Not Dead Yet

Not Dead Yet was founded on April 27,1996, shortly after Jack Kevorkian was acquitted in the assisted suicides of two women with non-terminal disabilities. In a 1997 Supreme Court rally, the outcry of 500 people withdisabilities chanting “Not Dead Yet” was heard around the world. Since then, eleven other national disability rights groups have joined NDY in opposing legalized assisted suicide, chapters have taken action in over 30 states, and we helped put Jack Kevorkian behind bars in 1999. In the 2003-2005 fight to save Terri Schiavo, twenty-five national disability groups joined Not Dead Yet in opposing her guardian’s right to starve and dehydrate her to death.

Since 1983, many people with disabilities have opposed the assisted suicide and euthanasia movement. Though often described as compassionate, legalized medical killing is really about a deadly double standard for people with severe disabilities, including both conditions that are labeled terminal and those that are not. Disability opposition to this ultimate form of discrimination has been ignored by most media and courts, but countless people with disabilities have already died before their time. For some, a disabled person’s suicidal cry for help was ignored, misinterpreted, or even exploited by the right-to-die movement. For others, death came at the request of a family member or other health care surrogate. This is not compassion, it’s contempt. People already have the right to refuse unwanted treatment, and suicide is not illegal. What we oppose is a public policy that singles out individuals for legalized killing based on their health status. This violates the Americans With Disabilities Act, and denies us the equal protection of the law. Some bioethicists have even started to argue that intellectually disabled people are not persons under the law. That hasn¹t happened since slavery was legal.Legalized medical killing is not a new human right, it’s a new professional immunity. It would allow health professionals to decide which of us are “eligible” for this service, and exempt them from accountability for their decisions. Killing is not just another medical treatment option, and it must not be made any part of routine health care. In these days of cost cutting and managed care, we don’t trust the health care system, and neither should you.People with disabilities have an opportunity to lead society from the isolation and despair of today into a renewed recognition of belonging and community for all. The idea that people with disabilities are not worthy of society’s acceptance or resources is not new. We see this form of hatred throughout history, often masked as benevolence. But for the first time in history, people with disabilities are organizing our community to fight back, to demand the equal protection of the law.

Website:  http://www.notdeadyet.org/

Contact:
7521 Madison St
Forest Park, IL 60130
Phone: 708-209-1500 Fax:  708-209-1735
ndycoleman@aol.com

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Illinois Youth Program

Illinois Youth Advocate Program

The Illinois Youth Advocate Program’s overall goals are to minimize the use of institutionalization, secure detention and confinement of youth; to develop innovative, viable and cost-effective community-based alternatives for youth involved in the juvenile justice, child welfare, and mental health systems in Illinois; and to advocate on behalf of youth through citizen involvement and direct community services which focus on permanency and least restrictive environment for all youth.

Website:  http://www.ilyap.org/il/home_f.aspx Address:  15400 Lincoln Avenue   Harvey, IL 60426 Contact:  Darryl Calhoun Phone:  866-596-6955 Email:  info@nyap.org

The Parents Television Council

The Parents Television Council was founded in 1995 to ensure that children are not constantly assaulted by sex, violence and profanity on television and in other media. Our national grassroots organization has nearly one million members across the United States, and works with television producers, broadcasters, networks and sponsors in an effort to stem the flow of harmful and negative messages targeted to children. We are a nonpartisan organization that works with elected and appointed government officials to enforce broadcast decency standards. Most importantly, the PTC produces critical research and publications documenting the dramatic increase in sex, violence and profanity in entertainment. This information is provided free of charge so parents can make informed viewing choices for their own families.

http://www.parentstv.org/PTC/grassroots/Chapters/IL/chicago.asp 

Chicago Illinois Chapter Marti Anderson, Chapter Director
PO Box 3394, Barrington IL 60011
(888) 241-7201
email: ChicagoChapter@parentstv.org

Alliance for Community Media

Alliance for Community Media (ACM-National)

 

The Alliance for Community Media is a national, non-profit membership organization. Founded in 1976 as the National Federation of Local Cable Programmers, the Alliance represents the interests of community, religious, charitable groups and individuals who use Public, Educational, Government (PEG) access cable television channels and facilities to speak to their communities.

