On behalf of Community Renewal Society, I urge you to immediately close the Illinois Department of
Juvenile Justice’s Youth Center at Kewanee.

The State of Illinois is about to enter its fifth month of operating without a budget, while children and families in our state continue to suffer. Illinois is now worst in the nation for access to affordable, quality child care.

We can prevent violence in our communities by investing more in community-based Restorative Justice programs that literally save lives.

"No more public giveaways without benefits for the community," said Angela McClellan. "We need a Community Benefits Agreement because it’s no more business as usual on the West Side."

The Reclaim Campaign will conduct an 8-week Court Watching Project from July 1 to August 25, 2015 to verify that reforms to bond court and pretrial services we won are being implemented.

Isaiah 58:1, 6 and related verses speak to us in the faith community and to people of conscience to "Shout out, do not hold back! Lift up your voices like a trumpet to let the oppressed go free." 

One of my favorite scripture passages is Psalms is 51, verse 10 that says:  “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.”

July 1 marked the first day of the new fiscal year in Illinois. With no budget in place, uncertainty and instability reign. As people of faith, we can and should respond in two ways...

We celebrate important victories as we continue to demand a moral budget that protects Illinois’ families and communities by choosing new revenue.

The Illinois General Assembly ended the spring legislative session without resolving Illinois’ FY16 budget crisis. Vital community programs and services face devastating cuts, starting July 1, if additional revenue is not approved.

Participate in a virtual Day of Faith at the Capitol

Tania, a single mother of two children, Carlos (6 years old) and Hugo (8 years old) recently lost her child care. The state program that helps low-income and working families with child care costs is out of money.

“Am I my brother’s keeper?” Cain pondered his responsibility for another human being in front of God. This question, spoken thousands of years ago, is now the question that we, the people of Illinois, must also answer.

Time is running out for the Illinois General Assembly to pass legislation to raise the minimum wage. There are only 3 days left to take this important step.

The state’s current funding for schools falls woefully short of what is needed to provide a quality education for students across the state. And, the resources that are available are not distributed in an equitable manner.

Today, we are marching to State's Attorney Anita Alvarez's office, on behalf of the thousands of Cook County residents to deliver Deadly Inaction: A Proposal for State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez to Prevent Violence.

Nobody who works full-time should have to live in poverty. Vote yes to raise the minimum wage and help to Get Out the Vote for the November 4, 2014 election.

This will be a close election. Take action and vote early today for the mid-term election. Talk with people in your church about the importance of voting. Our votes can make a difference.

On Saturday October 4, the Reclaim Campaign held a public meeting where Cook County Commissioners commitment to actively seek a $1 million increase for the violence prevention, intervention, and reduction grants in the 2015 Cook County Budget.

This is good news, but we still have much more work to do. The current budget increases spending on the Cook County Jail by $27 million but makes no increase for preventing violence in our communities.

An important part of Community Renewal Society’s (CRS) work is to bring together congregations to fight for social justice. Every fall CRS holds an Annual Membership Assembly to set priorities for our organizing and policy work. On Saturday, October 4, CRS membership voted to initiate two new campaigns and renew three campaigns launched in 2013.