On March 16th Seguin Services welcomed Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and Cook County Commissioner Jeffrey Tobolski (16th District) to Seguin’s Carr Center in Cicero. President Preckwinkle and Commissioner Tobolski toured the entire Seguin program complex, including the Portillo’s Learning Kitchen, Seguin classrooms and other recently renovated day program space in the center named after the Carr Family, including former Cook County Commissioner Al Carr. The two newly elected County officials also visited Seguin Gardens & Gifts, Seguin’s retail greenhouse and gift shop, as well as Seguin Auto Center, a car-wash and locale for sales of donated and other used cars. Seguin was able to show how Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) issued through the County have benefited persons with disabilities served by Seguin.
Having just completed her first 100 days in office, President Preckwinkle has made a point of visiting every district under her jurisdiction. At the invitation of Commissioner Tobolski, Preckwinkle became the first Cook County President to tour the main center of operations for Seguin, a nonprofit agency serving 600 children and adults with developmental disabilities and other special needs in Chicago, Cook County and DuPage County.
During the visit Seguin noted to President Preckwinkle that the agency has a $750,000 annual capital budget, and that CDBG grants are vital to Seguin, as the State of Illinois does not reimburse agencies for capital needs as part of their funding for services. In short, the $250,000 to $300,000 in CDBG funding that Seguin receives annually from various local governmental sources including Cook County is crucial. These funds are used for major capital improvements to its main program spaces and to its 60 group homes where 220 very low-income people with developmental disabilities reside—and where Seguin provides services at less than half the cost for similar services at large state institutions.
These renovations supported with CDBG funding address accessibility, safety and security, including bathroom renovations, fire sprinkler installation and ongoing needs associated with maintenance of older homes. Without these funds, Seguin would be forced to choose between two equally poor options: to allow these homes to become dilapidated and unsafe for the residents, or to cut staff who provide direct care to our clientele. Either of these choices would endanger the safety and well-being of the people served by Seguin.
The visit by President Preckwinkle and Commissioner Tobolski, according to John Voit, President and CEO for Seguin, shows “strong responsive leadership by government officials, and is a great encouragement to Seguin and all nonprofits as they face serious funding cuts by the State of Illinois and the Federal government.”
For more information contact, Dawneen Suriano at 708-222-4251.
