http://willconnect.org/stories/posts/ WILLConnect Feed http://cdn.atlas.illinois.edu/will.illinois.edu/images/ipmlogo6.png http://willconnect.org/stories/posts/ http://willconnect.org/stories/danville-school-integrates-health-wellness-in-curriculum http://willconnect.org/stories/danville-school-integrates-health-wellness-in-curriculum Lisa Braddock Sun, 11 Dec 2011 20:28:46 -0600 stories An elementary school in Danville, Ill. has earned national recognition for its approach to fighting childhood obesity --- by teaching its students how to stay healthy. An elementary school in Danville, Ill. has earned national recognition for its approach to fighting childhood obesity --- by teaching its students how to stay healthy. When Carol McIntire arrived at Northeast Elementary School in 2007, her staff was working on creating an environment for students to help them win the battle against childhood obesity. From expanding students’ daily physical activities to revamping lunch menus, McIntire’s arrival accelerated the process. Childhood obesity has been linked to an array of health problems, including heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. Northeast Elementary forged ahead in partnering with the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, a national organization founded by the American Heart Association and the William J. Clinton Foundation. The school initiated a plan to provide healthier food choices and keep kids physically active. A grant from the Illinois State Board of Education increased access to fresh fruits and vegetables. Students were also able to taste test produce not familiar to them. Principal McIntire said the program has been a big hit with students and parents. “Our fresh fruits and vegetable program that we’ve been able to have here has been such a key to our kids and our families,” McIntire said. “Parents talk about how much that means to kids.” Even before being recognized nationally for its efforts, Northeast Elementary made several healthy changes, many of which surpassed the requirements of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, according to Brenda Demos, the former director of food service at Northeast Elementary. She was instrumental in changing the school’s lunch menu. “Finding suppliers of certain products that met Alliance standards was a labor of love,” Demos said. It was important to Demos and her team to keep as many of the students’ favorite menu items as possible, while adjusting the recipes with healthier ingredients. For instance, using turkey hotdogs and whole grain bread allowed corn dogs to stay on the menu. Pizza also received a makeover, switching to whole grain crust and low-fat cheese. Detailed information - complete with nutritional values - was submitted to the Alliance for all menu items. Recipes would often go through several changes until they were finally approved. After eight months of hard work, Demos and her staff were successful, giving Northeast Elementary a foundation of recipes and menus on which to build even more healthy meals. Greg Lazelle, the school’s current director of food service, picked up where Demos left off when she retired, and did so without missing a beat. Lazelle has expanded the fresh fruit program, and he is looking for more innovative ways to bring healthier choices to the tables at Northeast Elementary. The school’s cafeteria also houses the gymnasium. Physical education teacher Beckey Burgoyne leads her students in their exercises, which might consist of shooting and dribbling basketballs, using paddleballs, or navigating across a climbing wall or games. “Watch the stop watch, and every three minutes I will move you,” Burgoyne instructed her students before blowing a whistle and turning on some fast-moving music. Every day, the students have half an hour of gym class, which includes 20 minutes of moderate exercise. On a recent morning, a group of students smile and giggle as they spend their time playing and moving around. Burgoyne said being able to burn off the energy helps them concentrate in the classroom. “As a former classroom teacher, I know how important it is to have those students get the exercise, blow off the steam, get some fresh air when it’s possible,” Burgoyne said. “Then they come back, and they’re ready to learn again.” In addition to the exercise students get, teachers integrate health and wellness into their curriculum. Speech therapist Kate Cox created verbal exercises encouraging students to discuss various health and wellness topics while also strengthening their speaking skills. “Where can I add movement to goals I’m already working on instead of sitting around a table and getting out a bunch of cards, can I get them up moving?” Cox said. “If you aren’t focused, you’re not getting the directions anyway.” Meanwhile, fifth grade teacher Lisa Unzicker assigns a social studies research project on the topic of food deserts. “What is a food desert?” she asked her class. One student responds: “A food desert is a community which residents must travel at least a mile to buy fresh meat, dairy products, fruits and vegetables. It is where at least 20% of people live below the poverty line and at least 33% live a mile or more from the nearest supermarket.” McIntire credits all members of the staff for making the program work. “They are constantly looking at their lesson plans for new ways to integrate health and wellness,” she said. “Our bottom line is that we do this because it’s good for kids.” In Dec. 2010, the school became the first elementary school in the country to be recognized with a gold medal from the Alliance for a Healthier Generation. In the year since then, McIntire and her team are just as committed to their focus on health and wellness and continue to expand access to healthy options. Northeast Elementary is known as the healthy school and there is already a waiting list for next year’s admission. McIntire encourages other schools that are interested in adopting her school’s health and wellness model to make one or two small changes at a time, aiming for a large goal of a healthier learning environment. Education Health http://willconnect.org/events/a-cappella-extravaganza http://willconnect.org/events/a-cappella-extravaganza Kimberlie Kranich Sat, 03 Mar 2012 19:00:20 -0600 events World class a cappella music comes to East Central Illinois Saturday, March 3rd, when barbershop quartet singers from throughout Illinois converge on Champaign. Faith United Methodist Church in Champaign will host the Illinois District Academy of Harmony (IDAH) and the evening performance, which begins at 7:00 