Nirco Northern IL Rco

02/02/2026

📣 NIRCO One-Day Peer Support Training Update!

Our February 21st training is officially FULL — thank you for the incredible interest and commitment to recovery support! 🙌

✅ Good news: We still have our March 28, 2026 training open
⚠️ Only 10 spots remain!

If you or someone you know wants to strengthen their skills in compassionate, trauma-informed peer support and warm handoffs, now is the time to register.

This one-day, in-person training equips community members and frontline staff to better support individuals on their recovery journey.

📍 NIRCO Hub — 202 S. Genesee St., Waukegan
🕙 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
📌 Registration required

Don’t wait — once these 10 slots are gone, the class is closed! Scan the QR code to sign up.

💚

01/14/2026

📣 FY 2026 NOFO ANNOUNCEMENT & APPLICATION NOW OPEN

NIRCO is pleased to announce the release of our FY 2026 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), made possible through the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS).

This competitive funding opportunity supports community-based organizations serving the Illinois 60th House District in Lake County with programs rooted in equity, cultural responsiveness, and measurable community impact.

🗓 Application Deadline: February 15, 2026
📬 Award Notifications: March 5, 2026
📆 Award Period: Jan 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027
🏆 Total Awards Available: Four (4)

💰 Funding Categories & Award Amounts:
🥫 Food Pantry Initiative — $200,000
🎓 After-School Youth Program — $275,000
💼 Job Club / Workforce Readiness Program — $275,000
🚐 Mobile Health Outreach Program — $275,000

NIRCO will serve as the administrative entity for these sub-grants. All applications, budgets, and performance measures are subject to review and final approval by IDHS.

👉 Organizations must submit a complete application and a budget that aligns exactly with the selected award amount.

🔗 Full NOFO details and the online application are available — link below:

The Northern Illinois Recovery Community Organization (NIRCO) is soliciting proposals from qualified community-based organizations to implement programs that address critical community needs related to food security, youth development, workforce readiness, and health equity within the 60th Illinois....

12/02/2025

💙✨ Support NIRCO This Giving Season ✨💙

Serving the Lake County recovery community is one of our greatest honors. Every day, we walk alongside people rebuilding their lives, reconnecting with hope, and finding their pathway to recovery. And none of this would be possible without you — our incredible community.

Today, we’re inviting you to help us continue this life-changing work.
Your support makes it possible for us to show up for more individuals, more families, and more neighborhoods across Lake County. 🌟

When you give to NIRCO, you’re not just making a donation — you’re giving someone a second chance, a warm handoff, a safe place to land, and a community that truly cares. 💛

If NIRCO has touched your life or the life of someone you love, or if you simply believe in recovery, hope, and healing…
👉 Please consider donating today. https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=XHLYRKAEBJQV8

Together, we can lift more people up. Together, we recover. 💙

10/23/2025

🎉 We’re honored! 🙌🏼 NIRCO has been named Employer of the Year by the Waukegan Coalition to Reduce Recidivism at their annual luncheon! 🏆

This recognition celebrates our ongoing commitment to hiring and empowering justice-impacted individuals — people rebuilding their lives, finding purpose, and contributing to our community through meaningful employment.

“We are proud to employ individuals who bring strength, resilience, and lived experience to our mission,” said Dr. Mary Roberson, Executive Director of NIRCO. “This award reaffirms our commitment to breaking cycles of incarceration and supporting pathways to recovery, purpose, and hope.”

We share this honor with every partner, staff member, and peer who believes in second chances and the power of recovery through community. 💙

Read the full story here ➡️ https://www.nircolakecounty.org/post/nirco-recognized-as-employer-of-the-year-by-the-waukegan-coalition-to-reduce-recidivism

Northern Illinois Recovery Community Organization (NIRCO) is honored to receive theEmployer of the Year Award from the Waukegan Coalition to Reduce Recidivism for ourcontinued commitment to providing second-chance employment opportunities for justice-impacted individuals. The award was presented at....

07/22/2025

We were glad to welcome staff from Northern Illinois Recovery Community Organization (NIRCO) to the Harvest Market this week. NIRCO works to support individuals and families navigating substance use, mental health, and justice system involvement through peer-led recovery services, education, and community advocacy.

Thank you for being a community partner and for taking the time to share valuable information and resources with our clients. At UMMA, we believe strong community connections are key to building opportunity and advancing equity—and we’re grateful to work alongside organizations like NIRCO that share that commitment.

Learn more about their work at nircolakecounty.org

07/09/2025

Mary Roberson

07/04/2025

Community members come on out

07/04/2025

This is so on point!!

Mary Roberson

Independence in recovery doesn’t always look like fireworks and parties.
Sometimes it looks like:
Saying no to an invite
Leaving early to protect your peace
Calling a peer instead of picking up
Choosing a recovery meeting over a BBQ

You’re allowed to protect your freedom, especially the kind you fought for in recovery.
We see you. We’re with you. And your version of “independence” is more than enough.

06/19/2025

Team NIRCO celebrating Juneteenth.

06/17/2025

Had a very productive day on Capitol Hill with Faces And Voices Of Recovery 

04/10/2025

🚨 Major Decline in U.S. Fentanyl Deaths at Risk Due to Federal Cuts 🚨​

Recent data reveals a significant 33% drop in synthetic opioid fatalities, primarily from fentanyl, totaling 52,400 deaths over a 12-month period ending in October 2024. This progress is largely attributed to investments in public health initiatives and the widespread distribution of naloxone. However, new federal budget cuts under the Trump administration are threatening to reverse these gains. Essential harm-reduction programs and public health infrastructures are facing dismantlement, with significant layoffs and funding losses impacting state programs and nonprofits. Experts warn that these cuts could have "sinister consequences" for overdose prevention efforts.​
Reuters

Read more about the potential impact of these budget cuts on the fight against the opioid crisis:​

The U.S. has recorded a historic drop in overdose deaths. The Trump administration’s campaign to slash spending and reduce the federal workforce could reverse this fragile progress, public health experts say

03/31/2025

Brooklyn Mattison
Tiffany Peppers

The Northern Illinois Recovery Community Organization (NIRCO) is proud to be a vital part of the Restore, Reinvest, and Renew (R3) initiative, a groundbreaking program created under the Illinois Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act. Through this initiative, a portion of cannabis tax revenue is reinvested...