ELGIN – Thanks to support from State Senator Cristina Castro (D-Elgin), Elgin Community College will receive a grant for a Certified Recovery Support Specialist Success program to prepare students for work as behavioral and mental health professionals.

“Our mental health and substance use recovery specialists are the backbone of our behavioral health care system,” Castro said. “Making sure our workers can get the education they need to give the best help possible to vulnerable individuals is critical.”

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(Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson) 

WASHINGTON D.C. – As Midwest Chair of the Executive Committee of the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators, State Senator Cristina Castro (D-Elgin) met with Vice President Kamala Harris at the White House during the organization’s annual National Summit in Washington D.C. Friday.

“It’s my distinct honor to represent the Illinois Hispanic community in Washington D.C.,” said Castro. “Friday’s meeting with Vice President Harris touched on many avenues of collaboration between state and federal government to ensure the voices and needs of our community are heard.”

The NHCSL 19^th annual National Summit provides an educational and networking experience for Hispanic elected officials, corporate leaders, community organizations and policy experts. Educational sessions focused on the state of Latino education, featuring U.S. Department of Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, as well as health, affordable housing, diversity and more.

During her meeting with Vice President Harris, Castro joined other state legislators from Utah, Virginia, Arizona, Puerto Rico and New Jersey for a discussion on immigration, the federal Build Back Better plan and other important topics.

“I hope to continue my work with stakeholders from all levels of government to make sure the Hispanic community makes gains in representation as we recover from the COVID-19 pandemic,” Castro said. “I want to thank Vice President Harris for taking the time to earnestly listen to what we had to say.”

Learn more about the work NHCSL does to improve the represent the Hispanic community across the country here.

ELGIN – The Elgin Area Historical Society will be receiving a much-needed financial boost to go toward the Nancy Kimball Cobblestone House project, thanks to support from State Senator Cristina Castro (D-Elgin).

“The Nancy Kimball Cobblestone House is a unique architectural landmark in Elgin,” Castro said. “The historical society has been hard at work updating the house for public use, and this funding will help the organization meet their vision as they continue to look toward the future.”

Overseen by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, the Illinois Public Museum Capital Grants Program is open to any museum operated by a local government or built on municipally owned land. The program will distribute a total of $19.7 million in grants to 36 Illinois museums for facility improvement and development of new exhibits.

The Nancy Kimball Cobblestone House project will receive $64,200 for upgrading the house and maintaining its historical integrity. According to the Elgin History Museum, which oversees the project, the house will eventually be utilized as a public event space including gallery spaces, work rooms for community projects, meeting spaces for small local groups and a setting for educational programs.

“The Elgin History Museum is grateful to receive this Illinois state grant to finish the rehabilitation of the Nancy Kimball Cobblestone House,” said Elizabeth Marston, director of the Elgin History Museum. “The City of Elgin and the Elgin History Museum plan to open the building as a community education center later this year. Thanks to the many project partners who have helped to bring this uniquely styled building back to life.”

Follow along for updates to the Nancy Kimball Cobblestone House project on the organization’s Facebook page and learn more on the Elgin History Museum website.