Community of Caring 122320

Community of Our year of resilience and generosity

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s 2020 draws to a close, we join together to mark a year that has brought unexpected adversity, and celebrate the great generosity of our communities in the face of great challenges.

The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed so much of the strength of our character and the resiliency of our communities.

It has also brought into relief the inequities which always have undergirded our systems but play out now, and more obviously, in the deeper impact of this virus on our neighbors of color and those of lesser means.

This year our Community of Caring section reflects on the powerful work of an array of the non-profits that serve Oak Park and River Forest but also our neighbors in Austin, Berwyn and Proviso Township.

We turned to the leaders of these organizations and asked what this year had taught, what was the impact on the people they serve, and how these neighborhoods have risen to support them.

The stories are about reinvention on the run, innovations which will outlast the pandemic, the inspiring resilience of people in need who have been clobbered by COVID

and the repeated outpouring of support – financial support, volunteer support – in a year when it felt as if the pins were being knocked out from under these virtuous enterprises.

The non-profits of western Cook County accomplished so much for our friends and neighbors in this most difficult of years, and they have been able to do so thanks to the generosity of the people who call this region home.

This section is once again produced in a partnership between the Oak Park-River Forest Community Foundation and Wednesday Journal, now itself part of a newly formed non-profit called Growing Community Media.

We hope that even as we celebrate a little differently this holiday season, you will read the stories that follow and be inspired, before the year closes, to offer your support to the worthy and essential non-profits included in this Joyful Giving Catalog.

Antonio Martinez, Jr., President and CEO OPRF Community Foundation

Dan Haley Editor and Publisher Growing Community Media

F O R E S T PA R K

JOURNAL REVIEW W E D N E S D A Y

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Community of Caring

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your Community your Foundation Please, give to the Oak Park-River Forest Community Foundation's Annual Fund today.

OA K PAR K-R I V ER F OR E ST

Community Foundation

The Oak Park-River Forest Community Foundation is a unique and vital part of the fabric of our community. With leadership, advocacy, and perseverance, the Foundation has mobilized essential resources to help those most in need in our neighborhood and beyond. Our service to our local organizations, donors, and scholars has continued without interruption, pushing for a more just and socially equitable community.

Together, we can create a brighter future for all.

Donate today at oprfcf.org or call 708-848-1560

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December 23, 2020

Community of Caring

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COVID pushes Housing Forward into a new model With overnight shelters unsafe, nonprofit reinvents its service

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t’s hard to think of a silver lining in this global disaster,” says Lynda Schueler, for 22 years the executive director of Housing Forward. “But this has pushed us to a limit I never thought I’d see.”

The limit was the immediate and stunning realization that in the COVID-19 pandemic, with an airborne virus, that a rotating series of overnight homeless shelters in church basements had to be shut down and replaced with something else entirely.

Those shelters had been Housing Forward’s model for decades, the pride of welcoming congregations, the shared work of hundreds of volunteers.

The nonprofit had rethought and expanded its mission over the past decade layering on a series of case management and support services, adding specialized housing options, negotiating apartment leases intended to transition people from the shelter into more permanent housing.

But since the early days when it was called West Suburban PADS, the foundation of that more ambitious mission was always the overnight shelters – 12-hours a day, nine months of the year, with dinner and breakfast served up by volunteers.

But with COVID-19 all too real by March, Housing Forward pivoted finding empty hotel rooms in Oak Park and nearby for its clients. That was the start of the broader reimagining of its services and quick conclusion that it would never go back to its church shelter model.

“In March, no one had a plan. There was no off the shelf solution. It was from the hip decision-making. There was a bit of panic,” says Schueler. “Keep everyone safe. That’s what we knew. Staff. Clients. Volunteers.”

In a pandemic hotel rooms were readily available and the model solved so many intractable problems. They provided 24-hour housing for clients. They no longer needed to exit a shelter in the early winter mornings and then bounce from the library to a Starbucks to the el to stay warm all day long.

“Hotel room space provided so many solutions,” says Schueler. “Our population is already traumatized by being homeless. The hotel rooms offer our clients their own feeling of stability. It allows them to really focus on their goals. They have a place to keep their belongings and not have to stuff them behind bushes. It allows them and us to see beyond their immediate crisis.”

This new model, heavily underwritten

with federal dollars from the CARES act and much of it funneled through the village of Oak Park, resulted in the bold step of Housing Forward signing a one-year lease for the all the rooms at the pandemic shuttered Write Inn on Oak Park Avenue.

“It’s a huge, huge deal,” says Schueler. And it was reinforced in August when the Housing Forward board voted to adopt the 24/7 interim housing model as its principal means of housing the homeless.

Can it be sustained? Schueler says there “is a big question mark.” And that is whether the federal government chooses to support this model of care for the homeless, a model focused on active and timely transition into work and independence.

“This year we have learned a lot. Like wow. A lot,” says Schueler. “What we are doing is really making a difference.”

File photo

Kim and Anthony, long homeless and often found on the Eisenhower ramp at Harlem, are making the positive but challenging transition to new jobs and their own apartment thanks to Housing Forward.

THROUGH DECEMBER 15

THROUGH DECEMBER 31

DONATE A WISH LIST ITEM

MATCHED GIVING

We are currently collecting gifts for children living at Hephzibah Home and in our foster homes, and for families receiving our services. You can find our wish list at hephzibahhome.org/donate/wishlist

Make a contribution online by December 31 and your gift will be matched by generous benefactors through our annual Hephzibah Holiday Challenge. Double your gift today at hephzibahhome.org

Your donation will impact a child's life.

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Community of Caring

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Round 4 COVID grants focus on arts, culture groups Community Foundation grants 24 nonprofits total of $172,500

For 20 years, L’Arche Chicago has opened doors ~ providing lifelong homes for people with intellectual disabilities, building communities of mutuality and belonging, and revealing the many gifts of people with disabilities.

With the high, state wide demand for community integrated living spaces and the growing accessibility needs of our aging members, L’Arche Chicago plans to acquire a fully accessible home for adults with intellectual disabilities. A new home provides opportunities for existing members to thrive in an adaptive environment as well as creating room for new members, who seek the same thriving community.

Join this effort and make a needed impact by donating towards a home for life!

Go to: www.larchechicago.org/opendoors

Support your local animal shelter this holiday season!

Acting as a safe haven for pets in our community since 1973.

The Oak Park-River Forest Community Foundation (OPRFCF) has announced its fourth round of Rapid Response and Recovery Fund grants, totaling $172,500 for 24 nonprofits in the western Cook County region. Eight of the grants will deliver muchneeded funding to organizations providing basic human needs and services during the COVID-19 pandemic, while the remaining 16 are microgrants intended to help local arts, cultural and business organizations continue to operate until the pandemic has lifted.

“Although the release of a vaccine has given us a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel, we are not in the clear yet, and help will continue to be needed,” said Tony Martinez, Jr., president and CEO of the OPRFCF. “In addition to supporting organizations that are providing relief to at-risk populations, the foundation felt it was also important to aid the arts and cultural institutions so important to the richness of our community so they are still there when we are finally able to visit them again.”

The following organizations were awarded grants in the latest round. Those marked with an asterisk are first-time Rapid Response and Recovery Fund grant recipients: ■ Bethel New Life ■ Chicago West Community Music Center ■ Echo Theater Collective ■ Ernest Hemingway Foundation of Oak Park ■ Frank Lloyd Wright Trust ■ Hephzibah Children’s Association

Make a donation, view adoptable pets, learn about our foster program, and view volunteer and job opportunities at AnimalCareLeague.org Animal Care League is committed to providing shelter, medical care, and comfort to animals in need; reducing animal overpopulation; and acting as a community resource, thus promoting the human/animal bond. Animal Care League acts as the stray holding facility for Oak Park, Forest Park, River Forest, Northlake, North Riverside, Melrose Park & Elmwood Park.

