Northern Illinois Community Initiatives commits $100,000 to promote wellness, economic self-sufficiency in South Suburban Cook County
July 20, 2023
NAPERVILLE, IL — Northern Illinois Community Initiatives (NICI), a foundation created by Nicor Gas, today announced a total commitment of $100,000 to Proactive Community Services in Flossmoor to support their mission to overcome racial challenges related to health and socio-economic services in South Suburban Cook County.
Established in 2005, the nonprofit addresses widening social, economic and health gaps for people of color in the region, serving approximately 5,200 people annually.
“At NICI, we are committed to ensuring racial equity in our communities and supporting organizations like Proactive Community Services that address these challenges every day,” said Tovah McCord, executive director of Northern Illinois Community Initiatives. “We believe that every individual should have access to the job training programs, skills development and mentorship necessary to secure a sustainable wage for their families and to start careers that will lead to their personal success and the success of our state’s economic growth.”
Following the COVID-19 pandemic, the nonprofit has seen an increased demand for employment services including online classroom training programs, transportation cards for participants and networking support.
“At Proactive Community Services, we are committed to act as ‘first responders’ by meeting people where they are to address barriers preventing them from living a healthy lifestyle and being gainfully employed,” said Eula Burge, CEO of Proactive Community Services. “With the generous support of NICI, we are able to build our employment solutions program and better assess each individual’s needs and job readiness.”
As a result of this commitment from NICI, the nonprofit will be able to increase the number of people engaged through community outreach, increase the number of individualized job skill assessment plans, and increase the number of people connected to credentialed workforce development programs in South Suburban Cook County.
To learn more about NICI’s commitment to the community, visit www.nici-il.org.
ABOUT NORTHERN ILLINOIS COMMUNITY INITIATIVES
NICI was founded by Nicor Gas to bolster investment in under-resourced communities hardest hit by deindustrialization, systemic and environmental racism, and other mitigating factors that affect job creation, wealth-building, healthcare and education. By forming strategic alliances and investing in bold economic development initiatives that help communities thrive, NICI accelerates actionable solutions toward building a more vibrant and equitable regional economy. For more information, visit www.nici-il.org.
ABOUT NICOR GAS
Nicor Gas is one of four natural gas distribution companies of Southern Company Gas, a wholly owned subsidiary of Southern Company (NYSE: SO). Nicor Gas serves more than 2.3 million customers in a service territory that encompasses most of the northern third of Illinois, excluding the city of Chicago.
For more information, visit nicorgas.com.
MEDIA CONTACT
Allison Gregoire
470.733.2076
aegregoi@southernco.com