February 10, 2026

The end of January each year marks my birthday, followed by my anniversary of when I started working at CCHCC.

This year, I have just turned 60 years old, and marked my 29^th anniversary of being on staff at CCHCC. I feel so deeply grateful to have landed in this community and at this amazing organization!

Next year, CCHCC will be celebrating our 50^th anniversary! And I will be celebrating my 30^th anniversary with the organization. It is amazing to think of this!

The work we do at CCHCC is difficult, and never more so than right now as healthcare and housing and public benefits are being eroded right before our eyes. All too often, we are encountering clients who are in very desperate situations or who are experiencing crises. 

But every single day at CCHCC, we are doing the work that transforms people’s lives, and I could not be more proud of our organization and the amazing staff members I get to work with every day, and our very supportive Board Members.

As an example of how the work we do transforms people’s lives, I want to share a client story with you from Ashley Buckley, our staff member who helps homeless individuals qualify for Medicaid and SNAP. Ashley goes far beyond her job description and often ends up helping homeless individuals apply for housing opportunities, helping them complete applications and navigate the housing “system” in order to reduce the barriers they might encounter if they are left to do it on their own.

Please see Ashley’s story below:

“I met J when I was tabling at the Daily Bread. He is a very kind men who needed assistance with housing and had been referred to several places for assistance, but was confused on where to start. He just turned 56 and was looking for senior housing. I invited J to come to the office when he had time and I would help him go through applications that would place him on the waitlist for several subsidized housing locations. Typically, it’s difficult to get people in to the office after meeting with them at Daily Bread, but he showed up later that evening and had his ID and SSI information ready to share. I could tell that he had a long day, but he was still smiling and happy to get the assistance that he needed.

We went through several applications, and he needed assistance reading some of the documentation and filling out the information, which I was happy to help with. After we finished I gave him additional resources to other locations, such as Promise Healthcare and PACE. He had a knee that had been bothering him, and sleeping on friends ’ sofas or at the shelter had caused it to swell and become more painful. He declined any emergency services and said that he would manage.

READ ON!

“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.”

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READ ON!