McHenry Times

State Rep. Dan Ugaste (R-St. Charles) used a recent House Public Safety and Violence Prevention task force hearing on law enforcement to question a witness about how the state’s new Restore, Reinvest and Renew (R3) Program Grants are slated to be used.

“I’m familiar with the NAACP and its mission and goals, but I have to admit I understand what you’re striving to do with the grant you're receiving, but I don’t know anything about what these groups are doing with the money once they get it and how it’s working,” Ugaste quizzed one witness. “I get the overall picture, but I’m looking for a few more specifics so we have a better understanding of what’s going on and what more we could do if anything.”

Dr. Patricia Booker Easley, of the NAACP and the Westside Collaborative Project, answered Ugaste’s concerns by pointing to the histories, reputations and visions of the groups involved in the project.

“Representative, I think your question is how does it work once the funding filters down to each of the organizations,” she said. “I think it's important to reiterate ... these seven organizations are very diverse in the kinds of services they provide, but they're all grassroots organizations. They’re front-line in many cases. Remember, in the past they were not receiving funding, but somehow they were able to provide services to particular or specific citizens in their communities. So now, that they have the funding, they are able to really target the different services to those people.”

Made up of eight West Side nonprofits and civil rights organizations, the Westside Collaborative Project is an initiative created with the goal of providing a wide range of services to West Side youths ages 14 to 24. The nearly $2 million state grant used for the program’s funding is set to come from revenues generated from the tax on cannabis sales.

The Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority (ICJIA) is distributing R3 grants to organizations serving communities that have experienced economic hardship and disproportionate violence and incarceration.

With the Chicago Westside Branch NAACP taking the lead, the Westside Collaborative includes organizations built around offering services that include mental health, career development, violence prevention and other support services. All the member organizations that are part of the collaborative have been in operation for years and are said to already offer programs that serve the people they are seeking to reach.

Booker stressed while each of the organizations have their own targets and missions, all of the groups share the same overall goal.

“If you look at an organization such as Saving Our Sons, they provide services for formerly incarcerated gentlemen and women and they train them on construction type positions or jobs,” she said. “On the other hand, we have other organizations that go directly to where crimes have happened or hotspots. They work with the police stations. They use the resources that they now have to go there and try to defuse situations. They might set up a grill, they might have hamburgers, hotdogs, they may do peace circles and they do it just in time on the spot. So, those are just a few examples of how those funds are being really filtered down directly to the people who need them the most.”