinic dedicated solely to addressing the legal needs of United States Veterans in obtaining disability, medical and educational Veterans Administration benefits. Will County Legal Assistance Program, Inc. $7,500 to assist with general operating expenses. The Will County Legal Assistance Program provides quality legal services to low-income and senior citizen residents of Will County through advocacy, empowerment and commitment to equal justice. They are the only provider of free legal services in Will County. Winnebago County Bar Association $6,000 to support its Small Claims Mediation Program. The Small Claims Mediation Program provides self-represented litigants with the chance to discuss and resolve their legal problems in a non-threatening atmosphere where discussion and resolution can take place under the aegis of the mediation program. WCBA offers a program that engages lawyers as volunteer mediators and provides pro-se litigants with a quick and easy resolution to legal problems. Youth Job Center of Evanston, Inc. $3,000 to support its New Beginnings Program. The New Beginnings Program gives qualified ex-offenders the opportunity to obtain employment and receive necessary exposure to job skills and work experience, as well as gain experience and references. The Youth Job Center prepares youths ages 14-25 for success in the workplace by providing job readiness, placement and employment support in partnership with employers. Annually, the Youth Job Center provides these services to 1,400 youth. YLD GrantKendall County State’s Attorney’s Children’s Advocacy Center $5,000 to support its new Children Advocacy Center. The Kendall County Children’s Advocacy Center was established in January 2007 to protect children who have been sexually and/or physically abused. Funds from the Children’s Assistance Fund will aid in the creation of an informational folder and brochure for victims and family members, a brochure to inform the public of their services and actions to take if they suspect a child is being abused and for recruitment, supervision, training and recognition of volunteers. Grants Screening Committee
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