- Published: 11 January 2022
CHICAGO – In order to promote investment and equity in underserved communities, State Senator Patricia Van Pelt (D-Chicago) is encouraging West Side community organizations to apply for state grants under the Restore, Reinvest and Renew (R3) grant program.
“The communities that I represent have long suffered from a lack of investment and opportunity,” Van Pelt said. “The R3 program was created with communities like West Garfield Park and Humboldt Park in mind, and organizations who are in such areas should apply.”
The R3 grant funds will provide community organizations across Illinois with $45 million for civil legal aid, economic development, re-entry services, violence prevention and youth development in communities that have been historically disproportionately affected by the War on Drugs.
This grant opportunity builds upon previous R3 funding that distributed $35 million to 80 grantees and their partner organizations. All executed first-round grants will be renewed for an additional year to ensure continuity of services as the state continues to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Systemic acts, such as the War on Drugs, created life-altering disparities for various communities of color and communities living in poverty,” Van Pelt said. “It is only right that a systemic act was created to rectify the errors of the past.”
Organizations interested in R3 grants can apply at r3.illinois.gov.
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