Latest news with #DreamCenter
Yahoo
18-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Could a tiny home village help solve homelessness in Peoria? Here are the arguments
During a sweeping policy discussion on how to tackle homelessness, the Peoria City Council moved forward Tuesday night on exploring a tiny home village in the city and providing another $64,000 to continue housing homeless people at a local motel. The council took made no official votes during its special policy meeting, but it did signal approval to allow city staff to continue exploring a plan to build a tiny home village somewhere in Peoria that would house some of the city's homeless population. Those tiny homes — which would be operated by the Dream Center Peoria — would be roughly 70-square-feet and have heating, air conditioning and on-site laundry, showers and bathrooms. The homes would primarily be for single adults and targeted at individuals who are not suited for a congregate shelter setting. It would cost an estimated $900,000 to build a tiny home village of 32 homes in Peoria and another $300,000 annually to operate the village, Dream Center Executive Director Andy King told the council. More: Juneteenth event replaces fireworks as new summer celebration at Glen Oak Park No official decision has been made on the tiny home village, and at this stage the City Council has only given a signal of approval to city staff to move forward with exploring options for tiny homes and find potential codes and ordinances that would need to be rewritten. Where a village would be built — if the proposal is ever given a full stamp of approval by the council — figures to be one of the more contentious questions the city will have to weigh. The Dream Center told the council it hopes to create a hub for homelessness services, and, ideally, the tiny home village would be near its main facility in Downtown Peoria. Mayor Rita Ali, while supportive of the tiny home concept, said she was adamantly opposed to seeing the tiny home village built in Downtown Peoria. Ali said that Downtown Peoria, which already features a litany of homeless shelters and housing, cannot become the "destination" for all of the city's homelessness services, saying the tiny home village could hurt the "safety conditions and perceptions" of downtown. Councilmembers John Kelly and Mike Vespa agreed with Ali's sentiment that a tiny home village would not be best suited for Downtown Peoria. Vespa said he supported the concept of a tiny home village in Peoria, making note it should be on a bus line, saying it gave people a "door to lock behind them." Councilmember Tim Riggenbach was the first on the council to champion tiny homes, and on Tuesday night, he applauded the progress Peoria has made in reducing homelessness but said it was "critical" that the council give staff direction to move forward with exploring the concept of tiny homes. Riggenbach urged caution, however, when it came to the council ruling out locations for the tiny home village this early in conversations. No one on the council seemed to be generally opposed to the concept of a tiny home village, but at-large councilmember Denis Cyr raised concerns about how and where the city would find funding for the village. City leaders on Tuesday night also heard progress updates from many of the region's homelessness providers, including the United Way's Continuum of Care, the Dream Center Peoria and Carle Health's Trillium. Those presenters painted a picture of a city that has made progress in reducing homelessness but still faced key barriers in shelter capacity and availability of housing. Housing projects like Phoenix Manor in Downtown Peoria, which will provide 55 units of permanent housing for families experiencing homelessness, and the expansion of the Salvation Army's Downtown Peoria shelter, are viewed as success stories in expanding shelter and housing options in Peoria. But more is still needed as homeless numbers continue to rise in Peoria and the nation, Continuum of Care's Kate Green told the council. In a January 2024 census, the United Way — which serves Peoria, Tazewell, Woodford and Fulton counties — counted 635 people experiencing homelessness. That number is up from 201 people in 2021 and 451 in 2015. Green told the council that there has been a "serious escalation in homelessness" since the COVID-19 pandemic. Likewise, data presented by Green showed that those experiencing homelessness have reported a rise in mental health issues and substance abuse problems. The City Council took no formal vote to provide the homelessness outreach group LULA with another $64,000 in funding for its revolutionary hotel project, in which they've housed dozens of homeless individuals in a local hotel. But all council members who spoke about the project on Tuesday night applauded its successes in not just allowing the city to clear the controversial and prominent homeless encampments in the city but also in connecting homeless individuals with services. The kicker of the program's success, however, is it relies on city funding. If no new funding is approved by the city, the program