Partners & Programs

Central Christian Church

Central Christian Church is a worshipping congregation that was originally established in Kankakee in 1893. Worship is offered on the 2nd & 4th Sundays of the month at 10:00 a.m. at The Grow Center.

Blessings in a Backpack

Blessings in a Backpack River Valley Communities is the local chapter of the national Blessings in a Backpack organization. Our local chapter provides weekend nutrition for over 450 students in 19 schools in the Kankakee River Valley.

Project Sun

Project SUN is a Strong and Unified Network that is family-driven and youth-guided. It is dedicated to strengthening the children’s behavioral health system of care in Kankakee County through a coordinated network of services and supports that address the needs of the whole child.

Spiritual Direction

Tim Nelson, certified Spiritual Director, offers this opportunity at The Grow Center. The art of Christian spiritual
direction is the practice of two people engaged in a companioning
relationship for the purpose of encouraging a maturing relationship
with God.

Enneagram Exploration

Contact Program & Communications Director Kelly Perotti for more information.

Group Sessions (2 hours)
Ideal for staffs and boards of organizations to
facilitate an improved work environment by better
understanding themselves and each other.

Individual Sessions (3 hours)
Ideal for people who want to delve deeper into
their true self.

Catholic Charities

The Grow Center has provided space for Catholic Charities for workshops about caregiving for loved ones with Alzheimers as well as drive-through flu shot clinics and other programming for seniors.

Harbor House

The Grow Center’s staff serve on the Community Commission to End Domestic Violence. Additionally, our Program & Communications Director, Rev. Kelly Perotti, has completed 40-hour domestic violence training.

K3 Area LGBTQ+ Network

The Kankakee Area LGBTQ+ Network‘s teen group meets regularly at The Grow Center. For more info about how to join the teen group, contact Jen at (815) 383-9839.

Racial Equity

Through a partnership with the YWCA Kankakee we host a number of racial equity programs, such as racial healing circles, a free film and discussion series (Until Justice Just Is film series), and racial equity education (My Piece in the Puzzle).

Stony Road Podcast

A Podcast about Then and Now featuring educator Shannon Swilley & Rev. Robert Bushey, Jr. Whenever we discover what history has to offer it grounds us. We appreciate the opportunity to be connected to all that has come before us and all that will follow. We want this podcast to serve as a model for connecting the dots backwards as a means to bringing light and understanding to our current conversations about race and racial identity in America.

River Valley Clergy Alliance

The River Valley Clergy Alliance is an inclusive and ecumenical group of clergy and religious leaders in the Kankakee River Valley of Illinois.

Girl Scouts

The Girl Scouts meet here weekly. We’re glad to partner with them as they build “girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place.”

Christmas Day, Inc.

Christmas Day, Inc. has held an Annual Christmas Day Dinner for over a quarter of a century. From serving at one site in the beginning, we have grown to now serving free dinners at 10 sites in Kankakee County. The Grow Center (formerly Central Christian Church) has been a Christmas Day Inc site for over a decade.

Route 102 Car Shows

Route 102 Car Shows serve as a fundraiser for Blessings in a Backpack River Valley Communities.

Kankakee County Clerk

The Grow Center serves as the polling location for Precinct 5 in Bourbonnais.

First Baptist Church of Kankakee

First Baptist Church of Kankakee meets for worship at The Grow Center on the 1st and 3rd Sundays of the month at 10:00 a.m. with Pastor Joshua Riley.

Language of Love

Learn Couple Communication (TM) skills from certified facilitators. Improve your day-to-day communication, make better decisions & resolve issues skillfully, and increase satisfaction in your relationship.