Companions Journeying Together, Inc., provides a forum to personally impact the emotional, spiritual, and social lives of the incarcerated and their families. Our vision is for a society that lives by the principles of restorative justice.

For over 20 years Companions Journeying Together Inc. has lived out the mission of Jesus by valuing all people as members of the kingdom of God.

We seek out opportunities to reach incarcerated women and men through a variety of programs designed to build healthy relationships and foster positive communication. Those programs include Aunt Mary’s Storybook Project, Fathers Read, Family Stories, and Mother Love Parenting classes. Additional services we organize and either provide or facilitate include special holiday communication projects, provision of re-entry materials and referrals, community education/training, and advocacy. Our goal is to be a link between resources and needs. We have a history of working successfully with officials from the Department of Corrections, as well as with individuals, churches and community organizations committed to serving the imprisoned and their families.

Companions Journeying Together works with the following correctional institutions:

• Dwight Correctional Center
  
• Sheridan Correctional Center
  
• Stateville Correctional Center (Joliet)
  
• DuPage County Jail
  
• Kane County Jail
  

OUR MISSION:
To help all people-women, men and children-live free from violence and abuse.

For more than thirty years, the CENTER for PREVENTION of ABUSE has been a statewide leader to end abuse and make our homes, schools, and communities safer.

Our pledge to those we serve ~ We will work every day to provide confidential and compassionate service in a safe environment with one goal in mind-empowering people in our community to live free from violence and abuse.

Our pledge to our community~ We will continue to educated and advocate for positive changes in the way those living in violent situations are treated and the way that our community values and works toward peace.

The CENTER, its staff, and volunteers believe that everyone deserves peace.

The CENTER for PREVENTION of ABUSE is the only agency in the state of Illinois to provide free combined services to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault/abuse, and elder abuse.

Annually, more than 5,000 women, men and children affected by violence and abuse are served by CFPA. CFPA offers school based abuse prevention programming to students pre-K through college age, reaching out to about 30,000 young people each year.
CPA focuses its work on four major areas:

1. Domestic violence-through work with both survivors and perpetrators of domestic violence.
2. Sexual assault/abuse
3. Elder abuse
4. Keeping kids safe.

In the month of June we will be supporting Peoria Rescue Ministries. In the past fifty years, this local ministry has grown from giving out donuts and coffee on the street to serving men, women, and children in our community at five different facilities.

These facilities include: Peoria Rescue Mission, a residential program ministering to the physical, spiritual, & emotional needs of hurting men. Victory Acres, a farm in rural Peoria County, to help men find a productive Christian lifestyle as they deal with alcohol & substance abuse.

The Women’s Pregnancy Center was opened to minister to the needs of women who experience an unplanned pregnancies or post-abortion trauma. The center provides caring, compassionate assistance to mothers and babies.
At Barnabas Center caring, trained counselors offer free Biblical counseling to scores of clients of all ages.

The need for an in-house, long-term facility for women and women with children was met when Esther House was opened. Esther House provides a safe, inviting environment where ladies can come to know Jesus Christ and grow in their daily walk with Him. PMR also has sister ministries in the former Soviet Union that include the REALIS CENTER (research Education and Light Center) in Kiev, and Riga Bible institute in Riga, Latvia.

The objectives of the corporation of Peoria Rescue Ministries shall be:
•    To conduct a nondenominational mission to aid, assist and care for destitute men
•    To offer life-affirming alternatives to abortion
•    To address the needs of pregnant women
•    To offer training in parenting skills
•    To furnish a temporary home and job placement
•    To contribute to the uplifting of such persons
•    To provide all services to individuals without charge

On  Pentecost Sunday  –  we  will  be  receiving  the  Strengthen  the  Church  special  mission offering  of  the  United  Church  of  Christ.  This  offering  builds  the  UCC’s  future.  It  funds  new          congregations  and  renews  existing  ones.  It  supports  programs  for  youth  and  young  adults  and  nurtures  current and future leaders. And it aids the God is Still Speaking Ministry to spread our message of  inclusivity. Directed to local Conferences, Local Church Ministries and the Still-speaking Ministry,  Strengthen  the  Church  gifts  help  to  create  vibrant  church  communities  of  extravagant welcome.  