PM. Performing groups include the Illinois state quartet champions from the last two years. Bloomington's Waldorf Hair Company is the 2011 gold medalist, the group's unique name inspired by the follicly challenged nature of its members. After Hours won the state championship in 2010 while its members were still students at Bradley University in Peoria. The energetic foursome went on to place among the top twenty at the Barbershop Harmony Society's international quartet competition last summer. Also featured is the Sound of Illinois Chorus from Bloomington, which has been the state chorus champ for several years. The 70-man group will represent Illinois in international competition in July. Headlining the program is Forefront, a quartet hailing from Indiana and Ohio. The foursome won the Barbershop Harmony Society's Cardinal (Indiana and Kentucky) District quartet championship in 2010, and they placed sixth in international competition last summer. Tickets for the IDAH Barbershop Extravaganza are $10 each and can be purchased online at www.IllinoisDistrict.org under the heading "IDAH 2012." Tickets are also available through the church office at 1719 South Prospect in Champaign. Weekday hours are 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM Monday through Thursday and Friday from 8 AM to 12 Noon. Advance tickets can also be ordered by phone. Contact Tom Woodall (217-549-6671). Remaining tickets will be sold at the door. Since only 200 seats are available, however, it would be wise to purchase tickets in advance. Community Music http://willconnect.org/stories/ui-professor-tackles-obesity-diabetes-in-immigrant-communities http://willconnect.org/stories/ui-professor-tackles-obesity-diabetes-in-immigrant-communities Rachel Otwell Fri, 06 Jan 2012 12:07:40 -0600 stories Angela Wiley, a professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, is trying to curb obesity and diabetes rates among immigrant communities. Obesity is hitting Latino children in the United States harder than any other demographic, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Angela Wiley, a professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, is trying to curb that trend in immigrant communities living in Illinois. She heads the Up Amigos project, which looks at how biological, social, and environmental factors affect rates of obesity and diabetes. Illinois Public Radio's Rachel Otwell talks with Wiley about her research. Health University Of Illinois People Interviews Immigration Health Care Latin America http://willconnect.org/stories/using-rating-system-to-pick-a-nursing-home http://willconnect.org/stories/using-rating-system-to-pick-a-nursing-home Jim Meadows Tue, 06 Dec 2011 11:29:28 -0600 stories Tami Wacker, the operations manager and regional ombudsman with the East Central Illinois Area Agency on Aging, talks about why a rating system is a useful tool when trying to choose a nursing home. A CU-CitizenAccess report about nursing homes in Champaign County tells how homes accepting Medicare and Medicaid funding were rated by the federal government. Many of the homes did poorly in the ratings, and an official with one of those facilities said the federal rating system was flawed. An advocate for nursing home residents, Tami Wacker, said the rating system is a useful tool when trying to choose a nursing home, but it’s not perfect. Wacker said there is a lot more to consider when looking for the right facility. Wacker is Operations Manager and a Regional Ombudsman with the East Central Illinois Area Agency on Aging. The Bloomington-based agency serves seniors and persons caring for them in a 16-county area. Wacker spoke with Illinois Public Media’s Jim Meadows. http://willconnect.org/blog/nursing-homes-and-quality-of-life http://willconnect.org/blog/nursing-homes-and-quality-of-life Pam Dempsey Mon, 05 Dec 2011 00:57:18 -0600 WILL Connect Blog As we take a close look at nursing home care across Central Illinois, quality of life may vary to everyone. For some residents in the Champaign County Nursing Home, a cookie at night makes a big difference. During a state health inspection in December 2009, half a dozen residents complained that they were not getting a bed time snack. (See full report below) “A dark room and a cookie in the middle of the night is good for sleeping,” one resident reported. Sometimes she saved part of her dessert from dinner so she could have a snack overnight. And her complaint netted attention. Under state law, a facility is to provide at least three meals a day and cannot let more than 14 hours lapse between meals. The facility must also offer bedtime snacks. A lack of a cookie may seem insignificant compared to the other patient care problems that plague nursing homes - some so severe that they cause serious injury and even death. But to the few residents who complained that December day, the bedtime snack was a necessary part of their quality of life. And quality of life is a big deal. CU-CitizenAccess.org spent the last few months reviewing hundreds of federal and state records of more than 90 nursing homes in East Central Illinois in the wake of state efforts to reform nursing home oversight. 
 The results were startling. Many nursing homes have repeated safety violations spanning the past five years, placing residents at risk for untreated pressure sores, bladder infections, serious medication errors and broken bones. Some nursing home officials cite inadequate staffing issues and delayed public health payments as challenges to providing quality of care. Advocates argue that, regardless, nursing homes should fulfill the responsibilities they commit to. Those responsibilities may vary from patient to patient. It may be receiving their medication on time, having a warm bed to sleep in and a safe place to live. For others, it may be a daily activity more stimulating than sitting in front of a TV all day. And still, for some, it may be something simple as having a bedtime snack. Health Care http://willconnect.org/stories/champaign-co.-nursing-homes-receive-low-marks http://willconnect.org/stories/champaign-co.-nursing-homes-receive-low-marks Dan Petrella Sun, 04 Dec 2011 21:49:43 -0600 stories Families face tough decisions about moving loved ones into nursing homes, and they may be surprised to learn that several Champaign County nursing homes received low marks from the federal government. (With additional reporting by Pam G. Dempsey/CU-CitizenAccess and former University of Illinois journalism student Sabrina Santucci) An elderly man with Alzheimer's leaves a local nursing home without staff noticing and is found wandering into traffic on Mattis Ave in Champaign.
