These grant recipients will be on hand at the Social Justice Celebration & Fundraiser to showcase their work and discuss the impact of our grant program on their mission.
Avicenna Women’s Health Clinic
ACHC is an interfaith, student-run safety-net clinic committed to serving our neighbors with dignity and respect, regardless of ability to pay. Launched in December 2023, the Women’s Health Clinic provides provides well-woman exams, evaluation and treatment of common gynecologic conditions, urinary tract infection testing and treatment, preventive screenings, health counseling, and patient education.
Funds from the McKinley Community Grant will directly the clinic’s capacity to deliver preventive care, point-of-care testing, and in-clinic procedures for uninsured and underinsured women in Champaign County.
Bubble Baby Foundation
Through advocacy, education, and direct service, the Bubble Baby Foundation is dedicated to creating equitable access to safe, allergen-friendly foods for food-insecure individuals in Champaign County. Our mission is to fight food insecurity among individuals with food allergies by promoting inclusivity, increasing accessibility, and reducing health disparities related to dietary restrictions.
Funds from the McKinley Community Grant will be used to purchase allergen-friendly, shelf-stable foods for distribution through local food pantries; cover the basic setup and ongoing material needs for our allergy-free pantry distribution program; and provide educational materials in each food kit to help families manage food allergies.
Campaña de Salud
Campaña de Salud is a medical, student-led organization at the Carle Illinois College of Medicine dedicated to improving health equity by serving the Latino community of Champaign-Urbana and nearby rural areas. Founded on the principles of compassion, cultural humility, and community collaboration, we strive to reduce barriers to healthcare access and empower individuals through education, screening, and advocacy.
Funds from the McKinley Community Grant will be used to expand Campaña de Salud’s work in three areas: community health fairs, women’s health and hygiene initiative, and dental equity pilot program.
College of ACES, Everybody Eats Program
In 2024 Bevier Café, a student-operated instructional dining laboratory within the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition at UIUC, expanded its mission beyond education to address a growing and urgent need: food insecurity on campus. The Everybody Eats initiative ensures that if someone walks into Bevier Café hungry, they will eat. The program operates on a dignity-based, pay-it-forward model. This approach preserves privacy, reduces stigma, and fosters community solidarity.
Funds from the McKinley Community Grant will be used to subsidize meal tokens, as well as program awareness and outreach materials and program tracking and reporting.
DREAAM, Nutrition and Lifestyle Education Program
Driven to Reach Excellence and Academic Achievement (DREAAM) is a non-profit organization that empowers young men and boys of color to achieve success. In a partnership with Extension at UIUC and Carle Illinois College of Medicine, we are carrying out a family-based, culturally relevant, community-based nutrition and lifestyle education program with the objective of reducing disparities in obesity and lifestyle related diseases within our local African/black community.
Funds from the McKinley Community Grant will be used to help train and compensate nine new community health workers (CHW) from within the community.
Family Advocacy in Champaign County
Family Advocacy in Champaign County (FACC) is a community-based organization dedicated to supporting families impacted by the child welfare system. A crucial part of our ability to fulfill this mission is our partnership with undergraduate and graduate social work interns who are completing field placements required for their degrees. Most of our interns come from historically marginalized backgrounds. Many are first-generation college students, students of color, or individuals from low-income households. Despite their critical role, these interns receive no financial compensation.
Funds from the McKinley Community Grant will be used to provide small but meaningful stipends for our four interns.
GCAP Nutrition Program
The Greater Community AIDS Project of East Central Illinois (GCAP) mission centers on helping people living with HIV/AIDS through key support and community partnerships, directly addressing the linked problems of food and housing insecurity they often face. Each year, GCAP provides support to approximately 90 households, directly supporting ~150 individuals living HIV/AIDS in our region.
Funds from the McKinley Community Grant will be used to enhance nutritional support for individuals living with HIV/AIDS by meeting the increasing need for assistance and providing a wider array of food options.
