“They gave me hope again. You’re next!” – Mr. S

December 10, 2025

2025 has been a brutal year, and more pain is ahead as people face the prospect of losing benefits that are essential to their daily lives and survival. The partisan budget bill (the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act”) that was passed and signed into law on July 4, 2025 is already causing harm and chaos nationally, and in our own community, with much worse to come. 

But Champaign County Health Care Consumers (CCHCC) is on the front lines, delivering the services that are essential for the lives and well-being of our community members, and advocating and organizing against harmful federal policies.

Over the years, CCHCC has grown in our ability and expertise to help community members from diverse backgrounds enroll in a wide variety of health insurance and public programs because we saw the need for these services in our community. CCHCC is the only organization in Champaign County that can help enroll community members in all forms of health insurance – whether that be Medicaid, Marketplace, or Medicare and Medicare-related programs. Beyond health insurance, CCHCC also helps with public benefits such as Medicare Extra Help, Medicare Savings, SNAP, Township General Assistance, LIHEAP, hospital financial assistance, and Disability benefits (SSI and SSDI). And, our services are free! 

Among the most vulnerable in our community are people who literally have nothing – no home, no income, no regular healthcare, no food, no support. The lives of people in these circumstances can be improved! But it takes hard work, special skills and knowledge, and the ability to establish trust with people who are disenfranchised. CCHCC does this work every day, in our office and out in the community.

This client story from Babatunde, CCHCC’s Director of Health & Disability Policy, gives a small window into the work that we do: “I began working with Mr. S in April. He had already applied for Social Security Disability benefits five times before, all unsuccessfully. By the time he reached out to our office, he was completely discouraged. He openly expressed that he had zero hope and was already mentally preparing for yet another appeal before we had even submitted anything.

Despite his doubts, we moved forward with his case. I worked closely with him to gather the necessary documentation, build a strong application, and ensure every detail was in place. This month, Mr. S was approved for SSI, and he received a significant backpay award.

When he got the news, he was in disbelief. He kept repeating how he never thought he would be approved, and that this was truly going to be his last attempt. The approval has not only brought him financial relief, but it has also restored his hope.

In fact, he was so moved by the outcome that he immediately referred his best friend, who is also in need of SSI support, to our office. He told his friend, ‘They gave me hope again. You’re next.’

It’s moments like this that remind me of the impact our work has—not just on individual clients, but on the people and communities connected to them. What began as a case filled with discouragement and doubt turned into a powerful reminder of the importance of persistence, compassion, and support.”

Our numbers speak for themselves. This year, CCHCC’s Disability Application Services Team has helped dozens of community members who had no income and no ability to work, secure disability benefits. Our team’s work has resulted in new monthly income totaling almost $49,000. Many of our clients also received “lump sum backpays” of disability income, totaling over $230,223. This is income coming to our community members to help them not only survive, but get housed and get their basic needs met. And this income also benefits our local economy because these moneys are spent locally.

CCHCC is one of the only non-profit community-based organizations in the nation that provides free help with Disability applications. Disability programs such as SSI and SSDI are incredibly difficult to apply for, and the rates of approval are dismal. But once someone qualifies for these benefits, they will have guaranteed monthly income to live on, and greater stability with housing and basic needs. CCHCC is the only organization in Champaign County that provides this free service to the public at large.

Our services meet the needs of our community’s diverse populations, including immigrants, seniors, and individuals with disabilities. In Champaign County, we have growing populations of low-income immigrants, seniors, and individuals living with disabilities who need help with health insurance, health care, and public benefits. Our work helping people apply for public benefits such as Medicaid, SNAP, Medicare Extra Help, Medicare Savings, AABD, disability programs like SSI and SSDI, and so on, is helping to create better financial stability for low-income individuals in these diverse population groups. Several CCHCC staff members are bi-lingual and are able to serve non-English speaking community members. And, as program requirements change, and benefit cuts are enacted, our work to help community members will continue – both in the form of direct services to help people survive, and in the form of advocacy and community organizing efforts as we partner with state and national organizations to prevent harm from deleterious policy changes.

Please consider making a contribution to help support CCHCC’s ongoing work to enroll as many community members as possible in affordable health insurance and vital public benefits. The work we do can help stabilize community members’ health, and their financial lives. And in turn, we need your help! Please consider making a year-end financial contribution to support CCHCC’s work.

Thank you for your support! We appreciate your financial support for our work. Together, we are building a stronger, healthier community – together, we are giving the gift of health, hope, and security!

Support CCHCC!

Sincerely,
Claudia Lennhoff
Executive Director
Champaign County Health Care Consumers