will end, and its participants could end up back on the streets. More: Heartbreak to resilience: Untold perspectives of Caterpillar's HQ move from Peoria In March, the City Council moved to provide LULA with roughly $204,000 in funding that would allow for it to operate its hotel program through the end of June. The end of June is closing in, and at its meeting on June 24 the council will weigh a measure to give LULA another $64,000 to keep the program operational. More than 100 people have participated in the hotel program. Fifty-one have been put into permanent housing programs, while 29 others have housing applications or appointments in place. Further complicating matters as Peoria tries to find permanent solutions to homelessness are expected cuts coming to the federal budget that city officials fear will cause more housing insecurity in Peoria. Propsed cuts to the federal budget, which is still being worked on by the U.S. Senate, will impact the number of Section 8 housing vouchers available those who need financial subsidies in order to afford housing. Continuum of Care funding would also be moved to states under the cuts. Emergency solutions grants, community block grant development funds and HOME grants would also be cut under the budget. Peoria Community Development Director Joe Dulin told the council these cuts could lead to an additional 1,000 people in Peoria to experience housing insecurity, calling the cuts to the Section 8 voucher system "pretty significant." Dulin told the council that the city would either have to use general fund dollars to support those programs or potentially go without some of those services. Ali said councilmembers and everyone else in the area should contact their congressional representative and encourage them to not vote for a federal budget that includes these moves. Ali said the cuts would be "detrimental" to the work the city has done in combatting homelessness. This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Peoria looks at tiny home village as possible homelessness solution
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
PMI Foods provides relief to wildfire victims by serving over 1,000 families before the WWE Event with the Los Angeles Dreams Center
PMI Foods Feeds Wildfire Victims Dream Center Volunteers Ready to Distribute Food Salt Lake City, Utah, June 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In recent days, WWE honored the Los Angeles Dream Center at their Money in the Bank pay-per-view event. The day prior, the L.A. Dream Center, in partnership with Parker Migliorini International (PMI Foods), co-hosted a cookout for the victims of the L.A. wildfires. The PMI sponsored event provided essential food, clothing, and supplies to help families continue their recovery process. As a part of their on-going mission to combat global food insecurity, PMI Foods continues to donate and deliver large-scale protein to vulnerable communities. With corporate offices in 30 countries, PMI foods continue to be a global leader in sourcing and distributing high-quality foods to local communities. Families at this cookout received: Rump Steak and Baby Back Ribs that fed over 1,000 people, donated by PMI Foods, ensuring that families have access to high-quality proteins as they continue to deal with recovering from the devastating fires. 'At PMI Foods we are actively trying to fight global food insecurity and feed the hungry,' remarked Darin Parker, President of PMI Foods. Mr. Parker continued 'we are proud to partner with the Los Angeles Dream Center and WWE to help thousands of families impacted by the LA wildfires. PMI Foods is working every day to provide millions of people with nutritious foods such as grass-fed pasture-raised beef, free-range chicken, as well as many other healthy options.' Through the efforts of WWE, Dream Center, and PMI Foods, thousands of victims are continuing to receive the help they need to recover from losing their homes. 'We are incredibly grateful to PMI Foods for their generous donations as well as their continued support in aiding the victims of the disastrous LA wildfires,' remarked Donny Irmen, Director at the Los Angeles Dream Center. 'On behalf of the LA Dream Center, thank you PMI Foods for always giving a helping hand to those in need.' About Parker Migliorini International PMI Foods is a global enterprise that supplies an extensive range of products to all major international markets with corporate offices strategically located in the Americas, Asia, Europe, Africa, and Oceania. PMI Foods operates on several platforms representing two brands: PMI Global Solutions; managing product procurement, sales, and logistics, and PMI Distribution; supplying the needs of local wholesale markets, and PMI Food Service, which provides a constant supply source while focusing on personalized services and customer-specific adaptation of products and packaging. More information about PMI Foods is available at: About Dream Center The Dream Center is a dedicated resource hub committed to supporting individuals impacted by homelessness, hunger, and lack of education. Through a combination of residential services and community outreach programs, it offers vital assistance to those in need. With over 84 Dream Centers across the globe—including locations in 29 U.S. states and 8 countries—each center shares a unified mission: to transform lives and uplift communities by providing the essential help, hope, and resources people need to thrive. Learn more about Dream Center and the work they do at: Attachments PMI Foods Feeds Wildfire Victims Dream Center Volunteers Ready to Distribute Food CONTACT: Mark Duffy PMI Foods 6177555322 mduffy@ while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Dream Center Evansville presents Spring Love Your Neighbor Day
