El Valor’s Post

SAL Community Services' President & CEO, Marcy Mendenhall, shared about the Illinois Department of Early Childhood Act (IL HB5451) which would consolidate Illinois early childhood services into a single state agency as a means to enhance coordination, efficiency, and effectiveness. Learn more about the importance of this new state level alignment and the impact it will have on local families as we strive to create equitable access to child care in our region. https://lnkd.in/gjVjmHCv

Join us this Friday and Saturday at the Oak Park Library (just outside Chicago) for the 5th Annual Restorative Practices Conference! This year's conference has a focus on returning citizens, hearing the wisdom of our neighbors who have been incarcerated. I've been involved with this since 2019 and now I'm local so it's even more exciting. I'm a big believer in all things restorative justice (along with its sibling transformative justice). This conference and the people I've met have been a bedrock of my personal healing and community justice work. Register for free here: https://lnkd.in/g874tZUh The evolution in language to restorative practices (from restorative justice) is significant in that it's intended to be a way of being, of moving through the world, rather than simply a reactive technique to resolve conflict. In this way, we hope that we may reduce conflicts and be better equipped to face them in real time so they don't fester and escalate (eventually manifesting as war). I hope you can carve out some time to explore this critically important path with us. Stephen Jackson, LPC Rachel Zargo Susan Lucci Joshua Easter Cody Cotton Barry Koren, AIA, PhD Karen Lynn Morton Bradly Johnson MPA Andrew Hong Brighid O'Shaughnessy, LSW Joe Rice La Shawn K Ford #restorativejustice #restorativepractices #conference #Chicago #oakpark #transformativejustice #love #hope #unity #conflictresolution #circle #justiceimpacted #harwood #libraries #publiclibraries #socialimpact #mentalhealth #communityengagement

On this episode, The Imprint is joined for the conversation about Foster Youth to Independence by Ruth White and Jamole Callahan, two chief architects of the initiative, and Love Williams, an early participant in the initiative. https://lnkd.in/ejFh8nG4

love seeing the wisdom of former students out there... Austin Harrison "Memphians should resolve to do what they can to push our local leaders to make Memphis a city that chooses people first. This means holding out-of-town slumlords accountable to ensure they are providing livable and sanitary conditions, especially those slumlords using local, state, or federal housing subsidies. This means reorienting our economic development strategies to foreground Black neighborhoods and other working class communities in order to close our racial wealth gap. This means expanding our existing public Pre-K program to include all families. This means reimagining the way our city views local law enforcement and (most importantly) the way local law enforcement view us. This means so much more, but most importantly, this means all of us getting more engaged politically at the “local-est” of levels. We must ALL resolve to hold our leaders accountable if we want to see this city choose people first.”

Important conversations around the importance of public education and funding.

Teamwork is crucial for small businesses, and when combined with the right funding, it becomes a powerful formula for growth. A cohesive team fosters creativity, productivity, and problem-solving. Collaborate, communicate openly, and leverage each team member’s strengths to drive your business forward. Meanwhile, securing the right funding provides the resources needed for expansion, marketing, and innovation. Remember, a strong team and strategic funding go hand in hand.((847)+791-3668)https://lnkd.in/gujjXbpK

Read the newest from LearningWell: https://lnkd.in/e-KfHZuR

Next time you ask why REALTORs should get paid 3% on each side, remember this, homeowners benefit from it. Listen to the following:

NAR fights for policies that support Realtors® and home buyers and sellers across America. This non-partisan advocacy work aims to increase access to homeownership and protect private property rights.   Advocacy for housing at every level of government remains critical. NAR’s ongoing priorities include defending:  -The mortgage interest deduction  -Access to credit   -Flood insurance  -30-year fixed rate mortgages  Learn more about NAR’s advocacy wins in this video. #RealEstateAdvocacy

University of Colorado’s School of Public Affairs’ First Fridays shed light on the complex challenges in our housing market. We're at a crossroads - housing, transportation, climate, and the vision for Colorado's future are intertwined. 📈 Prop 123 enjoys widespread support because it's personal - communities willing to tax themselves for change. Around 80% of Colorado communities already leaning into Prop 123. 🏗️ Workforce housing development faces hurdles - financial strains, infrastructure issues. Need to look to innovative solutions like what is happening within Summit County with leasing hotels and converting into workforce housing (must work 30 hours within county to qualify). Multi-sector partnerships offer hope in addressing these challenges. 🤝 Collaboration with local communities is key - making it easy for the public to engage in critical problem-solving sessions and involve them as participants, not just recipients of solutions. Ensuring what's wanted by the public needs to align with what's practical. Measuring and sharing success will maintain buy-in. 🏘️ Ownership matters - people who love their community should own property. Let's address diverse and broader housing needs. Together, we can build a better future for Colorado! #AffordableHousing #CommunityEngagement #ColoradoFuture