by Jacqui Guillen | Apr 1, 2025 | Health, Food, and Recess
Photo Credit: Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere/Sun-Times Background: Illinois has become a leader in providing healthcare coverage to residents. In the last five years,l egislators passed two Medicaid-like programs for immigrants. One program (Health Benefits for Immigrant...
by Jacqui Guillen | Feb 28, 2025 | East St. Louis, Health, Food, and Recess, Mental Health
Parent Leaders Mamie Cosey (right) and Rosalia Salgado (left) pose for a picture with Illinois Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton (middle). The Healing-Centered Illinois Task Force, which COFI and POWER-PAC IL parents Mamie Cosey (East St. Louis) and Rosalia Salgado...
by Jacqui Guillen | Dec 16, 2024 | Health, Food, and Recess, POWER-PAC IL
Caption: Parent Leaders from Aurora and East St. Louis attend the launch of POWER-PAC IL’s parent-led publication, “Shining A Light: How Parent-Led Solutions Can Heal Our Communities and Address Trauma.” POWER-PAC IL Parents in the Health, Food, and...
by Jacqui Guillen | Sep 26, 2024 | Health, Food, and Recess, POWER-PAC IL
NEW REPORT SHINES A LIGHT ON PARENT-LED POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT THE MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEM, SHOWS WHAT’S WORKING AND NOT WORKING FOR ILLINOIS FAMILIES COFI parents speak to the challenges U.S. Surgeon General raised in recent advisory about parental stress and...
by COFI Admin | Nov 15, 2022 | Health, Food, and Recess, Mental Health
Recently, POWER-PAC IL parent leader Esmeralda Martinez and COFI organizer Emily Cole participated in a poster presentation through the Chicago Consortium for Community Engagement with the Chicago Department of Public Health. They shared parents’ research...
by COFI Admin | Aug 27, 2021 | Health, Food, and Recess, In the Media
“Esmeralda Martinez, [POWER-PAC IL parent leader and Recess Campaign Co-Chair and] a Little Village resident with three kids, said mandating the 30 minutes was a good decision because sometimes teachers have taken recess away as a punishment. The law will ensure...