Vital Bridges to merge with Heartland Alliance

Windy City Times

 

June 1, 2011

Vital Bridges clients will soon have access to a range of new services. The 23-year-old AIDS service agency will merge with Heartland Alliance July 1.

 

From Windy City Times:

News update posted Wed., June 1, 2011
by Kate Sosin, Windy City Times

 

Vital Bridges clients will soon have access to a range of new services. The 23-year-old AIDS service agency will merge with Heartland Alliance July 1.

“Joining Heartland will help us to do this even more successfully, as they have a large, professional medical and behavioral health staff,” Debbie Hinde, president and CEO of Vital Bridges, said in a statement. “Both organizations are committed to developing and implementing a chronic care model that integrates health care and the social services.”

Vital Bridges will keep its Edgewater office, but the agency will become a division of Heartland Alliance Health and be renamed “Vital Bridges Center on Chronic Care.” According to the statement, Vital Bridges will maintain all of their services, and staff will remain the same.

Vital Bridges is the largest provider of food and nutrition services in Chicago. The agency serves more than 2,000 clients annually, according to its website. Heartland Alliance provides medical care to patients with HIV/AIDS, among other services.

“We’re excited about the opportunities this brings about for the City of Chicago,” said Karen Batia, the Executive Director of Heartland Alliance Health. ” [ Clients ] can go to one place and get those services. It means those organizations can do what they’re really excellent at together.”

According to the statement, the boards of directors of both organizations voted to approve the merger late last month.

While AIDS services organizations have suffered in the poor economy, Batia said the merger was more “strategic” than financial.

“It should make the quality of services improve,” Batia said, adding that the Vital Bridges Center on Chronic Care will now be a one-stop care destination for many living with HIV.

However, Batia also said that the merger could make Vital Bridges a more attractive grantee because it will serve clients in a more holistically.

Read More »

Chicago Tribune

 

March 23, 2011

 

 

From Chicago Tribune:

Chicago Tribune,
Voice of the People, March 23, 2011

Our leaders in Congress face considerable challenges in ensuring the long-term economic stability and prosperity that is in all of our interests. As representatives of some of the largest human services, advocacy and community organizations in Chicago, we urge Congress to take a balanced approach to deficit reduction and to avoid slashing vital services that are essential to the stability and well-being of men, women and children in need.

The budget proposals to date would make deep, immediate cuts to health care, early childhood education and nutrition services that tens of millions of Americans rely on to lead healthy, productive lives. These programs are efficient and productive, strengthening local communities just as we are seeing the first signs of a fragile economic recovery. Moreover, these programs that meet basic needs are wise public investments that prevent lives from being harmed in ways that entail far greater societal costs in the future.

The budget battle comes at a difficult time. Month after month, we are seeing record numbers turn to food pantries, soup kitchens and shelters for emergency food and other assistance across the state. For example, 1.8 million people and 850,000 households in Illinois receive benefits from SNAP (food stamps) — the highest number ever. We also know that budget-cutting by the city of Chicago and state of Illinois will further imperil support for critical human services, and will likely reverse the recent improvement in unemployment levels.

When critical services are cut, low-income families make agonizing trade-offs to balance basic needs — housing, child care, medicine, transportation and food. More people turn to their local food pantry, their community health center, or other temporary supports for help, compounding record levels of demand.

What can we do? Members of Congress — who are still seeking to resolve the 2011 budget before turning to the proposed 2012 spending bill — must understand the grave consequences for millions of Americans if vital services are cut. In fact, we believe that no one better understands the challenges of balancing a budget than our nation’s low-income families. When families adjust their budget the first thing they do is make priorities.

We urge the president and Congress to make the most vulnerable in our communities — children, the elderly, the working poor — their priority and take off the table all threats to the stability of struggling households and our collective economic well being.