HENDERSON, Ky. (WEHT) — Dream Center Evansville is inviting the community to help clean up the Jacobsville neighborhood for Spring Love Your Neighbor Day. Event organizers say they will be focusing on beautification of the Jacobsville neighborhood. Organizers go on to say donuts and coffee will be served before the cleanup starts. 'We are so excited to bring people from across the city to make Jacobsville a better place,' said Assistant Director of Public Relations and Marketing Meredith Hagerty. 'At Dream Center Evansville we focus on helping Jacobsville families, neighbors, and youth thrive.' Those looking to volunteer can do so by clicking here. Volunteer work will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., but volunteers should plan to arrive 10-15 minutes early at 1516 N Main Street to complete registration. In addition to the cleanup, Dream Center Evansville is working on other projects for the betterment of the neighborhood. Below are those projects. A project focused on helping those struggling with housing in Jacobsville. A beloved neighbor passed recently and in his honor, the Dream Center will be passing out meals and supplies to those struggling with housing. Neighborhood association president, Melissa Tines, and her family have started an initiative called Flower Power. Saturday, volunteers will leave a flower on every Jacobsville doorstep. Dream Center Evansville serves Delaware Elementary. They will be partnering with the school to clean up their courtyard. Jacobsville is a Superfund site designated by the federal government, meaning it has an ongoing lead exposure issue in our neighborhood. In partnership with IUSM, Vanderburgh County Health Department and the EPA they will be spreading mulch around several different homes in Jacobsville to help remediate lead issues and exposure. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Dream Center Peoria donates prom dresses to girls in the community
PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — The Dream Center Peoria is helping teenage girls in the community 'say yes to the dress.' On Friday, March 14 the Dream Center will be hosting its annual PROMise of Hope event where girls can pick out prom essentials like dresses, jewelry, and shoes for free. All the items have been donated to the Dream Center by community members over the year for this event. Each girl will get a personal shopper to help them pick out the best dress. Plus, seamstresses will be available for on-the-spot alterations so that each dress is truly the perfect fit. Once a girl finds their dress, they can walk the red carpet with their new gown. This event is all a part of the Dream Center's mission to impact families — starting with kids and youth. 'Everything is free of charge. We want to give some financial relief to families as the economy has been a struggle for a lot of families, and they may not feel like they have anything extra for their daughter or their granddaughter to be ready for prom. This is another way that we can come alongside families,' The Director of Development for the Dream Center Peoria, Denise Bailey, said. She added, 'We love the opportunity to watch girls shop and pick a dress and walk away with the dress and a bag and a bag filled with accessories and feeling confident and that they are going to be the most beautiful that they can be the night of their own prom.' The event will take place at the Dream Center Peoria on 714 Hamilton Blvd. School Appointments: 9 a.m. – noon Sensory-friendly Appointments: 1 p.m. – 3 p.m. Public Appointments: 5 p.m. – 8 p.m. To donate items to the event, community members can visit the Dream Center Peoria website, email the organization, or call (309) 676-3000 to find a good drop-off time. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Fox News
24-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Chef Andrew Gruel's Seasoned Career
American Gravy Founder, Television Personality, and author of Andrew Gruel's Family Cookbook , Chef Andrew Gruel, opened his restaurant to those seeking shelter and food while fleeing the deadly wildfires in Southern California. Alongside aid from the Dream Center and other donors, Chef Gruel and his family demonstrated that even in crisis, the best in humanity shines. Later, Chef Gruel and Janice discuss the national egg shortage, and ask the question, what would healthier practices in the food industry look like? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit
