NEWS hot chocolate and pastries, photo opportunities, and more! The event will run until 7 p.m. villageofglencoe.org/eventdetail_T58_R88.php
NOVEMBER 25
COCOA CRAWL WHERE: Market Square, Lake Forest Join the Lake Forest Chamber and local businesses for this year’s Cocoa Crawl. Celebrate Small Business Saturday by completing your holiday shopping, take a ride on the Holly Trolley through town, and enjoy hot chocolate throughout the afternoon. business. lflbchamber.com/ events/details/cocoa-crawl25517?calendarMonth=2023-11-01
NOVEMBER 29
HOLIDAY FEST WHERE: Clarkson Park Celebrate the holidays at Clarkson Park at Holiday Fest, running from 5:30
p.m. to 7 p.m. Enjoy park lighting, visits with Santa, and musical performances by third graders at Middlefork School and Avoca West Elementary Choir. Crafts, s’mores, food, and refreshments will also be provided. northfieldparks.org/programsevents/special-events
NOVEMBER 29 TO NOVEMBER 30
LETTERS FROM SANTA WHERE: Lake Forest Recreation Center Calling all Lake Forest residents! A special mailbox will be placed outside the Lake Forest Recreation Center which will assist with sending letters to Santa at the North Pole. Santa will take time out of his busy schedule to respond to each and every letter. These will be mailed out after December 9. Registration is required for this event and letters can be dropped off until December 8. This event is for Lake Forest
residents only. lfparksandrec. com/calendar/letters-fromsanta
NOVEMBER 30
SNACKS WITH SANTA WHERE: West Ridge Center, Highland Park Make this year’s holiday season special with Santa. Kids can take photos, share holiday wishes, and enjoy a variety of treats. This Highland Park event is for children 3 to 8 and registration is required. The price is $10 for residents and $12 for non-residents. pdhp.org/event/snacks-withsanta/
NOVEMBER 30
WILMETTE HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE WHERE: Downtown Wilmette Hit the town with Wilmette’s Sip & Shop event. Enjoy the debut of fall/winter merchandise and holiday gifts downtown stores and boutiques. Partake in
refreshments and special promotions at your favorite local restaurants. Participating shops can be found at the following link. wilmetteonomics.com/holiday/
DECEMBER 1
BEN LEWIS TRIO WHERE: Studio5, Evanston Chicago pianist Ben Lewis and guest vocalist Paul Marinaro team up to perform the music of jazz legend Bill Evans. Evans had recorded two records with Tony Bennett in 1975 and 1976. The concert will be recorded live for Chicago Jazz Live on WDCB. Tickets are $25 for general admission and $35 for cabaret seating. studio5.dance/
DECEMBER 1
REINDEER HOT COCOA WHERE: Lake Forest Library Head over to the Lake Forest Library for Reindeer Hot Cocoa. From 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., kids grades 5
through 12 are welcome to create their own hot chocolate bundles. These make for great gifts or treats to enjoy later. This event is free, and no registration is required. lakeforestlibrary.org/event/ reindeer-hot-cocoa-0
DECEMBER 2
IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE WHERE: Downtown Lake Bluff Kick off the holiday season in Lake Bluff on Saturday, December 2. Starting 7 a.m. until noon, there will be a breakfast with Santa at the Grace United Methodist Church. From 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., there will be horse-drawn carriage rides courtesy of Lake Forest Bank and Trust. At 5 p.m. the infamous ‘light orbs’ will be ignited during the Tree Lighting Ceremony. Specials and treats will be offered throughout town and downtown store windows will be decorated for the season. business.
lflbchamber.com/events/ details/it-s-a-wonderful-lifein-lake-bluff-25516
DECEMBER 2
ELF INVASION PUB CRAWL WHERE: Downtown Highwood Don’t miss Highwood’s 5th annual Elf Invasion Pub Crawl. This fun event starts at 2 p.m. and runs till the affiliated bars close. Participants will start at 28 Mile Distilling Company where they will get their Elf Troupe Assignment and follow their Elf leader to Teddy O’Brian’s, Broken Tee Brewing Company, Toadstool Pub, and the legendary Wooden Nickel. Registration is encouraged for one of the five Troupe groups that leave every 45 minutes between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. There is a $20 registration fee and space is limited. celebratehighwood.org/elfinvasion-pub-crawl/
THE SPIRIT OF GIVING
A recent Covenant House Illinois “Sleep Out” event raised awareness by allowing supporters to experience the reality of what homeless teens in Chicago are faced with every night.
BY JUDITH BAUMANN
THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND
In the city of Chicago, there are an estimated 3,000 young people without a safe place to sleep each night. “As someone who works in our amazing city, this number is staggering to me—and not at all acceptable,” says Shiv Iyer, who works as Midwest Market Lead for Accenture. “Those of us who work, live, and play in Chicago have the capacity to make a difference. Chicago and the surrounding area is filled with empathetic, generous and committed people,” In his role, the Glencoe resident is responsible for clients, offices, community involvement, and financial performance— leading more than 11,000 people, throughout the Midwest. “Teen homelessness is a problem we can help solve, in the same way we approach many complex challenges,” adds Iyer, who commutes downtown to the Accenture
Tower in Chicago. “We need to work together—with public private partnerships— and people working together. Let’s not just talk about it. We need to take action to make meaningful change happen.” Beyond a warm place to sleep, he says homeless people also need a warm meal. “They need medical care, mentorship, and mental health support,” Iyer explains. “And that’s where Covenant House steps in.” Covenant House Illinois (CHIL) empowers youth by providing trauma-informed care to meet each person’s individual and unique goals. Through its residential program, youth live at CHIL while receiving case management and trauma-informed wrap-around services. Clinical case managers support youth as they navigate and access community services, establish and work toward their goals, and secure permanent housing that fits their needs, according to the organization’s website.
And the impact is clear. Covenant House in fiscal year 2023 provided nearly 9,000 nights of housing—ensuring that young people have a secure place to rest and rejuvenate as they work towards self-sufficiency. Iyer’s passion for giving back is nothing new. “I grew up with an obligation to make change happen and together with my family, we give back in many ways,” he says. “The Sleep Out is personal. Last night’s event marked my third year of sleeping out in the Chicago temperatures. As you can imagine, it’s very cold, it’s beyond uncomfortable … and it’s also transformative. The Sleep Out is an impactful way for us to experience firsthand what it means to be homeless. Another powerful element of the Sleep Out is to learn more about the teens Covenant House is helping—each of them has a story, a dream and a future.” Since 2016, it’s been a team effort. “Dozens of Accenture people are part of our team who Sleep Out, with literally
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hundreds more who sponsor our team,” continues Iyers. For Susana Castella of Winnetka, a Managing Director at Accenture, this year was the second time she’s joined the Accenture team at Covenant House in sleeping outside. “Last year, it took me three days to take the cold out of my bones, and it was just one night for me,” she says. “Can you imagine how these homeless teens feel every night? That's why I'm supporting this. Every single teen should have a warm bed, meals and medical attention.” Iyers echoes her sentiments. “What’s our call to action?” he says. “Join us, by supporting the effort. A dynamic, caring community of professionals, companies, families, and individuals gave up their bed for one night to ensure that young people overcoming homelessness can sleep safely at Covenant House Illinois.” To get involved and to learn more, visit covenanthouseil.org/sleep-out. THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND
