ILBCF provides resources and groceries to Veterans
The Illinois Legislative Black Caucus Foundation hosted a series of giveaways for Veterans. PHOTO PROVIDED BY ILBCF.
The Illinois Legislative Black Caucus Foundation recently hosted a series of events with the goal to give back to Veterans.
From Thursday, Nov. 10th, to Sunday, Nov. 12th, the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus Foundation, along with members from the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus went to seven locations throughout the state of Illinois to provide resources to commemorate Veteran’s Day.
The Illinois Legislative Black Caucus Foundation was founded in 2002, with the mission to advance, develop and protect Black communities throughout the state of Illinois.
During the events, the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus Foundation honored Raymond W. Ewell, who was a founding member of the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus in 1967 and served in the U.S. Army. Ewell, who passed away in October 2022, was the last-surviving founding member of the Caucus.
One of the locations that the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus Foundation hosted its grocery giveaway was at Compassion Baptist Church, located at 2650 E. 95th St. Part of the resources the ILBCF provided was a sheet with the websites of Veterans Benefits and locations of VA Hospitals throughout the state of Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin that have a Minority Veterans Program.
Tiffany Hightower, Executive Director of the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus Foundation, said that each year the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus usually comes up with a statewide project they want to do. This year, they wanted to elevate Black Veterans and recognize them for their service.
“Even though we respect everybody for their service in this country, sometimes, Black veterans that have served are not highlighted enough. So, we wanted to take the time to recognize them,” Hightower said.
One of the veterans who attended the event thanked the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus Foundation and members of the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus for coming and providing resources during the event. He talked about how he gave up a lot to serve the country and that he was appreciative of the goods the organizations provided.
The locations were chosen regionally, based on who the ILBCF had access to and who they could partner with. The goal was to help more than 1,200 veterans across the state of Illinois. Grocery vendors were able to provide free groceries. Hightower was hopeful that it could continue for years to come.
“We are so blessed to have men and women who have served in the military. We also thought this would be a great opportunity to highlight Black veterans. We wanted to take a moment to just say thank you,” she said.
The Illinois Black Legislative Caucus Foundation also is committed to providing educational and financial opportunities to Black students across the state of Illinois. Since 2002, the organization has awarded more than $1 million in scholarships. In 2023, The Illinois Legislative Black Caucus distributed Scholarships to more than 100 students throughout the state of Illinois. The organization believes that through education, communities can be improved, which will result in a better quality of life for those who live in those communities.
For more information about the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus Foundation, visit www.ilbcf.org.
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