 A patient in a nursing home in Champaign is left unattended on a bed pan for hours until its shape cuts into her flesh.
 In another home a patient who should be only on soft foods is given orange slices that ultimately caused his choking death a few hours later. These are just a few of the numerous examples of lack of care found in area-wide nursing homes.
Indeed, many nursing homes are across Central Illinois have been cited repeatedly over the past five years for safety violations that put residents at risk for untreated pressure sores, bladder infections, serious medication errors and broken bones. In some severe cases, residents have been rushed to hospitals or even died from lack of proper care. Inadequate staffing issues and delayed public health insurance payments are major concerns among nursing home care facilities, but they shouldn’t be an excuse for poor care, said Tami Wacker, operations manager and regional ombudsman for the East Central Illinois Area Agency on Aging. “When someone says, ‘I accept you, I will admit you, I can take care of you,’ they have made a promise and you need to fulfill that,” she said. A close review by CU-CitizenAccess.org of hundreds of federal and state inspection reports on 93 Central Illinois nursing homes revealed: Fifty percent of nursing home beds that are Medicare or Medicaid certified are located in facilities rated below average by the federal regulatory site Medicare.gov. In Champaign County, four out of the seven nursing homes – which have 75 percent of nursing home beds that are available to Medicare or Medicaid recipients - are rated below average. Central Illinois nursing homes have paid more than $1 million in fines and penalties for violations between 2006 and 2010. State inspectors have found that low staffing levels and inadequate training have contributed to resident injuries and deaths at some nursing homes in Central Illinois. Nursing home administrators across Central Illinois and health care advocates alike acknowledge that rating systems, such as The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid on Medicare.gov, do have problems. Owners of nursing homes say that late Medicaid reimbursements from the state are increasing their woes. “But it does give a very good base.” Wacker said. Wacker’s office acts as an advocate for nursing home residents across counties in Central Illinois. A private, non-profit group, it handles about 600 complaints each year from across nearly 200 long-term care homes and they report problems to the state when serious health care issues arise. On the regulatory front, long-term care facilities are certified through the federal agency for receiving Medicaid and Medicare reimbursements, but they are licensed through the Illinois Department of Health. The health department does inspections for the federal agency during their own mandatory yearly survey. If complaints are made at a long-term care facility the department is required by federal regulations to investigate the complaint. If facilities are funded by Medicare and Medicaid and do not meet their requirements during an inspection, then they can be decertified and lose their funding. For example, Helia Healthcare of Urbana closed in 2009 after regulators pulled its certificate for reimbursements because of poor patient care. By law facilities have to report any problems with patient care to the Illinois Department of Public Health and then the department investigates. The state looks for a pattern; if the same type of serious violation continues to occur then processes to revoke the facility’s license can begin. “Each home is very different. What you are see in one facility may not correlate to another, direct comparisons are not possible it’s like comparing apples to oranges,” said Melaney Arnold, spokeswoman for the state public health department. “Having them come in and write that deficiency will show that facility, you’ve got to change your way because this level of care is not acceptable,” Wacker said. “And if it’s not acceptable for this resident, it’s not acceptable for anybody else, currently or in the future, and we want to get that changed immediately.” Nursing Homes Criticize Rating System Greg Wilson, vice president of quality management for Petersen Health Care, sharply critizes the ratings. Petersen Health Care operates dozens of for-profit nursing homes across the state and the reports reviewed for nine of its facilities in Central Illinois rated those homes below average. Wilson wrote in an email, “The system is based on a very subjective state survey process that is inconsistently applied across the country, faulty staffing statistics, and quality measures that are affected by too many factors to be descriptive of any resident’s actual clinical condition or needs.” He wrote the system “makes no accommodation for the wide disparity between Medicaid reimbursement rates paid throughout the country of which Illinois is historically ranked at the very bottom. The rating has very little or no bearing on the quality of care being provided at any nursing home in the country.” President and chief executive officer Deb Reardanz of the nursing home Clark-Lindsey Village in Urbana said that while the rating system is good for consumers, “it doesn’t always capture the full picture.” Clark-Lindsay is rated at average with its current rating of three out of five stars. “I do not believe that tells the full story,” she said. “We are above average and we work hard to be a leader in the field, not just in the area, but throughout the state.” She said the home received too low a rating. “We’re not satisfied with the (rating),” she said. Inspections and Fines Whether the ratings are warranted, the deficiencies reported can be shocking. In one incident in May 2009, a crying and disoriented a man stumbled into the busy lanes of South Mattis Avenue in Champaign during rush hour traffic. Police reports say a passerby called to report the man in the street. The man, a patient at Helia Healthcare of Champaign, had left the nursing home and into the four-lane road without anyone noticing. According to state quarterly reports the passerby stated, “What scared me so bad was that no one from the nursing home knew he was there!” The man, who had been admitted to Helia Healthcare of Champaign the month before, suffered from Alzheimer’s disease. Reports said he wandered out of a door left open with its alarm off while the nursing home was doing maintenance. But it wasn’t the last time a resident had left the facility without the staff’s knowledge. In