There’s a lot of need in the Bloomington-Normal – for more housing, for financial assistance, for food, for so many things. That could make it challenging for a nonprofit to find (and stay) in its lane.
Mid Central Community Action in Bloomington has done just that. Fresh off a rebranding, the nonprofit has doubled-down on its three lines of business – countering domestic violence, combating homelessness, and promoting financial stability. That tighter focus will hopefully help MCCA communicate what it is and what it does to the community, said executive director Tami Foley.
“About 10 years ago, we were still saying yes to everything. If you needed it done, MCCA would do it. We figured that’s not really working anymore,” Foley said. “All of our staff have certifications to do what they do. We’re the only HUD-certified housing counseling agency. We’re the biggest permanent supportive housing for previously homeless. We’re the only countering domestic violence program in the community. So we really decided we needed to focus on what we were good at, and what only we could do in the community, and what we do best in the community.”
That’s meant stepping away from some of the things it was doing before that others can do, like facilitating the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). It’s redirecting people to Tazwood Community Services, at (309) 533-7723 and 808 South Eldorado Road, Unit 100-E, Bloomington.
Foley uses the word “business” intentionally to describe MCCA’s work. Nonprofit work is “absolutely” a business, she said. And a sustainable business needs revenue.
A big priority for MCCA right now is finding new revenue streams, beyond traditional state and federal government sources, which tends to come with a lot of onerous reporting and documentation work. It's hosting a Wine Down Wednesday fundraiser Dec. 6 at the McLean County Arts Center.
The nonprofit is also eager to demonstrate to faith-based groups, banks, foundations and other organizations that it can be a useful pass-through for funding that needs to reach people in need. Foley said MCCA successfully did this for the City of Bloomington and Town of Normal during COVID.
“We can handle the money. We can make sure it gets into the hands of the community and we have the financial accountability to do it in a good way,” Foley said.
One of the ways that MCCA tracks what’s needed is through the Community Needs Assessment, which it’s required to complete every three years. The 2023 survey showed that the three biggest primary hardships people in McLean County are experiencing are financial issues, access to health services, (including mental health) and housing.
Within the housing hardship, just 12% of people needing assistance with finding affordable housing actually found help, the survey found.
“We have a lack of housing in McLean County. And then on top of that, we have a lack of affordable housing. With the rents increasing since the pandemic and the lack of housing, we’re seeing a lot more precariously homeless individuals. Which is people who are couch-surfing or living in their cars part of the month or living in hotels. They’re not the HUD-defined homeless, but they are homeless as far as we’re concerned,” Foley said.
In response, MCCA added a Housing Stability Navigator to its staff in July. They provide guidance to those who are struggling to obtain, and maintain permanent, safe, and affordable stable housing.
MCCA also continues to operate Mayor’s Manor, a permanent supportive housing project for formerly homeless individuals with disabilities. It has 26 apartment units in Bloomington. On-site staff provides case management to its residents.
Another recent addition to MCCA are building maintenance classes, held in the basement of the agency’s building on West Washington Street. In those classes, people can learn the repair and maintenance skills to become a property manager. That’s the latest in an expanded partnership with Heartland Community College.
“We both have the same philosophy: We need to bring the education to the community, instead of trying to get the community to the education,” Foley said.