— Kate Maehr, executive director and CEO, Greater Chicago Food Depository; Sid Mohn, president, Heartland Alliance for Human Needs and Human Rights; John Bouman, president, Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law; Kathy Ryg, president, Voices for Illinois Children

Read More »

Social service providers outraged over Quinn’s proposed cuts

Fox Illinois

 

February 17, 2011

By Diane S.W. Lee Illinois Statehouse News

 

From Fox Illinois:

SPRINGFIELD — A move by Gov. Pat Quinn to cut funding to social service programs will leave troubled youth “to fend for themselves” if his call for “budget restraint” is answered.

Percy Dace, 61, who counsels “troubled Youth” in the East St. Louis area, said he is concerned that Quinn’s proposal  to eliminate funding for community youth services programs under the Department of Human Services will put his Lessie Bates Davis Neighborhood House on the chopping block.

Dace, 61, says in his past he was a “challenging young man” who got into fights and barely made it out of high school.

“From my personal perspective, what I have achieved in life is because I was able to get assistance (from someone) who had level of expertise to guide me and even mentor me to be a productive member of society,” Dace said.

The Lessie Bates Davis Neighborhood House works with more than 650 families in East St. Louis, providing daycare and youth homeless- and teen-outreach services.

Quinn called for “budget restraint” in his proposed budget address to lawmakers on Wednesday by “finding new ways to reduce unnecessary state spending.” Quinn proposed cutting an annual $550 million to nursing homes and hospitals by reducing Medicaid reimbursement rates for the poor.

The proposal is for fiscal year 2012, which begins July 1 ends June 30, 2012. Lawmakers have until May to determine how much of the budget cuts become reality.

“We need to keep investing in essential, necessary services while cutting programs that don’t work,” Quinn said in his speech.

Read More »

Fox Illinois

 

February 17, 2011

By Diane S.W. Lee Illinois Statehouse News

 

From Fox Illinois:

SPRINGFIELD — A move by Gov. Pat Quinn to cut funding to social service programs will leave troubled youth “to fend for themselves” if his call for “budget restraint” is answered.

Percy Dace, 61, who counsels “troubled Youth” in the East St. Louis area, said he is concerned that Quinn’s proposal  to eliminate funding for community youth services programs under the Department of Human Services will put his Lessie Bates Davis Neighborhood House on the chopping block.

Dace, 61, says in his past he was a “challenging young man” who got into fights and barely made it out of high school.

“From my personal perspective, what I have achieved in life is because I was able to get assistance (from someone) who had level of expertise to guide me and even mentor me to be a productive member of society,” Dace said.

The Lessie Bates Davis Neighborhood House works with more than 650 families in East St. Louis, providing daycare and youth homeless- and teen-outreach services.

Quinn called for “budget restraint” in his proposed budget address to lawmakers on Wednesday by “finding new ways to reduce unnecessary state spending.” Quinn proposed cutting an annual $550 million to nursing homes and hospitals by reducing Medicaid reimbursement rates for the poor.

The proposal is for fiscal year 2012, which begins July 1 ends June 30, 2012. Lawmakers have until May to determine how much of the budget cuts become reality.

“We need to keep investing in essential, necessary services while cutting programs that don’t work,” Quinn said in his speech.

Read More »

 

Chicago Tribune

 

February 9, 2011

 

 

From Chicago Tribune:

Chicago’s Loop and lakefront get all the attention, but the city’s neighborhoods are its heart and soul.

Last night, at the 17th annual Chicago Neighborhood Development Awards, architects and others were recognized for their efforts to strengthen the city’s communities.

Community design excellence awards went to John Ronan Architects, Booth Hansen, and Hartshorne Plunkard Architecture.

Here’s the news release, which was written before last night’s ceremony: 

17th Annual Chicago Neighborhood Development Awards
Honor City’s Best in Community Development
1,400 Join to Honor Ten Award Winners

CHICAGO, IL – Chicago’s community development world will celebrate its present and future Tuesday, Feb. 8, at the UIC Forum (725 W. Roosevelt Rd.) with the 17th Annual Chicago Neighborhood Development Awards, recognizing the community leaders, architects, businesses, government leaders, foundations and community development organizations that keep Chicago’s neighborhoods vibrant and strong. 

