Central Illinois Continuum of Care

04/29/2026

04/22/2026

No car? No problem. 🚌

Transportation shouldn't be a barrier to accessing the resources you need — and now it won't be. Thanks to the generosity of Connect Transit, FREE public bus passes are available to get you to the Housing & Resource Fair!

📅 April 29, 2026 | 10AM–2PM

📍 Eastland Mall, 1615 E. Empire St. (Food Court Entrance), Bloomington

A printed or digital pass must be shown to the bus driver. To download the pass, visit: http://bit.ly/4m6pJ8R

Brought to you by the City of Bloomington, Mid-Illinois REALTORS® Association and Town of Normal

04/10/2026

🚨 IMPORTANT UPDATE 🚨

Congress and President Trump have made changes to SNAP and some customers will lose benefits on May 1, 2026 if they aren’t meeting or exempt from new work requirements. Here’s what to do:

📝 1) Complete the screener to see if you are impacted and whether you may be able to file an exemption: https://aberp.illinois.gov/screener/ABAWD?lang=EN

💻2) Customers can meet the new requirements by working, volunteering, or participating in a training or education program. Visit: https://www.dhs.state.il.us/?item=177800

04/08/2026

ILLINOIS (WCIA) — House Bill 1429 was amended last week, narrowing its focus to what Illinois communities can and can’t do when a person experiencing homelessness is staying on public p…

04/06/2026

REMINDER St Vincent de Paul Holy Trinity Bloomington, IL, food & clothing pantry will be open TOMORROW Monday 4/6 for distribution 🛒 We hope to see anyone in need 💙

⏰ Hours
Food Distributions:
•Mondays: 9 AM-12 PM & 1-4 PM (Closed 12-1 PM) 🍎🍪🥦🍞

Clothing Pantry Distribution:
•Mondays: 9 AM-12 PM 🧥👕👖

📍Location
•705 N. Roosevelt Ave. Bloomington, IL 61701

⚠️ SAFETY FIRST - For the safety of all our guests and volunteers we kindly ask:
•Drive through please enter the line from the 300 block of W. Chestnut & join the line of cars 🚘
•To help us serve you more efficiently, please ensure your vehicle has plenty of empty space available for our volunteers to easily load your items. We truly appreciate you making room before your arrival as it helps to keep the line moving smoothly for everyone.
•Please stay in your vehicle: For everyone’s safety and to keep the line moving efficiently, all guests MUST remain inside their vehicles during distribution. Our volunteers will come to your vehicle.
•We kindly ask ALL bicycles and motorized bikes. MUST be walked (NOT to be ridden) while on the parking lot 🚲
•Walk up is ONLY for guests who do not have access to a vehicle for pickup.
-The walk-up area ONLY serves walk-ups. If you come in a vehicle & walk up, you will be asked to return to your car, enter the line & be provided food in your vehicle.
•Please do NOT park within or block our neighbor’s private driveways or restrict their residential access. Everyone should follow City of Bloomington rules and we ask everyone be respectful of our neighbors 🅿️

•To help us serve everyone safely and fairly, only families who are in the parking lot by the end of distribution time will be served. Unfortunately we will be unable to remain open to serve any families still waiting on Chestnut Street after these times.
-Mondays: by 12:00 PM (morning) or 4:00 PM (afternoon)
-2nd & 4th Saturdays: by 11:00 AM
•To make sure we have enough food for everyone, if you receive food during the 2nd or 4th Saturday distribution - you cannot receive again on the following Monday.
•If you receive food during a Saturday distribution we ask you not to return the following Monday for another distribution within 2 days.

🤝 Share with Others:
If you receive an item you and/or your family cannot use, please consider sharing it with a neighbor or another family in need. Every act of kindness helps our community stay strong together.

Thank you for understanding and cooperation. We appreciate everyone who helps us serve all our guests as fairly & quickly as possible.

📅 2026 SVdP Guest Distribution Calendar:
•Check out the 2026 calendar to stay up to date on food & clothing distributions
-Including the dates we will be closed.
•SAVE the 2026 SVdP Guest Distribution calendar with all food & clothing distributions:
https://www.facebook.com/share/1AhNKb43W5/?mibextid=wwXIfr

The FB event for Monday’s distribution:
https://www.facebook.com/share/1DBcYtyPiq/?mibextid=wwXIfr

04/01/2026

With your help, over 400 witness slips were submitted last week in support of HB 1429, which would prohibit municipalities from passing ordinances that allow for the arrest or ticketing of individuals for experiencing homelessness. Last Wednesday, the bill passed out of the housing committee and is on its way to the house floor!

"When someone has nothing—what is fining or arresting them going to do? It is more beneficial to prioritize supporting communities in working strategically toward ending homelessness," said Central Illinois Continuum of Care Coordinator Liam Wheeler, who shared his own experience of homelessness on the streets of Bloomington during the hearing last week. "I needed somewhere to sleep safely, space to process what I had endured and find the courage to stand on my own feet with my community at my back."

Stay up to date on our work this legislative session: chicagohomeless.org/our-work/state-legislation/