1011 Garfield, Oak Park, IL. 708-848-8155

Pro Musica Youth Chorus

■ Historical Society of

OPRF

■ Hunger Walkathon West Crop Walk ■ IWS Children’s Clinic ■ L’Arche Chicago ■ Lawrence Hall ■ Madison Street Theater ■ Maywood Fine Arts Association ■ MOMENTA ■ Oak Park Art

League

■ Oak Park Festival Theatre ■ Oak Park River Forest Chamber of Commerce ■ Open Door Repertory Company ■ Pleasant Home Foundation ■ Providing Instruments for The Next Generation (PING!) ■ Pro Musica Youth Chorus ■ The Symphony of Oak Park & River Forest ■ WonderWorks ■ West Cook YMCA The organizations receiving grants in the latest round are primarily based in Oak Park-River Forest but serve the greater western Cook County area. Twenty-one are receiving Rapid Response and Recovery Fund grants from the foundation for the first time.

The Rapid Response and Recovery Fund has received a total of $1.1 million in donations since it was launched in mid-March with a seed investment of $50,000 from the foundation. The foundation then matched dollar to dollar the first $100,000 in donations, and the fund received $250,000 from the Illinois COVID-19 Response Fund. In May, longtime Oak Parkers Ken and Patty Hunt offered a challenge to match donations, dollar for dollar up to $250,000. Individual, family and corporate donors rose to this challenge, donating an additional $270,000 toward this vital effort — including $30,000 raised by the 700 Block of Bonnie Brae’s LemonAid charity drive, which selected the fund as its beneficiary this year.

To date, more than 600 gifts totaling over $604,000 have come from the community.

“We want to once again thank the Hunts for their generosity, as well as the hundreds of donors who have shown their support as the foundation responds to the local demands of this global health crisis,” Martinez said. “As residents of Oak Park and River Forest make their end-of-year charitable decisions, we want to encourage them to consider donating to this vital effort.”

To support the Oak Park-River Forest Community Foundation and its work on behalf of the community visit oprfcf.org or call 708-8481560.

Organizations interested in learning more about the Rapid Response and Recovery grants should contact program director Elizabeth Chadri at echadri@ oprfcf.org.

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Community of Caring

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As hunger grows, need reaches middle class neighbors Beyond Hunger’s biggest challenge is the stigma of seeking help

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verything has changed. Every aspect of our operation,” says Michele Zurakowski, executive director of Beyond Hunger, about her agency’s response to the impact of COVID-19.

“What it has driven home to us is the disparate impact the virus is having on our Black clients and on the Hispanic immigrant community,” says Zurakowski.

Since COVID hit in March, Beyond Hunger has seen a 250 percent increase in demand for its services at the same moment it had to remake how it delivered its services.

“We’ve seen a major drop in older Black clients from Austin” coming to the Oak Park location to pick up food, said Zurakowski. “They don’t want to take the bus. There’s no more car pooling outside of immediate family.”

In response Beyond Hunger has found ways to deliver food to clients in Austin. They made 300 deliveries in April alone.

“We’ve seen a huge influx in Latino immigrants from Berwyn in particular,” said Zurakowski. The specific challenge with this group is their reluctance to take part in traditional food distribution that comes via funds with ties to the federal government and which require some amount of data collection – names, addresses, birthdates.

Beyond Hunger’s solution here has been to find a local philanthropist to fund a new program teamed with a social worker who interacts with recipients. The private funding largely eliminates data collection. The agency has also found partners in Berwyn to help serve the 150 families in

the program through pop-up distribution days.

We hope with the new (federal) administration that the fear among immigrants will diminish. But it is going to take time,” said Zurakowski.

