CENTRAL ILLINOIS (25News Now) – Fifty-two families experiencing poverty from downstate Illinois have received financial help since last fall thanks to an out-of-state nonprofit.
California-based, anti-poverty organization UpTogether started the guaranteed income pilot program in Illinois in September 2024, operating in Peoria, Bloomington-Normal, Carbondale, Springfield, Champaign, Rockford, Belleville, and East St. Louis.
Funded by a private donor, the program provides participating families with $500 monthly payments for a year. The money is unrestricted, allowing families to spend it on whatever they need…