January 2010, a 53-year-old man with Parkinson’s disease and a history of mental disorders was able to leave the facility without anyone noticing. He had been admitted to the nursing home after he “had fallen at home and was found living in unsanitary conditions.” He later told inspectors that he walked out the front door that morning to get a cup of coffee at a local restaurant and rode the bus before he was found later walking along Mattis Avenue, according to a state report. By his estimate, he was gone from the facility for about three hours before staff noticed. Araceli Henson, administrator, at the Helia Healthcare in Champaign canceled two scheduled interviews for comment. Choking Death In summer of 2009, Champaign-Urbana Regional Rehab Center, formerly known as Carle Arbours, was fined $10,000 after a patient choked on mandarin orange slices, ultimately causing his death the next day. The resident was required to have a pureed diet, and was found with no pulse and solid food protruding from his mouth by a certified nursing assistant, according to a report. It took 24 minutes from the time the staff found the man unresponsive till the time someone called 911. The home’s director of nursing later told investigators that orientation for new employees did not include training for the Heimlich maneuver, CPR, how to respond to resident emergencies or how to use the telephone system in an emergency, according to the report. One certified nursing assistant told inspectors: “It was a lot of back and forth running around. Afterwards one of the other CNAs asked me why I didn’t use the phone in the dining room to call for help or page someone. I didn’t even know to use them for emergencies. I should have been told to do that in orientation but they never told me that. It would have saved a lot of time.” An emergency room doctor who treated the man told the inspectors: “I would expect anyone in a medical situation to be informed of the basic life support systems and know how to rapidly access … (emergency medical systems).” Administrators at the home did not respond to numerous attempts to reach them for comment. Champaign County Nursing Home In another incident in March of this year, a Champaign County Nursing Home resident was left on a bedpan for six hours, which resulted in a pressure sore. The sore – shaped like a bedpan – became infected and turned into a blood infection that required hospitalization and medication. An employee told investigators, “I looked at her backside and it was split open. When I saw it I said, 'Oh my God' because I saw pink meat. I went and got the nurse.” The nursing home was fined $25,000 in April for the incident. Champaign County Nursing Home paid nearly $80,000 for violations between 2006 and 2010. In October, Chuck Schuette took over as its administrator and inherited all of its problems. “I do know that it’s really difficult trying to be in compliance with all of these issues,” he said. “I’m not saying they don’t need to be there, but you have to have a really dedicated work force, a highly-trained workforce and they just have to stay on top of it all the time. “ He added, “And sometimes things happen and you hate it when it does and you have to correct it.” The county nursing home also has been under intense financial pressure because of late Medicaid payments from the state. But for Schuette, like others, money isn’t the main concern. “If the resident isn’t number one in your facility, then how can you expect it to be successful?” said Chris Kasper, administrator of Country Health & Rehab in Gifford. “This is their home and this is who we care for. Regardless of public health ratings and all the inspections, all that aside, it really just comes down to the morals and ethics, you know, what can you do? It’s not always about your bottom line.” For more on this story, visit CU-CitizenAccess.org. http://willconnect.org/stories/hunger-in-illinois-how-you-can-help http://willconnect.org/stories/hunger-in-illinois-how-you-can-help Kimberlie Kranich Tue, 15 Nov 2011 12:30:04 -0600 stories Ways to help the effort to address hunger in our community Are you interested in helping community efforts to address hunger in east central Illinois? Below are some opportunities to get involved. CENTRAL ILLINOIS FOOD BANK There are several ways to volunteer, participate and advocate at the Central Illinois Food Bank. EASTERN ILLINOIS FOODBANK Warehouse Sorting: Individuals are needed to help sort products in the warehouse Mondays thru Thursdays from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and Fridays from 7 a.m. to noon. Duties will involve sorting through product and organizing and stocking shelves. Volunteers will need to be able to stand for long periods of time. SNAP Information Volunteers: Volunteers are needed to assist the SNAP Outreach Coordinator with providing information to possible SNAP (food stamp) recipients. This is a great internship opportunity for students in the school of social work or anyone interested in human services. Training would be provided. Volunteers will attend informational events that fit with their schedules (events occur any day of the week) and hand out materials, take questions, etc. For more information on this position download the SNAP Information Volunteer/Intern job description. Foodmobile Captains: A few committed individuals are needed that would be interested in being a lead volunteer at the foodmobiles. Foodmobiles are mobile food pantries that are sent to areas of need within 14 counties. A truckload of food is brought to a host site and distributed. To find out more about foodmobiles visit the foodmobiles page or download the Foodmobile Captain job description if you’re interested in becoming a volunteer leader with this project. SALAVATION ARMY DANVILLE CORPS Volunteers are needed for the food pantry on Tuesday and Fridays between 1 and 3:30 p.m. If interested, fill out an volunteer application. WESLEY EVENING FOOD PANTRY Refrigerator Truck (once a month): Loan of a truck and driver once a month to pick up one to three pallets of refrigerated items at Eastern Illinois Foodbank on the third Thursday of the month and keep them cold through the end of distribution (approximately 8 p.m.). Area Coordinators: Area Coordinators are volunteers who supervise the same tasks every month. Ability to attend second Thursday planning meeting helpful. Current needs are: --Parking Lot Coordinator, 2:30 to 6:30 p.m. on the third Thursday --Waiting Area Coordinator, 3 to 7:30 p.m. on the third Thursday, bi-lingual in English and Spanish --Cleanup Coordinator, 7 to 9:30 p.m. on