Beyond Hunger has taken pride in recent years with a distribution model at its facility inside First United Church on Lake Street which allowed clients to roam aisles and select their own food. It was intended to replicate a supermarket and offer more independent choice. That, of course, does not work in a pandemic where social distancing is the rule.

And so the agency invented a drive-through model (with a pedestrian walk-up option for clients without cars) at its Lake Street location. It is an innovation, says Zurakowski, which may outlast the immediate safety demands of the pandemic because driving up in a car, never leaving the car, never entering the facility offers not just safety but a level of privacy.

Privacy is a ratcheted-up concern as people who have never before needed a food pantry – many of them Oak Parkers – now find themselves turning to Beyond Hunger.

Zurakowski started at the old Oak Park Food Pantry in 2008, just ahead of the Great Recession. She sees comparisons between these two devasting events.

“People don’t want to go to a food pantry. They will work through every resource they have before they do come. It takes a lot of courage on behalf of their families to make that choice,” said Zurakowski. “We are a middle-income

Connecting your child to everything they need.

community. It is hard to ask for help. It is much easier to give.”

As in 2008, Zurakowski believes the financial impact of the pandemic will last far longer than the successful rollout of vaccines. “After 2008, demands for our services did not peak until 2012. We need to build our resources.”

As always, Beyond Hunger relies heavily on volunteers.

In training now volunteers hear the advice about what to do when a client in the drive-through turns out to be the parent you knew from T-ball or ballet lessons. It is a balance, said Zurakowski between absolutely acknowledging that connection without probing the immediate circumstance.

“We love the drive-through because it cuts down on the stigma,” she says.

Like many local non-profits, Beyond Hunger has had to invent new ways of fundraising as traditional galas and other face-to-face events are not possible now.

“People have been incredibly generous,” she says. And creative. “We had a local photographer who took family portraits on front porches and donated the proceeds to us.

We’ve had kids rake leaves and send us the money.”

The images are seared in peoples’ minds of TV news with miles long lines of cars waiting for a box of food, she says.

“Hunger is easy to understand. It is visceral. We’ve all felt hunger. And people have responded. Way more people are giving. People who have never given before. People who have been donors are giving more.”

P

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.

Not as the world gives do I give to you.

Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

Mentor

Therapist T

JOHN 14:27

Family Counselor

Case Manager Crisis Worker Outreach Worker Care Coordinator

Concordia University Chicago wishes you the blessings of the

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Christ Child this Christmas and throughout the New Year.

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At desperate moment, offering direct help to neighbors

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s the pandemic took hold early in 2020, the needs of some were immediate and painful. Before aid from the federal government arrived, or when that help was not accessible due to worries over immigration status there were shared efforts made to funnel cash and other necessities of life directly to families and individuals.

In Berwyn, a community with a large immigrant population, Awake, a small nonprofit with a focus on adding educational resources and building civic engagement, quickly changed gears. Lisa Polderman, vice president of Awake’s board, said that when the first mandated closures came that her organization reached out to the local families who were receiving educational services.

“We anticipated they would be hit hard,” she said. Many of Awake’s families are wary of government help in the first place due to current policies on immigration.

The impact of lost jobs – many of their clients work in restaurants and hospitality where jobs were immediately closed – translated into rent which could not be paid, groceries which quickly dwindled.

Awake took $5,000 from its small reserves with the intention of giving $500 directly to its families. It was always a flat $500.

There were no strings or demands on how it should be spent.

The organization then turned to its Berwyn neighbors to raise more. This sort of spontaneous giving is not the tradition in Berwyn but it was in the face of COVID. Awake raised $40,000 from 735 small donors, many of them from Berwyn, but also from Cicero, Chicago and Oak Park. Public

Local donors step up to make generous gifts possible

“I’ve seen the first-hand impact on my neighbors. And I’ve seen the ripple effects as jobs were eliminated, incomes were greatly reduced. Food, rent, utilities unpaid.”

