More than 100 people participated in the 2013 Lake County Legislative Breakfast, held Sept. 20 at Illinois State Beach Resort in Zion.
The event was chaired by Jim Picchetti, CCH’s statewide organizer, and four speakers from member organizations in the CCH Statewide Network spoke to raise awareness on community issues that impact people experiencing homelessness.
Sarah Pinger from Catholic Charities about the need to increase funding for the Illinois Homeless Prevention Program, a program that helps families stay housed with small, one-time grants.
Independence Center’s Chris DjadalizadehI as well as a speaker from the domestic violence shelter, A Safe Place, talked about the importance of maintaining resources for emergency shelters and permanent supportive housing. Many survivors of domestic violence and people with mental illness rely on homeless shelters and supportive services during mental breakdowns or when fleeing from their abusers.
As part of a legislative panel, State Sen. Terry Link (D-Gurnee), State Sen. Melinda Bush (D-Grayslake), and State Sen. Pamela Althoff (R-McHenry) and State Rep. Rita Mayfield (D-Waukegan) and State Rep. Sam Yingling (D-Hainesville) answered questions from the audience concerning the state budget, mental health, pension reform, and marriage equality.
– Jim Picchetti, Statewide Network organizer