Bring your children, preschool age to 12 years of age, to the 40th Annual International Family Festival at ISU Bone Student Center in the Circus Room!
On Saturday, February 20th from 12 pm ~ 4 pm, staff from CDV—Neville House staff will be representing Guatemala at this exciting event. Join us for an afternoon of multicultural crafts, games and entertainment, door prizes, as well as free popcorn & drinks!
Adult survivors and victims of domestic violence are encouraged to attend CDV’s Tuesday night support group.
Topics discussed include:
- self esteem
- safety planning
- assertiveness
- characteristics of an abusive relationship
- healthy boundaries
- identifying/verbalizing personal needs
- “Bill of Rights”
- being single parents
- red flags
- intergenerational cycle of abuse
- and much more
The group meets on Tuesday nights from 6:30pm – 8:00pm, and a children’s support groups is offered at the same time for children ages 6 to 12. Assistance is available for child care for younger children.
Please call the Neville House 24 hour hotline at (309) 827-7070 for further information and location of the meetings.
“When these strangers gathered, something happened – some would call it “a dynamic”, others “grace” – that allowed them to speak truthfully from the depths of their hearts and also to be receptive to each others truths, where in other circumstances they could not do either, and in this giving and taking, to begin to heal. What makes this possible and why it is healing remains the mystery and miracle of self-help groups.”
“Notes and Comment”
The New Yorker
April 23, 1990
Mid Central Community Action, Inc. (MCCA) rolled out its new online homebuyer education program this week. For the first-time since the inception of the program, which has been operating for more than ten years, first time home buyers within the agency’s expanded service area will be able to access HUD Certified home buyer education course online.
With the new online presence also comes increased access to down payment assistance funding of up to $5,000. Income-eligible participants can use this forgivable grant towards either down payment funds on a first home or closing costs incurred as the result of the purchase of a first home.
Anyone interested in learning more about this new on-line class may visit the Homebuyer Education page, or contact the housing department directly at (309) 834-9245 (English) or (309) 834-9254 (Spanish).
Regardless of whether you are a first-time home buyer or an existing home owner ready to make your next home purchase, MCCA urges you to seek home ownership education from a HUD-approved nonprofit organization, like MCCA, before purchasing a home.
Mid Central Community Action’s current Executive Director, John Burrill, will be retiring in 2010. The Board of Directors has begun a search to identify and hire an individual who will provide the vision and strong leadership for the further advancement of the agency as guided by its mission and values.
We envision the successful candidate will have a minimum of 10 years of management experience and a working knowledge of nonprofit boards. S/he will be expected to:
- Provide strong leadership for advocacy and fundraising while taking the agency to the next level in its strategic vision,
- Possess the interpersonal skills that will assure successful relationship building with a variety of external stakeholders,
- Have familiarity with the issues affecting not-for-profit agencies as they relate to the organization’s mission,
- Demonstrate solid communication skills and a collaborative management style.
- Offer evidence of strong bottom line orientation with ability to effectively delegate and hold staff accountable while identifying and developing the organization’s future leaders.
For more information, see “Employment Opportunities“
Mid Central Community Action, Inc.’s foreclosure intervention program has now expanded to include Kankakee and Iroquois Counties, and the southern part of Will County, Illinois.
MCCA Agent, Bruce Cowhig, is available to meet with customers who are facing foreclosure at 150 N. Schuyler St, Suite 204 in Kankakee. The office is open from Monday to Friday, 9 am until 1pm, with other hours available by appointment.
Bruce can be reached by phone at (815) 939-9700, or by email at bcowhig@sbcglobal.net
If you live in this service area and are facing foreclosure, or if you know anyone in this situation, please contact Bruce to make an appointment to discuss foreclosure intervention options. Remember, nothing is worse than doing nothing!
The competition is over for this year, please look for the 2010 Uptown Downtown Scavenger Hunt in the Fall.
Congratulations to 2009 Uptown Downtown Scavenger Hunt winners:
The Inner Circle!
Do you think you know Bloomington and Normal?
How familiar are you with the buildings and sites that surround you?

Do you know where this photo was taken?
If you were given a series of 100 photographs, and two weeks to locate them all, we think you would learn a lot more about the Twin Cities than you think you may already know!
Are you up for the challenge?
Here’s how it works. First, you will need to get together a group of friends. Five is ideal.
Register your team with Mid Central Community Action, Inc. and pay the entry fee of $100 (that’s just $20 per person for a team of 5!)

Very ornate, but do you know where it is?
Your team will receive a spiral bound book with 100 photographs of various sites, buildings, landmarks and signs in Bloomington and Normal. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to identify as many of those photographs as possible.
The winning team will receive a grand prize of $500, and be crowned the Uptown Downtown Scavenger Hunt Champions of 2009!
Will you accept the challenge?