Community Corner

🌱 Patch AM: How is Restoration Urban Ministries reopening after a fire and shutdown?

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Good morning Champaign! Your connection to what's happening around town is here. Take a sip of coffee and read on. ☕️️

In today's newsletter:

  • How is Restoration Urban Ministries reopening after a fire and shutdown?
  • How will five new officers change policing in Champaign?
  • See which Champaign classrooms just landed new grant-funded projects

Also on today's calendar: Candlelight: The Best of Hans Zimmer and 3 more events.

Find out what's happening in Champaignfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Today's riddle: Last night I had a dream. 🤔 (Answer below!)

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Find out what's happening in Champaignfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Weather forecast:

  • Saturday: Partly sunny and breezy, with a high of 45 and low of 22 degrees.
  • Sunday: Mostly sunny and colder, temps: high: 34, low: 24.
  • Monday: Rather cloudy, with a high of 43 and low of 38 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. Restoration Urban Ministries set to reopen despite fire damage, aims for January launch (newschannel20.com) — Restoration Urban Ministries in Champaign plans to restart its transitional housing program in January, despite a recent fire that damaged an older building slated for demolition. Leaders say strong Champaign-Urbana community support and fundraisers made reopening possible, and they’ll gradually expand capacity while coordinating more closely with other local housing and homelessness providers.
   

2. Five new officers join Champaign Police Department after completing training (chambanasun.com) — Five newly graduated officers have joined the Champaign Police Department and will now begin a 20‑week field training program focused on serving the local community. The department highlights that they’ll be learning skills specific to policing in Champaign, and notes Officer Henry Johnson’s leadership role as a squad leader during academy training.
   

3. C-U teachers' wishes granted (news-gazette.com) — Champaign and Urbana teachers just received more than $61,000 in grants from the Champaign-Urbana Schools Foundation to launch dozens of new projects in local classrooms. From makerspaces and field trips to Krannert and Parkland’s planetarium to sensory tools at Champaign Early Childhood, the funding directly supports Unit 4 and District 116 students’ learning, creativity, and career exploration.
   

4. United Way, local barbers team up to put books in kids' hands (wandtv.com) — A new “Books with Barbers” program in Champaign County is putting free books directly into local barbershops to boost kids’ reading confidence, especially among Black boys. United Way of Champaign County and several partners are piloting the effort at two shops, with hopes to expand to more locations serving Champaign Unit 4 and Urbana students.
   

5. Kathy's #Mailbag, Dec. 19, 2025 (news-gazette.com) — Rural Champaign County residents can expect the CONNECT fiber project’s first 660 homes to be online by September 2026, with thousands more added in later phases through 2030. In Champaign and Urbana, readers will see a reopened gas station at Mattis and Bradley, a revamped Philo Road station, a new Green Street eatery, and explanations of storm sewers and a key Curtis–Duncan road fix.
   

📸 Around Champaign

Show off your photography skills and the sights around town! Click here to submit your Photo of the Day to Patch AM!

🗓 Upcoming Events in Champaign

Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!

    Saturday December 20
  • Candlelight: The Best of Hans Zimmer
    Orpheum Champaign , 346 N Neil St , Champaign
    6:30 pm
  • Candlelight: Tribute to Coldplay
    The Orpheum Champaign 346 North Neil Street Champaign, Illinois 61820
    8:45 pm
    • Sunday December 21
  • NO Craft It UP
    The UP Center of Champaign County , 1001 S Wright St , Champaign
    1:00 pm
    • Monday December 22
  • Open interviews
    Champaign County Chamber of Commerce , 303 W Kirby Ave , Champaign
    9:00 am
    • Friday December 26
  • Candlelight: Christmas Carols on Strings
    The Orpheum Champaign 346 North Neil Street Champaign, Illinois 61820
    8:45 pm

📣 Champaign Shout Outs!

Want to say something great about someone in town? Click here to submit your Shout Out to Patch AM! It's free!

🗓 Events Nearby

Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • Packages for ‘Anita Stu Broeren’
    We’ve received two packages for recipient ‘Anita Stu Broeren’ but with my address. If you know this person please ask her to contact me. Thank you (Nextdoor Trails of Chestnut Grove)
  • Hello all, If anyone has an old working sewing machine they don’t want and are giving away or selling, please reach out to me, I am looking for one.
    Also if you all have any scrap yarn I’d love to take it off your hands ! Thank you all! (Nextdoor Stratford Park)
  • ServiceMaster Clean posted a job opening for Day Porter/ Night Porter in Champaign. Apply here.
  • Costco Wholesale Corporation posted a job opening for Bakery Wrapper / Clean Up in Champaign. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Champaign here.

Ok Champaign! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I dreamed I was swimming in a pool of orange soda, but it was just a Fanta-sea.
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!

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