Impact Outreach Worker Attends CUPHD Justice Coalition Documentary Screening
On October 11, Impact Outreach Worker Kellen Brown attended the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District’s (CUPHD) Justice Coalition event, which featured a screening of the PBS documentary Discovered Truth: A Healthcare Journey. The screening took place at the Independent Media Center and brought together a diverse group of community members and organizations dedicated to promoting health equity and justice. Local vendors and advocacy groups, […]
City of Champaign Represents at Global Human Rights Conference
Community Relations Manager Janel Gomez attended the 76th Annual Conference of the International Association of Official Human Rights Agencies (IAOHRA). The Conference highlighted important topics such as fair employment practices, housing discrimination, addressing hate, and exploring global human rights issues. There were sessions focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion leadership; enforcement of anti-discrimination ordinances; policy; […]
City Engages in Welcoming Leadership Event
Rachel Joy, Director of the Equity and Engagement Department, participated as a guest speaker during the Welcoming America Certified Leadership 2025 cohort final session. The session, entitled “Sustaining and Growing Welcoming Infrastructure”, was held on Thursday, October 9. The Leadership cohort included communities from California, Colorado, Illinois, Massachusetts, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Utah.
Fire Prevention Week 2025
Champaign Fire, Police, Equity and Engagement, METCAD, and Carle Arrow Ambulance kicked off Fire Prevention Week activities on Sunday, October 5 at Fire Station 1. Mayor Feinen presented the Fire Prevention Week Proclamation to begin the Open House and Resource Fair. Council Member Clayborn also attended the kickoff event. Throughout the week, there have been […]
Equity & Engagement Joins Community for “Sons and Daughters in Heaven” Gala
On September 28, 2025, members of the City of Champaign’s Equity & Engagement Department joined Champaign Police Chief Timothy Tyler, Council Member Shauna Clayborn, Senator Paul Faraci, officials from the City of Urbana, and Blueprint partner First Followers to attend and present at the Sons and Daughters in Heaven Gala, hosted by the community organization […]
Equity and Engagement Visits Chicago Mayor’s Office of Community Safety
On September 19 and 20, 2025, the Community Safety and Justice Division, together with the SU Institute HEEAR along with members of our evaluation team, met with the Chicago Mayor’s Office of Community Safety. We spent two full days collaborating and sharing ideas on gun violence prevention, community violence interventions, and broader community safety and […]
Black Mental Health and Wellness Conference Recap
On September 20, 2025, the Champaign County Community Coalition’s Race Relations Subcommittee proudly hosted the 3rd Annual Black Mental Health and Wellness Conference at Parkland College from 8am – 4pm. This meaningful event shed light on the unique mental health challenges within the Black community, offering critical support, education, and resources for both individuals and […]
Equity & Engagement Staff Participate in Welcoming Week 2025
Equity & Engagement staff proudly represented our department at several events during this year’s Welcoming Week, a national initiative celebrating inclusive communities that fully embrace immigrants and recognize their valuable contributions. This year’s celebration took place from September 12 to 21, 2025, and featured more than 20 events, including cultural performances, educational workshops, community dialogues, […]
Honorary Dean Clarence Shelly Way Unveiling
On September 14, 2025, Mayor Deborah Frank Feinen and Community Relations Manager Tracy Parsons (Equity and Engagement), attended the unveiling of Dean Clarence Shelley Way, located at the corner of Sixth and John Streets. The ceremony honored the life and enduring legacy of Dean Clarence Shelley, a trailblazing administrator at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. […]
Champaign County Community Coalition Meeting
The Champaign County Community Coalition held its monthly meeting on September 10 at the Holiday Inn Conference Center. This month’s meeting focused on the theme “Addressing our Juvenile Justice Crisis” and featured four panel discussions exploring different facets of the issue. The first panel featured Champaign County State’s Attorney Julia Rietz, who provided an overview […]