A little love can go a long way.  When our lives become unpredictable or chaotic, when we’re facing into a storm, when we’re weary and discouraged, fearful or confused… a little love can give the boost we need.  Many of us find that love in our church.  But there are many people still seeking and yearning for a little love, a little hope, and a reassuring word.  They have not found a church that’s reaching out with an extravagant welcome, where they can hear the message of the unconditional love of our still speaking God.  That’s where the Strengthen the Church special mission offering steps in. Each year, we receive a special offering that helps the church’s love to grow and thrive. Called Strengthen the Church, this offering funds new congregations and renews existing ones. It supports programs for  youth  and  young  adults  and  nurtures  current  and  future  leaders.  And  it  sends  the  God  is  Still Speaking Ministry’s message of extravagant welcome and inclusivity into our world. 
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We will receive this offering on Pentecost Sunday– the birthday of the church – Pentecost Sunday.  I invite you to celebrate by giving to Strengthen the Church. Your generous gift today ensures a vibrant church tomorrow. 

Spread the Love. Strengthen the Church. God is still speaking. Still-speaking: It's the shorter form of "God is still speaking," a campaign by the United Church of Christ to simply remind us that God still has a lot more to say. Since 2004, Still-speaking has worked with thousands of UCC churches and  individuals across the country to make religion relevant again and to extend an extravagant welcome to all—because no matter who you are, or where you are on life's journey, you're welcome here. Here at the United Church of Christ. 

Your gift to Strengthen the Church builds the UCC’s future now by funding The Still-speaking Ministry, new and renewing churches, youth and young adult ministries, and lay and pastoral leadership formation - especially among women and people of color. 

Your offerings are directed to your church’s Conference, Local Church Ministries, and The Still-speaking Ministry for these church development, leader development and Still-speaking purposes. 

What is CASA? ~ CASA stands for Court Appointed Special Advocates. CASA is a private, non profit organization that recruits, trains and supports court approved community volunteers, to advocate on behalf of abused and neglected children that are in the court system, seeking to assure safe, permanent families for them as quickly as possible.

CASA is the only volunteer organization that empowers citizens as appointed members of the court. In an overburdened social welfare system, abused and neglected children often slip through the cracks among hundreds of current cases. CASA volunteers change that. Appointed by judges, CASA volunteers typically handle just one case at a time – and commit to staying on that case until the child is placed in a safe, permanent home. While others may come and go, CASA volunteers provide that one constant that children need in order to thrive.

CASA of the Tenth Judicial Circuit (formerly CASA of Peoria County) is a volunteer organization that advocates for the best interests of children who have experienced abuse or neglect and are within the Juvenile Abuse and Neglect Court System in Peoria, Tazewell, Marshall, Putnam and Stark counties.

Mission: The mission of CASA of the Tenth Judicial Circuit is to ensure that every child who has experienced abuse or neglect is placed in a safe and permanent home, by utilizing specially trained community volunteers who advocate for children abused or neglected going through the court system.
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Vision: CASA of the Tenth Judicial Circuit’s goal is that every child who has experienced abuse or neglect is placed in a safe permanent home as quickly as possible. To build the nationally recognized advocate program for children abused or neglected throughout the Tenth Judicial Circuit. Specifically, our vision is to:

• Increase volunteerism with quality case management and training
• Provide consistent and quality advocacy services and programs
• Increase awareness and visibility for CASA of the Tenth Judicial Circuit
• Implement fundraising plans that will sustain our future for generations to come

Values: We believe that all children have the right to a safe, permanent home and deserve the support and involvement of their community to make this possible.

Neighborhood House Association, established in 1896, is dedicated to providing a Safe Haven with comprehensive services that meet the social, emotional and material needs of individuals and families from infancy to the elderly. The common goal of all services is to enhance the quality of life and foster independence of those served.

Neighborhood House was founded as a settlement house. It began with a church service in September of 1896. Poor immigrants could find refuge and receive many of life's necessities. A 1910 census report showed that 2/3 of the residents in the Eighth Ward (the South Side) were either foreign born or of foreign parentage. Fourteen different languages were spoken and immigrants had settled in this area to find their freedom and fortune. 

Neighborhood House will continue to provide the core comprehensive services that began in 1896. We will remain in constant communication with our citizens, service recipients, and community leaders. We have the unique ability to continually assess the needs of the community and to promptly initiate specialized comprehensive programs to meet identified needs.

