Business Spotlight - Project SUN
Project SUN is rooting itself right in the heart of Downtown Kankakee - and the community is better for it!
Location: Executive Centre, Downtown Kankakee
Phone: (815) 309-5933
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Q&A
What inspired you to open your business in Downtown Kankakee?
Project SUN chose a Downtown Kankakee location to be right at the heart of the community — making it easier for families to access services, increase visibility, and contribute to the revitalization of the area.
In one sentence, what makes your organization unique?
Project SUN is unique because it provides peer support rooted in lived experience while fostering cross-sector collaboration to create lasting local impact.
What's your favorite thing about being part of this community?
We're working together to build a stronger, better community for our families.
What's one thing you want everyone to know about what you offer?
We support parents and caregivers in advocating for their children's mental health while partnering with local providers to make the journey easier.
If you could describe your organization in three words, what would they be?
Peer-led. Collaborative. Empowering.
What gap in the Kankakee community were you hoping to fill, and how does your organization address it?
Project SUN was created to address critical gaps in Kankakee's behavioral health system, particularly for families with children navigating mental health challenges. Many families struggle to find coordinated support, understand available resources, or feel heard within the system of care. Project SUN is both family-driven and youth-guided, meaning the voices and lived experiences of those directly impacted shape everything we do. We work to bridge these gaps by providing guidance, advocacy, and connection to services — while also empowering families to navigate the system with confidence and ensuring youth have a meaningful role in their own mental health journeys.
What has surprised you most about opening here, and what have you learned from the community so far?
What has surprised me most about opening in Downtown Kankakee is the energy, creativity, and commitment that already exists here. The work that's been done to revitalize the downtown area is truly inspiring — it's clear there's a shared vision of making it a central hub where the community can come together. What I've learned so far is that this community shows up. There are so many people who genuinely care, who see the good in Kankakee, and who are actively working to make it shine. It's reinforced for me that Downtown Kankakee isn't just a location — it's a growing community, and we're excited to contribute to that energy.
More About Project SUN:
Project SUN — the Strong and Unified Network — is a nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening the behavioral health system of care for children and families in Kankakee and Iroquois Counties. What began in 2018 under the auspices of the Community Foundation of Kankakee River Valley became an independent nonprofit in March 2024 — a milestone that reflects just how deeply rooted and essential this organization has become.
At its core, Project SUN is family-driven and youth-guided. Teens, parents, and other family members work alongside representatives of mental health, primary healthcare, early childhood, schools, courts and law enforcement, child welfare, faith-based institutions, civic organizations, and governmental agencies — all united around one goal: helping children and families flourish.
Executive Director Cyndi brings a deeply personal connection to this work. A proud Kankakee area resident since 2003, she has watched Downtown Kankakee's revitalization unfold over the years — and when the opportunity came to plant Project SUN's roots in the Executive Centre, she knew it was exactly where they needed to be.
Project SUN builds its Strong and Unified Network through four pillars of service:
Education — presentations, workshops, classes, panel discussions, and community-driven activities developed alongside local partners
Navigation — two family liaisons, one bilingual, helping parents and caregivers find their way through the system of care
Convening — bringing together different sectors of the community through the Community Planning Team and dedicated workgroups
Support — resources for parents and caregivers through the Parent Advisory Council, Consejo Asesor de Padres, Cyndi's Caregiver Craft Club, and a NAMI Family Support Group
Project SUN also periodically offers System of Care Grants to support expanded assistance for families across the county.
Looking ahead, the team plans to grow their programming, deepen partnerships with local organizations and schools, and continue showing up as an active, positive presence in the community they love.
And as a gentle reminder from the Project SUN team: mental health touches everyone. Families navigating the behavioral health system with their children often face challenges that are unseen and deeply isolating. They deserve compassion, not judgment — and as a community, we have the power to make sure every family feels seen, supported, and wrapped in care.
Project SUN is proof that when a community truly shows up for its most vulnerable members, something remarkable happens. 💛