the third Thursday --Communications Coordinator, write newsletter articles and email announcements on your own schedule --Donations Coordinator, Tuesday or Thursday afternoons, keep track of donations received and send thank-you notes Spanish-Speaking Volunteers: Volunteers who are bi-lingual in English and Spanish, particularly those willing to work most months, are needed 3:15 to 8 p.m. on the third Thursday. Office Assistant: Organized volunteer needed two or three afternoons a week as assistant to the director. Must be comfortable with MS Office and enjoy finding creative solutions to problems. For more information, call (217) 344-1120 or visit their website. Hunger Food Nutrition Community http://willconnect.org/stories/community-cinema-screening-discussion-we-still-live-here-s-nutayunean http://willconnect.org/stories/community-cinema-screening-discussion-we-still-live-here-s-nutayunean Henry Radcliffe Tue, 08 Nov 2011 18:00:40 -0600 stories The discussion following the screening of "We Still Live Here" This is the discussion following the screening of the film "We Still Live Here" at the Champaign Public library, November 08, 2011. David Inge, Producer and host of Focus on Illinois Public Media, WILL-AM and Henry Radcliffe Community Cinema Manager moderated the discussion. Bunny Berg was the sign language interpreter for this post-screening discussion. Community Culture Education Literature Media News http://willconnect.org/stories/providing-food-stamp-outreach-to-migrant-workers http://willconnect.org/stories/providing-food-stamp-outreach-to-migrant-workers Sean Powers Mon, 10 Oct 2011 19:06:33 -0500 stories Every year, thousands of migrant workers come to Illinois to detassel corn and harvest crops. Often times they do not make enough money to feed themselves and their families. Every year, thousands of migrant workers come to Illinois to detassel corn and harvest crops. Often times they do not make enough money to feed themselves and their families. Language barriers are keeping these farm workers from getting the help they need. Back in the 1980’s, there was a lawsuit filed alleging that Illinois didn’t provide adequate bilingual services to people applying for food stamps. That lawsuit led to a court order known as the Quinones Consent Decree. To settle the lawsuit, the state agreed to increase interpreter and translation services in public aid offices where there was a high concentration of Spanish speakers. It also allowed the state to contract with the Illinois Migrant Council to help farmworkers sign up for food stamps. The Illinois Migrant Council currently gets about $40,500 from the Illinois Department of Human Services to maintain that program, but Eloy Salazar, the organization’s executive director, said that’s not enough. "The need for the program has increased, and the funding has not kept up pace with that," Salazar said. "It’s getting harder and harder for us to provide the kind of services that we need to provide because of inflation, cost of travel for the people that we hire, and that money is just not going far enough." The council has cut the program down to two food stamp outreach coordinators in the state - one of whom is Magdalena Lopez. Lopez’s job takes her to six east central Illinois counties from Kankakee to Mattoon. Speaking at the end of August half-way through the migrant farm labor season, Lopez said she had already filled out more than 800 food stamp applications. "When they’re here, I’m here to work,” Lopez said. “I’m here till all hours of the afternoon and weekends in order for them to do it on time." One of the workers who waited to see her outside of an apartment complex on Urbana’s east side was Rosando Islas, who came to Champaign County from Texas to work for Pioneer Hi-Bred. Islas can go the local DHS office in Champaign to sign up for food stamps where there are people who can help him in Spanish. But instead he chooses to go to Lopez, in whom he has a high level of confidence that he said he cannot get anywhere else. "I like doing it here because it’s more one-on-one, everyone is more understanding of the relationship we have with her," he said. "I can confide in her knowing that she does her job really well." Lopez also met with Aurora Garcia, who works for Pioneer. Garcia has been coming back and forth to Champaign County for the last 22 years from Texas. She typically signs up for food stamps through Lopez. But the day before she met with Lopez at the end of August, she tried to sign up at Champaign’s DHS office. While the office is supposed to be staffed with permanent bilingual employees, Garcia said when she got there; no one was available to help. "I went to DHS, and all they did was just give me the paperwork," Garcia said. "They didn’t ask me to wait. They didn’t tell me to look for somebody. I was a little bit angry. They didn’t ask for my name. I asked for Magdalena, and they didn’t answer any questions." Lopez said she often hears stories from migrant workers who have a bad experience at a DHS office because of language barriers, confusion by people working at the front desk, or long waits. She said a group of about 40 migrants were recently turned away from the Coles County DHS office because a person who worked there said no one who spoke Spanish was available to help. That office, like the one in Champaign, does have permanent bilingual staff. "They went back again, and the same thing happened," Lopez explained. "Then they called me and they wanted to know if the people were going to go back. I said they’re probably not going to go back. She says, ‘Well, we gave them applications.’ I said, ‘Yes, but some of them don’t know how to write.'" The DHS’ Director of Hispanic/Latino Affairs, Nelida Smyser-Deleon, said no one should be turned away because of their language or background. Smyser-Deleon’s office oversees the Quinones Consent Decree, the court order that allowed the state to boost its interpreter and translation services in offices that handle food stamp applications. Smyser-Deleon said even if an office isn’t fully staffed with permanent bilingual employees, people who work at the front desk should at least be familiar with how to help a non-English speaker. "They have a document in front of them, like ‘¿Habla Español?'" she said. "You know key things that they can ask the individual, and then have them point to the language. Then they go ahead and look for a bilingual person who speaks that language and bring them up to the front." Smyser-Deleon said each office also has instructional posters on the walls in Spanish and English with information about food stamp rights, migrant counties, and interpreter services. "Those are posters that are mandated through the Quinones Consent Decree that should be in every office," she said. About 70 percent of the DHS offices that handle food stamp applications lack permanent bilingual staff across 24 counties where at least 1 in 5 Hispanics live below the poverty line and where at least 1 in 5 aren’t proficient in English, according to Census Bureau estimates. The state said at this point, it’s unable to pump more money into the Illinois Migrant Council’s food stamp outreach efforts because of budgetary reasons. One option, though, for the migrant council is to start using its own funds to support the program rather than relying on the state. If that were to happen, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees the federal food stamp program, said it could reimburse the council for half of what it puts into outreach. Meanwhile, food banks, like those in McLean and Champaign Counties, are making efforts to fill the gap with their own food stamp outreach coordinators. But like the Illinois Department of Human Services, they suffer from a lack of Spanish speaking workers on the ground. Food Economy Labor http://willconnect.org/stories/comm.-cinema-discussion-deaf-jam http://willconnect.org/stories/comm.-cinema-discussion-deaf-jam Henry Radcliffe Tue, 04 Oct 2011 18:00:01 -0500 stories The discussion following the screening of, "Deaf Jam," at the Champaign Public Library, Oct. 04, 2011. This is the discussion following the screening of the film, "Deaf Jam," at the Champaign Public Library, October 04, 2011. Jack Brighton, Director of new media at Illinois Public Media moderated the discussion. Alan Thomas, Deaf Services Coordinator and Volunteer Coordinator at PACE, Persons Assuming Control of their Environment, Susan Dramin-Weiss, a Visiting Lecturer in the department of Speech & Hearing Science and a member of the Illini Chapter of Illinois Association of the Deaf and Jazmine McKinney a Community Health student with a double concentration in Health Education and International Health and a poet representing SPEAK Café lead the discussion after the screening. Bunny Berg interpreted for the deaf audience members and Chelsey Wiley interpreted for Alan Thomas and Susan Dramin-Weiss. ASL Poetry doesn't have much exposure here in Central Illinois. Alan remembered taking an ASL Poetry class when he studied at Gallaudet University, but there isn't much here. Susan was impressed by the poetry. It was very expressive and emotional. There are more rhyming possibilities with ASL poetry than with spoken poetry. ASL poetry doesn't translate easily to English. ASL and English are two different languages. The captions were sometimes different than what was signed. Speech that was censored for hearing audiences wasn't censored for the deaf audience. Some dialog was lost when visual edits were made on a person who was signing, but not often. ASL is taught in the local colleges, but not much at the lower levels. There weren't many other poets in the audience. Jazmine invited the audience to attend the next SPEAK Café. Deaf people don't consider their deafness a disability. http://willconnect.org/blog/growing-hope-against-hunger http://willconnect.org/blog/growing-hope-against-hunger Kimberlie Kranich Tue, 04 Oct 2011 14:33:41 -0500 WILL Connect Blog A look at hunger in Illinois and the public-private response I met a man in his 20s at the Wesley Evening Food Pantry in Urbana this fall. He wouldn’t talk to me on camera, but he told me how he and his girlfriend had lived in their car for two weeks after he lost his construction job. He had sold plasma to supplement their income. She was nutritionally deficient and unable to donate. His eyes were wide and clear blue as he explained they only come to the pantry when they need food. Illinois Public Media staff members have met dozens of working or part-time working people like this man who need emergency food assistance. In July, we heard testimony from migrant farm workers in Rantoul who came from Texas with their families to work in the corn fields of Illinois. Some arrive with little or no money. Outreach staff from the Illinois Migrant Council (IMC) help them enroll in the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as food stamps. But IMC funding is insufficient for an increased demand for services. IMC staff members are scrambling to cover a larger geographic area to meet the needs of those who don’t know from where their next meal will come. In Peoria, we heard from a woman whose church provided nutritious meals to 50 school children after cut backs resulted in abandonment of summer feeding programs at schools with the poorest children. “We wish we could give them more variety,” Marjorie Hayden, of the United Methodist Church in Peoria, told us. “Corn and green beans and mashed potatoes are wonderful but we need to introduce them to other foods and provide a balance meal and introduce them to some things they may not get introduced to at home.” Since 2009, as Illinois Public Media has been listening regularly to the voices of our region, hunger kept rising up as a community problem and these are some of the stories that were told to us. And we aren’t the only ones listening. In 2010, the Illinois Commission to End Hunger was formed and commissioners have been holding listening sessions throughout the state to develop an action plan every two years. Businesses such as Wal-Mart are huge donators of produce and meat to Illinois’ food banks. And local businesses, such as the Common Ground Food Coop in Urbana, have partnered with Illinois Public Media to provide meals to the Eastern Illinois Foodbank for every donation to WILL. During the month of Thanksgiving, Illinois Public Media will highlight the public-private efforts to meet hunger needs in Illinois with a special night of TV programming on Tuesday, Nov. 15 called “Growing Hope Against Hunger.” The first hour (7 pm) features a national program from Sesame Workshop that looks at families and hunger. The second hour (8 pm) will be a live, locally produced program whose focus is to: • raise awareness of hunger in Illinois • look at the public-private-government response to the need • connect viewers/listeners/web users to resources in their community An hour-long, live, online chat (9 pm) will follow the television programs. All are invited to participate in the chat by going to will.illinois.edu/connect. The 8 pm television program may be viewed on our main website here: will.illinois.edu. If you know of anyone who needs food assistance or if you have