Members of the community are invited to attend a public meeting of the Illinois Commission on Poverty Elimination and Economic Security to be held from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.on Thursday, October 28 at Christ Community Church hosted by State Representative Jeff Keicher, R-Sycamore, the Family Service Agency, the DeKalb County Regional Office of Education, DeKalb County Community Gardens and a number of other community agencies. The event is a listening session to host a discussion on how to address inequity and poverty in DeKalb County.
The State of Illinois is seeking public input on how to address the unique experiences of those living in and around DeKalb County as policymakers and community leaders tackle systemic poverty as part of the Commission’s plan to eliminate poverty in Illinois over the next 15 years.
Commission members and co-hosts, Representative Keicher and Northern Illinois University’s Director of Community Promotion Jennifer Groce, invite members of the public to join the conversation on Thursday, October 28th for an in-person listening sessionto discuss how poverty has impacted communities in DeKalb County and the surrounding area and how the State of Illinois can better serve those needs.
The conversation will include a discussion on poverty as a system and address questions about key issues impacting those in our community in partnership with Family Service Agency, DeKalb County Regional Office of Education, DeKalb County Community Gardens, Hope Haven, DeKalb County Coordinated Child Care, DeKalb County Mental Health Board, DeKalb County Health Department, DeKalb County Housing Authority, Sir Donald Foundation, Kishwaukee College and Northern Illinois University.
The in-person event will be held at Christ Community Church located at 2350 Pride Avenue in DeKalb. Those who plan to attend in person are asked to email dana.kelly@illinois.gov or call 217-836-8176.
The listening sessionwill also be aired virtually at:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwrde6gqDoiGt0fyA0mVk5xodHG9CwTPLx1
Residents, community leaders, administrators, public servants, educators and organizations serving those in need in our community are strongly encouraged to attend. Attendance of all members of the community is encouraged. To compensate those who attend for their time and attention, the Commission is offering a $25 gift card incentive for those who participate. Attendees can also receive the incentive if they listen virtually via the Zoom Webinar and fill out the accompanying survey. Those who are interested in receiving the incentive should click HERE.
Please call Representative Keicher’s office at (815) 748-3494 with questions or for more information.