Newsletters
May/June 2026
CEO Message
If you were one of the 500+ guests at this year’s Bon Appétit, you were the first to see our latest mission moment video, which focused on Behavioral Health and Job Placement successes.
Since 2021, EP!C has been building and growing our Behavioral Health Clinic. Our Townline headquarters is an outpatient clinic that has been providing vital access to counseling, community support, and case management for people with mental health needs. We’ve been able to add 16 new staff to the team, and over the past year, we’ve seen 135 unduplicated visits with over 11,000 hours of support provided. However, we’ve only been able to host these supports for people who are already utilizing EP!C for other services.
We are excited to announce that we are expanding!
Later this year, we’ll be opening a new office in the Peoria area, located at 1014 W. Pioneer Parkway. This new building will be home to our second Behavioral Health Clinic, which will be open and available to anyone with IDD seeking mental health supports. Accompanying them will be our Job Placement team, who will continue to expand our options for career supports. With 45 years of successful placements, they are supporting 145 employees at 95 inclusive employment partners.
Thank you to our stakeholders and the EP!C Foundation for supporting this expansion, which will allow for continued growth and access to the community.
Visit the link below to watch EP!C’s mission in action.
– Kim Cornwell, EP!C CEO
Upcoming Events
Event Note: Be sure to follow us on social media or check our website to stay up-to-date on new and changing events.
EP!C Partnership
After launching our Career Center, Jyoti Patel and iSTEAM Studio reached out to us with the opportunity to provide their classes for people supported by EP!C. Typically, an after-hours program, they created lessons to fit our availability, and eight participants are attending twice a week. During these classes, we are learning how to code by designing our own video games, which includes typing skills, learning about robotics, building, familiarity with software, and programming languages. While not a primary goal, we are seeing people expand their fine motor, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills, with increased confidence.
Recently, we attended the Bhangra Night hosted by Peoria Punjabi Association and received a donation of $1,100 to support the weekly tuition of the program. Our staff are not experts in programming and coding, so we are thankful to have access to those who are and who are willing to share their knowledge so people can expand their employable skills.
EP!C Advocacy
Chief Inspiration Officers (CIOs) are individuals who are passionate about self-advocating and telling their EP!C story. On May 5th we once again joined fellow agencies and change agents with They Deserve More for a march on the Capitol in Springfield.
Together with over 200 people, we focused on two pieces of legislation: HB4969, which requests an increase of $1.20/hr for DSP wages, getting us closer to a professional wage vs a minimum wage and HJR44, which urges the state to delay planned funding cuts to DSP hours until a new “Zero Hour” staffing model is ready.
There are 17,000 people across the state who are waiting for services, and those who come off the list may still have to wait because of the lack of funding for staff and service hours being eliminated. You can help EP!C and agencies like ours when you make your voice heard regarding state-wide challenges.
To see a full list of legislative action items, visit the Advocacy section of our website and follow our social media pages to be alerted to the most pressing matters:
Inclusive Employment Partners
EP!C helps match job seekers with cognitive differences to local businesses and organizations to meet their employment needs. Through our Career Center and Lab, we provide individuals with training and support before and during their employment. Our matching and training processes ensure that new employees are able to perform their duties effectively and efficiently.
EP!C individuals work across nine different industries, holding positions with companies such as Hy-Vee, Anytime Fitness, Walgreens, FedEx, CarleHealth, Tadoughs, Maui Jim, Camp Bow Wow, and the Illinois State Unemployment Office, just to name a few. Learn more about how you can become an Inclusive Employment Partner or how you can receive assistance in finding a career you love by visiting the link below:
EP!C Bon Appétit
On March 19th we hosted the 15th Annual EP!C Bon Appétit. This year, over 500 people helped us welcome Chef Leah Cohen to Peoria. Her talents and personality transferred from the screen to our stage. During her demos, she told stories about her heritage, gave insight into what ingredients she was using for our meal, and what they brought to the dishes. Thank you to the sponsors and guests who helped make this year the most successful yet.
If you missed the event, you can still be a part of it when you purchase a signed copy of Chef Leah’s cookbook or take home 15 years of Bon Appétit history with a curated recipe card set from past chefs:
Look to our social media for more highlights of the event and mark your calendars for March 18th, 2027 when we bring in another incredible celebrity chef!
March Employee of the Month
Justina Lynch was named our March Employee of the Month. Known by many as Tina, she goes out of her way to make others feel seen and valued — whether that’s remembering birthdays or sharing words of encouragement. Since joining EP!C in January 2024, Tina has maintained perfect attendance and continues to make a meaningful impact on both our individuals and staff. She is a team player who genuinely cares, always looking for ways to support others and strengthen teamwork across EP!C.
April Employee of the Month
April’s Employee of the Month was Samuel Herr. With a positive, can-do attitude, Sam is always willing to jump in, support his team, and provide the best care possible for the individuals we serve. Through his leadership, work ethic, and genuine compassion, Sam helps enrich and empower the individuals he supports in the Community Day Services program to live their best lives. He leads by example, encourages those around him, and represents EP!C with authenticity and heart both inside our organization and out in the community.