resources to give to those who are involved in these long-term efforts to end hunger in Illinois, we hope you’ll tune in on Nov. 15. Culture Food Government Poverty http://willconnect.org/stories/obesity-prevention-public-health-approaches http://willconnect.org/stories/obesity-prevention-public-health-approaches Kimberlie Kranich Mon, 03 Oct 2011 15:34:58 -0500 stories A public lecture by the College of Medicine at Illinois Janet Liechty, assistant professor, School of Social Work at Illinois; Dr. Kristen Vogt, a Carle Hospital physician; and David Buchner, professor, Kinesiology & Community Health at Illinois, spoke at the College of Medicine's Community Medical School on Tuesday, September 27 at the Hawthorne Suites in Champaign. The lecture was moderated by William Marshall, Assoc. Dean for Clinical Affairs at Illinois. This was the second in a three-part lecture series for the public on the basic science of obesity. Community Food Health University Of Illinois http://willconnect.org/stories/food-insecurity-focus-of-champaign-hunger-symposium http://willconnect.org/stories/food-insecurity-focus-of-champaign-hunger-symposium Sean Powers Tue, 27 Sep 2011 12:03:51 -0500 stories At the 5th annual Hunger Symposium on Sept. 26, 2011 in Champaign, food insecurity took front stage. Two million people in Illinois deal with food insecurity, and in eastern Illinois that number is about 80,000, according to a study released by the group, Feeding America. It’s a problem that’s being addressed through programs like the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. Local food pantries are also working hard to feed people who need food assistance. At the 5th annual Hunger Symposium on Sept. 26, 2011 in Champaign, food insecurity took front stage. The event was put on by the Eastern Illinois Food Bank and the Family Resiliency Center. Illinois Public Media's Jeff Bossert talks with Sean Powers, who attended the meeting. Food Health Economy Community Politics Government http://willconnect.org/blog/restaurant-jobs-high-turnover-lower-wages http://willconnect.org/blog/restaurant-jobs-high-turnover-lower-wages Pam Dempsey Mon, 12 Sep 2011 01:13:55 -0500 WILL Connect Blog The restaurant industry is a high turnover industry, which provides ample jobs. Yet wages on average are low This week CU-CitizenAccess.org and Illinois Public Media explore and discuss restaurant inspections in Central Illinois - the process of health inspections and the usefulness of keeping the public informed of inspectors’ findings. The number of people employed in Champaign County full-service restaurants was 3,430 people in the third quarter of 2010 , according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau. The restaurant industry is a high turnover industry, which provides ample jobs. Yet wages on average are low. In Champaign County, turnover in full-service restaurants for the third quarter of 2010 was nearly 18 percent and average monthly earnings was about $1,300. For new hires, the average monthly earnings was about $950, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Average monthly earnings in all industries overall in Champaign County were about $3,400 and nearly $2,000 for new hires. Job turnover overall was at about 8 percent. While the number of available job openings for food and beverage service workers is expected to increase nationally about 10 percent , combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food workers are expected to increase 15 percent. From the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-2011 edition on "food and beverage serving and related workers": * Most jobs are part time and have few educational requirements, attracting many young people to the occupation—21 percent of these workers were 16 to 19 years old in 2008, about six times the proportion for all workers. * Job openings are expected to be abundant through 2018, which will create excellent opportunities for jobseekers. * Tips comprise a major portion of earnings for servers, so keen competition is expected for jobs in fine dining and more popular restaurants where potential tips are greatest.
 http://willconnect.org/stories/champaign-co.-restaurant-inspection-reports-hard-to-find http://willconnect.org/stories/champaign-co.-restaurant-inspection-reports-hard-to-find Dan Petrella Sun, 11 Sep 2011 22:15:56 -0500 stories There is no easy way to get the results of Champaign County restaurant inspection reports. Story by CU-CitizenAccess reporter Dan Petrella and University of Illinois journalism alumna Jennifer Wheeler. CU-CitizenAccess reporter Pam Dempsey and UI journalism alumnus Steve Contorno contributed. About one in 10 restaurants in Champaign County failed a health inspection from April 2007 through April 2011, according to a review of inspection records by CU-CitizenAccess.org. But customers have no easy way of knowing just how sanitary the places at which they eat really are. Take, for example, Geovanti’s Bar & Grill, which failed public health inspections five times from September 2008 through February of this year. But no one who eats there would ever know, unless they requested copies of the Campustown restaurant’s inspection reports from the local public health district. That’s because – unlike many other counties and cities in central Illinois and across the country – the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District currently doesn’t publicize the results of its restaurant inspections in any form. Not online, not on placards at restaurants and not in local newspapers. This means the public has no way way of knowing about health-code violations, such as the live and dead cockroaches found during a November 2009 inspection at Geovanti’s. Owner Anthony Donato said the restaurant works closely with the district to make sure it meets health codes. Geovanti’s recently had a voluntary health inspection and passed with flying colors, he said. Julie Pryde, the district’s public health administrator, said the fact that a restaurant is open for business shows eating there is safe. “If you go into a restaurant and it’s open, we’ve been in there, and they’ve passed,” Pryde said. “And there are times where you’ll go to a restaurant, and it will not be open. It may not say, ‘Closed by the health department’ on the front door, but if it’s not open, that’s because there’s an immediate health risk.” Pryde and other public health officials have long said they want to make information about inspections of the county’s more than 1,000 eating establishments more available to the public. They believe providing diners with access to complete