 The Alliance for Community Media is committed to assuring everyone’s access to electronic media. The Alliance advances this goal through public education, a progressive legislative and regulatory agenda, coalition building and grassroots organizing.

A nonprofit, national membership organization founded in 1976, the Alliance represents over 3,000 Public, Educational and Governmental (PEG) access organizations and community media centers throughout the country. It also represents the interests of millions of people who, through their local religious, community and charitable groups, use PEG access to communicate with their memberships and the community as a whole.

Local community groups, public schools, religious institutions, colleges and universities, government officials, the disabled, and second language communities as well as national institutions such as NASA, the US Department of Education, and the US Army, to name a few, all use PEG facilities and equipment to advance their causes through cable television and the Internet.

The Alliance’s public policy program is dedicated to promoting legislation and regulation which supports PEG access. To achieve this, the Alliance works with Congress, state legislatures, the Federal Communications Commission, state public utilities commissions, and coalition partners and brings suits when necessary in courts around the country.

In order for democracy to flourish, people must be active participants in their government, educated to think critically and free to express themselves.  The Mission of the Alliance for Community Media is to advance democratic ideals by ensuring that people have access to electronic media and by promoting  effective communication through community uses of media.

www.ourchannels.org 

Village of Elk Grove Village – EGTV Channel 6Cable Production Coordinator

901 Brantwood Avenue, Elk Grove Village, IL 60007

phone: (847) 357-4263, fax:  (847) 357-4270

Ross Rowe, Secretary 

 

The National Conference for Community and Justice

The National Conference for Community and Justice

Our Vision: To make our nation a better place for all of us. Not just some of us. Our Strategic Screen: To transform communities to provide fuller opportunity and to be inclusive and just – through institutional change – by empowering leaders.NCCJ’s programming facilitates community and interfaith dialogues, provides workplace consultations, youth leadership development, seminarian and educator training. Its nationally recognized research provides data and analysis to the evolving study of intergroup relations; and, its public policy works with government leaders and advocates policies that reflect understanding and respect. Our Guiding Beliefs and Principles: We are not a neutral party in this work. Our role is to advocate, educate and resolve conflict – relative to issues of discrimination and oppression of individuals and groups. In order to promote understanding and respect across groups we must acknowledge the dynamics of power and privilege and the role they play in creating attitudes, behavior, and practices that support systems of exclusion and oppression. All members of society at some time may feel the impact of systemic oppression, either overt or covert, intentional or unintentional, conscious or unconscious. In order to fulfill our organizational mission, our program efforts must be connected to creating inclusive, respectful and just communities.

Website:  http://www.nccj.org Address:  760 N. Frontage Road   Suite 105   Willowbrook, IL 60527 Phone:  630 789-6709 Email:  nationaloffice@nccj.org

Citizen Advocacy Center

The Citiizen Adovacy Center

The Citizen Advocacy is a non-profit, non-partisan community legal organization dedicated to building democracy for the 21st century. Center community lawyers and volunteers focus on strengthening the citizenry’s capacity and motivation to participate in civic affairs, building community resources, and improving democratic protocols within our community institutions. Through public education, community organizing, issue advocacy, and precedent-setting litigation in state and federal courts, the Center forges ahead with programs to advance civic life. The Center is a free public resource to the community.

Our storefront is located at 238 N. York Road in downtown Elmhurst and houses the Open Forum, a space that provides citizens the opportunity to: obtain free civic materials, ask our two full-time community lawyers questions on matters of public concern, engage in civic discussion, access electronic information, make videos, learn about local issues, attend training workshops, and develop skills for participating in the civic affairs.

