ABOUT US
WHO WE ARE
Western Illinois Dreamers began with one woman’s determination to keep a promise with her Beardstown neighbors. In 2017, when DACA renewals were at risk, Dr. Julia Albarracín-Green, a Latina immigrant, researcher, and longtime advocate for immigrant rights, raised funds to help local DACA students keep their protections. That act of solidarity grew into a movement. By 2019, she founded Western Illinois Dreamers, an Illinois non-profit organization to connect immigrant families in rural Illinois to the resources they need to thrive. In just a few years, WID expanded from a one-person effort to a regional network—with five Welcoming Centers with social support and financial relief programs, and now, a Legal Clinic with a lawyer and a Department of Justice accredited representative.
WHAT WE DO
What started as one person’s promise to a
community has become a lifeline for thousands of immigrant and refugee families across Illinois.
Western Illinois Dreamers’ mission is to
empower immigrant and refugee communities by informing them of their rights and securing resources and services to foster their successful integration into society.
WHAT MAKES WID
UNIQUE
What sets WID apart is our team, recruited in the communities we serve. Our highly qualified team has advanced education, training, bilingual skills and diverse backgrounds, including first and second generation immigrants from Argentina, Belgium, Colombia, Honduras, Malaysia, Mexico, and Spain. They deliver trauma-informed culturally sensitive, holistic services to support immigrant and refugee social integration with empathy and understanding.
WID BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Dr. Patricia Canessa (President)- Caucus on Immigrant and Refugee Health
- Caucus on Men’s Health
- American Public Health Association
Sister (Dr.) Marianne Burkhard (Treasurer)
- St Mary’s Monastery
Trevor Cottle (Secretary)
- Illinois State Board of Education
Dr. Ricardo Díaz
- Healthcare Consumer Advocate
- Immigration Forum, Board Member.
Maricela Chavez
- Parent Educator
- Beardstown High School
ORGANIZATIONAL TIMELINE
Our Partners
We are grateful for the partnership we have throughout Illinois and globally.