restaurant inspection reports will give them the information they need to make the best decisions for their health. But, after years of talk, they still have not done so. Since getting new software to manage inspection reports in 2007, they have spoken about plans for a website that would allow consumers to look up the records online. In 2008, environmental health director Jim Roberts said he hoped to have the site up the following year. This spring, he said they were shooting for September. In late August, he revised the time line once again. “I would hope by January 2012,” Roberts said. He said there are several reasons for the delays. “First, we had to make sure the system was working as we wanted it to,” Roberts said. “The second thing is that I don’t have a project manager to do this, so I do this as time permits me to do so.” Meanwhile, since 2003, neighboring Vermilion County has taken the low-tech route of requiring restaurant owners to post letter grades from their most recent inspections in their establishments alongside their health permits. Douglas Toole is the environmental health director in Vermilion County. “It’s a lot about informing the public,” Toole said. “When they go into a restaurant, the public can see the dining area, certainly, and they can see what the restrooms look like and they can see, depending on the place, a small amount of the food-preparation or food-storage area. But a lot of it takes place behind the scenes.” While Vermilion County officials see this as a way of providing the public with information they’re entitled to see under the state’s Freedom of Information Act, Champaign-Urbana’s Julie Pryde see the letter grades differently. “It’s completely worthless,” Pryde said. She said when people see a letter grade, they don’t bother to find out what went into earning that grade. “If you only are looking at one thing, A, I think it will give people a false sense of security, and, B, it might negatively impact a restaurant’s business when there’s no point in it,” Pryde said.”Give them all the information or no information at all.” Illinois law doesn’t require health departments to publish inspection results online or in hardcopy. But Vermillion isn’t the only area county the takes the initiative to make its scores public. McLean, Macon and Sangamon counties all post inspections scores on their websites. Manny Martinez is executive chef of Destihl Restaurant and Brew Works, which has locations in Champaign and Normal. Inspection scores for the Normal restaurant are posted on the McLean County Health Department website. The scores can be deceiving because they don’t tell customers whether a restaurant lost points for major violations or for several minor violations that might have little to do with sanitation, Martinez said. But overall, he doesn’t mind the information being available to the public. “For a restaurant, it doesn’t really matter to us, as long as we know we’re doing a good job, and we get inspected and we’re doing a great job,” he said. For now, if diners in Champaign County want to know how clean and sanitary a restaurant is, they’ll have to call the Champaign-Urbana Public Health Department themselves. Business Health Crime http://willconnect.org/stories/rev.-john-sims-speaks-during-911-memorial-in-urbana http://willconnect.org/stories/rev.-john-sims-speaks-during-911-memorial-in-urbana Jim Meadows Sun, 11 Sep 2011 17:40:18 -0500 stories Rev. John Sims is currently the pastor at the First United Methodist Church in Urbana. The Rev. John Sims is currently the pastor at the First United Methodist Church in Urbana. As a disaster chaplain for the National Transportation Safety Board, he was on call for the month of September 2001. In that role, Sims traveled to Ground Zero in New York City, and counseled victims’ families, first responders and survivors. Sims spoke during the ten year anniversary of the attacks on Sunday, Sept. 11, 2011 in front of the courthouse in Urbana. Religion News History http://willconnect.org/stories/role-of-religion-and-faith-in-the-wake-of-911 http://willconnect.org/stories/role-of-religion-and-faith-in-the-wake-of-911 Willis Kern Fri, 09 Sep 2011 14:49:19 -0500 stories The faith outlook of many people was forever changed by what happened on 9/11. Despite the fact that the increase in church attendance immediately after 9/11 quickly waned, the faith outlook of many people was forever changed by what happened that day. Willis Kern reports. Religion http://willconnect.org/stories/community-support-for-muslims-after-911 http://willconnect.org/stories/community-support-for-muslims-after-911 Jim Meadows Fri, 09 Sep 2011 02:20:40 -0500 stories Following the 9/11 attacks, two Champaign-Urbana Muslims say they have found strong community support. The 9/11 attacks have had particular consequences for America's Muslims. They have been accused of not speaking loudly enough against the attacks, or even harboring new attackers. But two Champaign-Urbana Muslims say they've found strong community support in the face of such charges. Illinois Public Media's Jim Meadows reports. Religion Community http://willconnect.org/stories/ui-alumnus-to-conduct-911-musical-tribute-in-nyc http://willconnect.org/stories/ui-alumnus-to-conduct-911-musical-tribute-in-nyc Jeff Bossert Wed, 07 Sep 2011 18:56:35 -0500 stories Rene Clausen composes a piece of music to remember the victims of 9/11. On Sept. 11, 2011, the U of I grad will return to New York’s Lincoln Center for another performance of ‘Memorial.' Nine years ago, a composer and University of Illinois alumnus was commissioned to remember the victims of the 9/11 attacks through song. Rene Clausen composed a piece known as "Memorial." Illinois Public Media’s Jeff Bossert reports on the journey Clausen has taken with his work, and how it is leading him back to New York City. Performing Arts Music History Fine Art Interviews People http://willconnect.org/stories/stephen-lyons-remembers-911 http://willconnect.org/stories/stephen-lyons-remembers-911 Stephen Lyons Wed, 07 Sep 2011 14:22:11 -0500 stories Author Stephen Lyons reads an essay he wrote about his memories following the 9/11 attacks. Not long after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, author Stephen Lyons wrote the following essay, describing the day as it unfolded. His essay originally appeared in the November 2001 issue of "The Sun" magazine. Lyons is a two-time recipient of an Illinois Arts Council Fellowship for prose writing. He is the author of three books, most recently, "The 1,000-Year Flood: Destruction, Loss, Rescue, and Redemption along the Mississippi River."