Website:  http://www.citizenadvocacycenter.org

Contact Information:
238 N. York Rd.
Elmhurst, IL 60126-0420

Phone: (630) 833-4080
Fax: (630) 833-4083

Email: cac@citizenadvocacycenter.org

The Conservation Foundation

Established in 1972 by business and community leaders, The Conservation Foundation is a not-for profit watershed protection organization. Our headquarters are located in Naperville, Illinois, on a 60 acre working farm, and a program office located in Montgomery, Illinois on a preserved farmstead.

The mission of the Foundation is to preserve open space and natural lands, protect rivers and watershed and promote stewardship of our environment. The Foundation maintains a support base of nearly 4,000 members and donors, and 500 volunteers in DuPage, Kane, Kendall and Will Counties, Illinois. Although we work throughout Northeastern Illinois, these are the counties in which we focus our efforts.

Website: http://www.theconservationfoundation.org/

McDonald Farm

10S404 Knoch Knolls Road, Naperville, IL 60565

Phone: (630) 428-4500, Fax (630) 428-4599

Chicago Environmental Network

Where do you go when you care about the natural world and want to get more involved? Maybe you already recycle but want to do more. Or perhaps you’re a teacher and you want your students to understand—and help protect—the natural resources around them. Possibly you work for an environmental organization and want to reach other organizations with the same goals.

The Chicagoland Environmental Network (CEN), a group of more than 200 environmental and natural resource organizations, can get you connected.

Who uses CEN? People just like you. CEN is a resource for anyone interested in nature or conservation-related activities in northeastern Illinois and surrounding areas. CEN organizations are involved in important work, including habitat restoration; wetland, prairie, and watershed projects; urban gardening; energy conservation; composting, wildlife conservation; and recycling.

Click a link below to search the CEN database for volunteer opportunities, jobs and internships, family activities, or to learn more about CEN organizations.

Website: http://www.chicagoenvironment.org/

Contact: Brookfield Zoo, 3300 Golf Road, Brookfield, Illinois 60513
Phone: 708-688-8396
Email: cen@brookfieldzoo.org

Habitat for Humanity – Chicago

The official State of Illinois Comprehensive Housing Plan indicates there are over 58,000 households in the southern suburbs defined as having “housing problems”. This means they are paying too much of their monthly income for housing (30%, 40%, 50%+) and /or living in substandard quality or overcrowded conditions. This is the market we are trying to assist with our simple, decent homes.

The houses built by HFHCSS are sold to those in need at no profit and with an interest free loan maintained by the affiliate. Habitat is not a giveaway program. In addition to a down payment and monthly mortgage payments, homeowners invest hundreds of hours of their own labor – sweat equity – into building their Habitat house and the houses of others.

Website: www.hfhchgosouth.org

Contact: Habitat for Humanity- Chicago South Suburbs

139 West Joe Orr Road – 2nd Flr. Chicago Heights, IL 60411

Phone 708-756-2015 Fax 708-756-2075

Email: hfhillinois@aol.com

Citizen Advocacy Center

Citizen Advocacy Center

The Citizen Advocacy is a non-profit, non-partisan community legal organization dedicated to building democracy for the 21st century. Center community lawyers and volunteers focus on strengthening the citizenry’s capacity and motivation to participate in civic affairs, building community resources, and improving democratic protocols within our community institutions. Through public education, community organizing, issue advocacy, and precedent-setting litigation in state and federal courts, the Center forges ahead with programs to advance civic life. The Center is a free public resource to the community. Our storefront is located at 238 N. York Road in downtown Elmhurst and houses the Open Forum, a space that provides citizens the opportunity to: obtain free civic materials, ask our two full-time community lawyers questions on matters of public concern, engage in civic discussion, access electronic information, make videos, learn about local issues, attend training workshops, and develop skills for participating in the civic affairs.

Website: http://www.citizenadvocacycenter.org/newslet2000.htm Address: 238 N. York Rd.   Elmhurst, IL 60126 Phone: (630) 833-4080 Email: cac@citizenadvocacycenter.org