Chambana Sun

On August 14, 2024, the Champaign County Community Coalition held its monthly meeting at the Holiday Inn Conference Center. The 2nd Annual Black Mental Health and Wellness Conference was discussed as registration begins on August 19th. The conference will take place on October 26th, 2024, from 8 am to 4 pm at Parkland College. This year’s conference is centered around deepening understanding, expanding perspectives, and contributing to the advancement of mental health in the Black community.

The Champaign-Urbana Schools Foundation introduced their new Executive Director Michelle Gonzales. They also presented information related to their mission statement, a five-year strategic plan, and upcoming events they are hosting.

Operation Hope introduced their new ambassadors and discussed the idea behind their summer project to create peace poles. The purpose of peace poles is to provide students with an opportunity to channel their creativity and self-expression as a means of healing and recovery following traumatic experiences.

Vision to Succeed provided the audience with ways they could support students as they head back to school. Monitoring cell phone usage, accessing mental health resources, and fostering strong relationships were among the ways discussed for providing support during this transitional period. They also spoke about some of their programming efforts and opportunities available to students.

During the information-sharing segment of the meeting, several upcoming events were highlighted, including Scott Bennett Family Resource Day, Rosecrance Overdose Awareness Day, the Dispute Resolution Institute’s Open House, and the Healing Invisible Wounds Conference. Additionally, the Housing Authority of Champaign County provided an update on the reopening of their Housing Choice Voucher Program waitlist.