Illini Hillel, Pride Shabbat and BGaygel Brunch
Illini Hillel hosts a Pride Shabbat and a BGaygel Brunch (Gay Bagel Brunch) every semester. In addition to elevating the queer experience, these programs support Jewish queer students coming together to celebrate the intersection of their identities. These students have been especially alienated in the last two years – they feel unsafe as Jews in queer, progressive spaces, and some of them don’t have Jewish communities at home that are welcoming of their queer identities. As a result, LGBTJew is one of the few spaces where these can be unabashedly and openly both.
Funds from the McKinley Community Grant will be used to offset food and decorations for the both events as well as art supplies for making masks and collages.
The Land Connection
The Land Connection (TLC) envisions a community-based food system rooted in relationships between farmers, eaters, and the land. We started in 2001 with 40 acres and a vision of preserving farmland, and in the years since, our work has expanded to address the entirety of the local food system: farmer education, land access through Illinois FarmLink, year-round farmers markets, and a growing suite of food access programs designed to ensure that fresh, locally grown food is available to everyone in our community
Funds from the McKinley Community Grant will be used to purchase commercial-grade coolers and food-safe containers to transport unused and donated food items from the farmers markets to the Friends of Champaign County Food Pantry.
The Wayne Strong Foundation
The Wayne Strong Foundation is a community-rooted nonprofit whose mission is to eliminate barriers to success by ensuring equitable access to educational resources, empowering youth through mentorship and development programs, and promoting heart health through inclusive, community-centered initiatives. We envision a future in which every individual-regardless of background-is equipped with the tools to thrive, supported by a caring community, and living in good health. Our work is guided by core values of integrity, empathy, inclusion, and a steadfast belief in education as a catalyst for change.
Funds from the McKinley Community Grant will be used to purchase essential school supplies that will be distributed at the annual Back to School Bash.
Toni Gist, Warm Weather Gear
Toni Gist, a Clinical Assistant Professor at UIUC, teaches large-enrollment General Education courses in the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition. Each January, she began noticing that many of her students arrived on campus unprepared for Midwest winters, e.g., international students from tropical climates, first-generation college students navigating financial insecurity. On her own initiative and with modest discretionary funds, she purchased 198 pieces of winter gear. Every single item was claimed!
Funds from the McKinley Community Grant will be used to purchase more winter gear for next year, ensuring that no student misses class, avoids engagement, or feels excluded because of something as preventable as not having gloves or a hat.
UHS Habitat for Humanity Club, Mississippi Delta Build
More than a decade ago, the UHS Habitat Club was launched in response to students’ requests for meaningful service opportunities. Since that time, 50-60 students participate annually in our weekly meetings and monthly local Habitat builds. In November and February, we take groups of 20 juniors and seniors to Tutwiler, Mississippi. Students learn about poverty and discrimination in both the Mississippi Delta and their own Urbana community. They return home equipped not just with knowledge, but with a sense of moral obligation and practical tools to address injustice.
Funds from the McKinley Community Grant will be used Grant funds will directly offset travel, lodging, and food expenses, ensuring equity of access: we are committed that no student is excluded for financial reasons.
USD #116 Tiger Academy, Community Service Project
The Tiger Academy serves approximately 35 students with a part-time, hybrid-style alternative program that allows them to be partially enrolled at UHS and partially enrolled in the Alt Ed Program. The program addresses social emotional learning by providing a safe space and alternative learning environment where students can fill in learning gaps, regain lost credits, and learn vital academic and life skills. service learning. Service learning projects help students gain a broader perspective of their community, develop a stronger sense of empathy thinking about the needs of others, and improve their collaboration and communication skills by working together to meet a common goal.
Funds from the McKinley Community Grant will be used to purchase supplies to make approximately 18 fleece blankets to donate to those in need, such as homeless shelters, women’s shelters, and/or animal shelters within the Champaign-Urbana community.
Zeta Xi Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha, Care Packages
Alpha Phi Alpha is the first intercollegiate Black Greek-Letter fraternity established for African American Men in the United States. The Zeta Xi Lambda Chapter is an example of an alumni chapter currently located in Champaign, IL. Each year since 2013, the Zeta Xi Lambda chapter engages in a variety of fundraisers to raise money to provide college scholarships to local high school youth who have been accepted to college.
Funds from the McKinley Community Grant will be used to provide care packages to scholarship recipients during midterms to demonstrate support from afar and boost their spirits.