Announcing Our 2025–2026 Indigenous Medicine & Food Justice CHW Grant Program

Announcing Our 2025–2026 Indigenous Medicine & Food Justice CHW Grant Program

Illinois Unidos is thrilled to announce the launch of our Indigenous Medicine & Food Justice Community Health Worker (CHW) Grant Program for 2025–2026! This two-part initiative is designed to honor and uplift the work of CHWs while restoring ancestral practices and advancing food justice in our communities.

We invite nonprofit organizations in suburban Cook, DuPage, Kane, and Lake counties that employ CHWs to apply for a $10,000 mini-grant. This opportunity is not just about funding—it’s a restorative path forward for both CHWs and the communities they serve.

🌿 What This Grant Offers

Selected grantees will receive a $10,000 mini-grant to support initiatives such as:

• Purchasing and distributing fresh produce
• Integrating food justice and chronic illness care into CHW-led programming
• Supporting culturally relevant community health education

In addition, grantees will take part in three healing circles led by Claudia VillaCova, a licensed clinical psychotherapist and expert in Indigenous medicine and trauma-informed care. These gatherings will include nourishing meals made with traditional Indigenous recipes—designed to restore body and spirit.

🌻 Healing and Community Building for All

Whether or not your organization is selected for funding, all applicants will be invited to attend monthly CHW workshops hosted by Illinois Unidos. Topics will include:

• Nervous system health and trauma-informed care
• Diabetes and chronic illness
• Nutrition and ancestral foodways
• Vaccine confidence
• Mental wellness for caregivers and frontline workers

🔥 Why This Matters

Community Health Workers have carried immense burdens over the past several years. This program is our response to that reality: a space for healing, learning, and reclaiming Indigenous knowledge and community-rooted care.

In a political landscape marked by fear, burnout, and attacks on immigrant health coverage, this program is a declaration: we choose justice, connection, and ancestral wisdom.

📝 How to Apply

To apply, download and complete the application form included in the grant packet and email it to alejandra@illinoisunidos.org with the subject line:
Mini-Grant Application, May 2025

Deadline to apply: May 5, 2025

If you have questions or want to brainstorm your project idea, we’re here for you—reach out anytime!

Together, let’s build a more just, rooted, and resilient future.