Created by LISC/Chicago and now attracting nearly 1,400 leaders each year, CNDA is the nation’s largest awards program dedicated to neighborhood-based development.

A total of 10 awards were given out: seven for various aspects of community development leadership (recognizing programs, projects and individuals) and three sponsored by the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation for Architectural Excellence in Community Design. Many of the awards were accompanied by monetary gifts, ranging from $2,000 to $20,000.

Before the ceremony, attendees listened to a panel of mayoral candidates discuss their approaches to the city’s neighborhoods.

“Our neighborhoods continue to grow and strengthen thanks to the work and dedication of community advocates, who are committed to our city’s most important assets, its neighborhoods,” said CNDA Chair Christopher G. Kennedy, president of Merchandise Mart Properties and chairman of the University of Illinois’ board of trustees. “We know our neighborhoods are strong and will continue to grow because of the wide variety of people and organizations we have honored.”

This year’s winners are:

The Chicago Community Trust Outstanding Community Strategy of the Year ($20,000):
The Greater Humboldt Park Community of Wellness – The Greater Humboldt Park Community of Wellness uses a highly-localized, grassroots approach to keep area residents healthy and informed.  Since 2005, the Community of Wellness and its broad coalition of more than 200 community members and 60 organizations, including health care providers, human service agencies, advocacy groups and educational institutions, has worked to educate people and families about making healthier lifestyle choices and more proactively managing their own health care.  At the same time, the Community of Wellness is focused on re-imagining the community as a whole – its schools, homes and environment – so that it can better support people in sustaining healthy choices in their lives.

Read More »

Chicago Tribune

 

December 20, 2010

A partner at the Mayer Brown law firm went to Iraq in October as a volunteer for Heartland Alliance.

 

From Chicago Tribune:

When Matt Rooney was asked to teach a course on trial skills, he turned to one of his favorite legal movies. But would “To Kill a Mockingbird” resonate as a teaching tool in Iraq?

Rooney, a partner at the Mayer Brown law firm, went to Iraq in October as a volunteer for Heartland Alliance, a Chicago-based human rights group. As part of its mission, the nonprofit works to improve legal protections abroad for vulnerable populations, including victims of gender-based violence, refugees and minors.

In Iraq, Heartland Alliance designed a program to give Iraqi lawyers critical legal skills in criminal cases, but the attorneys still needed help with cross-examining witnesses and closing arguments, said Scott Portman, director of international programs.

Portman turned to Rooney. At first glance, Rooney’s legal background does not seem an ideal match for Heartland. Although he is a fellow in the prestigious American College of Trial Lawyers, Rooney primarily represents major corporations and banks in civil cases.

But his biography does not mention that he has represented a refugee seeking asylum in the United States through Heartland’s National Immigrant Justice Center or his trip to Cambodia earlier in the year to teach law students as part of the American Bar Association’s initiative to promote the rule of law around the world.

His public service also helps his law firm, one of the world’s largest, with 1,650 lawyers in 21 offices. Although the rule of law protects society’s underprivileged, it also ensures that businesses will get a fair shake in court and contracts will be enforced, Rooney said.

To prepare for his trip, Rooney read about Iraq’s criminal codes and procedure. Criminal defendants, especially women, have it difficult in Iraq. A jury trial and strong rules of evidence that prevent unlawful search and seizure, the hallmarks of the U.S. criminal justice system, are not part of Iraq’s laws, said Sherizaan Minwalla, a lawyer for Heartland Alliance who has lived in Iraq since 2007.

There has also been a breakdown in law and order since the overthrow of Saddam Hussein’s regime in 2003 and the internal conflict afterward.