At Neighborhood House, they believe:

• That all lives are enriched by participation in a compassionate and supportive community
• That the enduring strength of our Neighborhood Community relies on cultivating a spirit of neighborliness and mutual respect among diverse populations
• That Neighborhood House should work to bring groups and individuals together as an inclusive community
• That families require lifelines of support and benefit from community services and programs responsive to their needs
• That children and their families from all socioeconomic backgrounds should have equal access to quality early childhood programs
• That children and teens should have a safe environment for their development in order to foster positive social Interactions
• That seniors, including the home-bound elderly, need and deserve to be valued as individuals who are important to the fabric of community life
• That an effective settlement house must continually evolve and adapt to the ever changing needs of its community.

Church World Service was born in 1946, in the aftermath of World War II. A number of denominations came together to form an agency "to do in partnership what none of us could hope to do as well alone." The mission: Feed the hungry, clothe the naked, heal the sick, comfort the aged, shelter the homeless.

Development begins at the grassroots. CWS recognized early on that to be successful the projects and programs must come from the people themselves, not be imposed by others.

Church World Service sought out local agencies, often Christian councils, who share this vision of empowering self-help; and, long-standing partnerships were forged.

Millions of people worldwide live on the edge of subsistence, at the will of fragile economies, struggling to escape the crushing grip of poverty and powerlessness. And, millions more have fled their home countries due to a well-founded fear of persecution. It is with and for these people that Church World Service exists. We carry out our work in these major program areas.

The CWS also helps vulnerable people and communities prepare for and recover from natural and human-caused disaster. CWS addresses long-term physical, psychological and spiritual recovery, and helps communities develop strategies for the future. To do this CWS engages its member communions and others to join in disaster preparedness, mitigation and response. When disaster strikes, whether in the U.S. or around the world, CWS encourages the faith community to join together so that the most vulnerable families and individuals receive the assistance they need.

Partnership is the key. Given the opportunity, people the world over can have the strength and knowledge to take the lead in addressing their own challenges. So, one of the best ways to help is to listen... to learn... and to share resources appropriate to people’s needs. Building partner relationships around the world, as well as here in the U.S., is a hallmark of Church World Service. In partnership, we are engaging councils of churches across the U.S. and worldwide to bring new commitment and vitality to ecumenical mission, and we are nurturing interfaith dialogue and cooperation, essential to our work in the 21st century.

Blankets+
 
Blankets+ is a special mission opportunity for all ages. Some 8,000 congregations and groups across the U.S. hold CWS Blankets+ events, providing funds to help people in need around the world, including the U.S. For over 60 years, Church World Service has worked in partnership with local communities to identify their needs and access the resources they need to build the foundation for a more viable future, including: 

• Blankets, tents, food and other emergency supplies in the wake of a disaster. 
• Tools and seeds for refugees returning home to replant their fields. 
• Wells for families living in drought prone areas to provide clean, safe water to drink and to irrigate crops and gardens. 
• Literacy training and microcredit for women struggling to realize their potential.  

Blankets+ gifts are at work in the U.S. and around the world, helping to meet emergency needs and supporting long- term recovery and preparedness. 

Purpose
The Christmas Fund provides a lifeline of hope to many lower-income active and retired clergy and lay employees in the United Church of Christ. Gifts to the Christmas Fund help provide pension and health premium supplementation to low-income retirees, emergency assistance to the families of clergy and lay employees and Christmas “Thank You” Gift checks to hundreds of annuitants.

Mission
The Mission of the Christmas Fund is to provide assistance dollars in situations of critical need, while reserving the dignity of those who receive the aid. You can honor the Christ Child during this season by bringing gifts that will be used to support and honor those who have served, and are serving, this beloved church. Your gifts will truly represent the incarnational nature of the church at its best.

For 110 years, the Christmas Fund for the Veterans of the Cross and the Emergency Fund has been a means by which we-as members of the United Church of Christ and its predecessor denominations- reflect the light of God in the world, individually and in community. The Christmas Fund, one of four Special Mission Offerings received annually in the United Church of Christ, is a beacon of light for many who have served, and who continue to serve, our church.

We are grateful for your partnership in this vital ministry, and ask that you consider supporting the Christmas Fund Offering again, prayerfully and to the best of your ability. Your gift to the Christmas Fund helps us to reach out in love and compassion to provide assistance to those in the greatest need, who selflessly have given of themselves for the sake of the Gospel.
On behalf of the 1,600 + clergy and lay individuals and families who received some form of Ministerial Assistance since the last Christmas Fund Offering, the members of the Pension Board express their deep gratitude to you for your generosity. May the light of Jesus Christ shine brightly in your life, now and always.