“It’s very hard to advocate in court for victims of gender-based violence,” Minwalla said. “But you can change how courts think about these cases.”

Rooney traveled to Sulaymaniyah, a city in Iraqi Kurdistan, where he met 22 Iraqi lawyers, two-thirds of whom were women. The lawyers work for Iraqi non-governmental organizations advocating for the legal rights of victims of domestic violence in the criminal justice system and in the country’s Personal Status Courts, which are akin to U.S. family courts.

Rooney divided his five-day course into seminars on preparing and questioning a witness, opening statements and closing statements. The seminars included lectures and mock trials.

He also thought his students could learn a thing or two from Atticus Finch, the small-town lawyer in Harper Lee’s classic novel who was played by Gregory Peck in the 1962 movie.

Finch defended Tom Robinson, a black man falsely accused of rape by a young white woman. Finch became a model of integrity for lawyers and a moral hero for many readers.

Read More »

Chicago Tribune

 

December 20, 2010

A partner at the Mayer Brown law firm went to Iraq in October as a volunteer for Heartland Alliance.

 

From Chicago Tribune:

When Matt Rooney was asked to teach a course on trial skills, he turned to one of his favorite legal movies. But would “To Kill a Mockingbird” resonate as a teaching tool in Iraq?

Rooney, a partner at the Mayer Brown law firm, went to Iraq in October as a volunteer for Heartland Alliance, a Chicago-based human rights group. As part of its mission, the nonprofit works to improve legal protections abroad for vulnerable populations, including victims of gender-based violence, refugees and minors.

In Iraq, Heartland Alliance designed a program to give Iraqi lawyers critical legal skills in criminal cases, but the attorneys still needed help with cross-examining witnesses and closing arguments, said Scott Portman, director of international programs.

Portman turned to Rooney. At first glance, Rooney’s legal background does not seem an ideal match for Heartland. Although he is a fellow in the prestigious American College of Trial Lawyers, Rooney primarily represents major corporations and banks in civil cases.

But his biography does not mention that he has represented a refugee seeking asylum in the United States through Heartland’s National Immigrant Justice Center or his trip to Cambodia earlier in the year to teach law students as part of the American Bar Association’s initiative to promote the rule of law around the world.

His public service also helps his law firm, one of the world’s largest, with 1,650 lawyers in 21 offices. Although the rule of law protects society’s underprivileged, it also ensures that businesses will get a fair shake in court and contracts will be enforced, Rooney said.

To prepare for his trip, Rooney read about Iraq’s criminal codes and procedure. Criminal defendants, especially women, have it difficult in Iraq. A jury trial and strong rules of evidence that prevent unlawful search and seizure, the hallmarks of the U.S. criminal justice system, are not part of Iraq’s laws, said Sherizaan Minwalla, a lawyer for Heartland Alliance who has lived in Iraq since 2007.

There has also been a breakdown in law and order since the overthrow of Saddam Hussein’s regime in 2003 and the internal conflict afterward.

“It’s very hard to advocate in court for victims of gender-based violence,” Minwalla said. “But you can change how courts think about these cases.”

Rooney traveled to Sulaymaniyah, a city in Iraqi Kurdistan, where he met 22 Iraqi lawyers, two-thirds of whom were women. The lawyers work for Iraqi non-governmental organizations advocating for the legal rights of victims of domestic violence in the criminal justice system and in the country’s Personal Status Courts, which are akin to U.S. family courts.

Rooney divided his five-day course into seminars on preparing and questioning a witness, opening statements and closing statements. The seminars included lectures and mock trials.

He also thought his students could learn a thing or two from Atticus Finch, the small-town lawyer in Harper Lee’s classic novel who was played by Gregory Peck in the 1962 movie.

Finch defended Tom Robinson, a black man falsely accused of rape by a young white woman. Finch became a model of integrity for lawyers and a moral hero for many readers.

Read More »