JASON FRANKENA

school teachers turned to their networks to raise cash that would benefit their school students. The Berwyn Running Club held a Virtual 5K to raise money for Awake.

And with that grassroots backing, two local foundations took note and made grants.

The Oak Park-River Forest Community Foundation contributed $15,000 from its quickly launched COVID-19 Rapid Response Fund. The Logan Foundation added $10,000.

All told Awake raised over $70,000 last spring which all went out the door to families in need. “It blew out of the water any previous efforts we’d made,” said Polderman. “People really felt the need to give and to do it locally.”

Find out more at berwynsawake.org.

Meanwhile in Oak Park and River Forest, communities with much more structured and aligned non-profits, the same need for immediate and direct help was seen by a small group of neighbors. They quickly launched Oak Park Mutual Aid with a goal of direct giving to those impacted by CO-

File photo

NEW SKILLS: African American Christian Foundation in Oak Park helps young people with job and life skills.

VID. From the start there was also the goal of offering the practical and mundane help necessary when all routines are quickly disrupted. So grocery shopping and delivery became part of the service, picking up prescriptions for those quarantined, actively connecting people with existing social services and government agencies which could help but which individuals had never needed to think about before.

Evelyn Antwi-Mensah heads the Oak Park-based African American Christian Foundation. Started by her father 35 years ago, AACF offers job training and placement, job readiness and high school completion options for younger people.

“My father was all about education, about creating a nurturing environment,” said Antwi-Mensah of her dad, Kwadwo AntwiMensah.

When the pandemic hit, AACF was hit, too, with multiple challenges and a sudden surge in demand for its services. The agency closed its North Avenue headquarters for two weeks while it figured out how to shift all of its training to online virtual learning.

Active participants in the program have leapt to nearly 300 as “people lost their jobs due to COVID,” said Antwi-Mensah. Now people who worked in hard hit industries such as restaurants and working “to get skills that allow them to find work, to earn more.”

The non-profit focuses on people from 16-24, most are low income, and says Antwi-Mensah face “additional barriers” including being young parents, ex-offenders, mental health challenges, homelessness or aging out of the state’s foster care system.

AACF supports its clients with the full range of support services including tuition, transit and driving lessons.

AACF also benefitted from a COVID Rapid Relief Fund grant from the Oak Park-River Forest Community Foundation last spring.

Find out more at aacfworks.org.

Jason Frankena is an Oak Parker – a South East Oak Parker he makes clear – who saw his work as a project manager in commercial real estate construction “grinding to a halt” with the pandemic. With his wife still working and their immediate needs protected, Jason said, “I had time on my hands. I had the opportunity to help.”

He read about the early efforts of Oak Park Mutual Aid – it had come together in a hurry early in the pandemic – on social media sites and he reached out.

File photo

FILLING A NEED: The Hunt family were among the founders of Oak Park Mutual Aid. They also made a notable donation to the COVID Rapid Response and Recovery Fund at the Oak Park-River Forest Community Foundation.

“I’ve seen the first-hand impact on my neighbors. And I’ve seen the ripple effects as jobs were eliminated, incomes were greatly reduced. Food, rent, utilities unpaid,” he said.

“We’re not trained social workers. We’re not social workers,” he said of the dozens of local people who have come together through Oak Park Mutual Aid. Frankena said people with needs and with the ability to help come to the organization through the website at oakparkmutualaid. com. Donations of cash can be made at the site, offers to volunteer are also welcomed.

Neighbors looking for help can fill out a simple form spelling out what they need. Responses are made within 48 hours, he says.

So far, the nascent non-profit is making small direct cash gifts to get an electric bill paid or toward rent. And then it offers to help navigate “a social service network that is scattered and not logical,” he says.

Frankena says he likes the grassroots nature of Oak Park Mutual Aid. It has an organic appeal as they work to help neighbors, families they know from their kids’ school, from around the village.

Oak Park Mutual Aid is currently organizing to become a 501(c)3 non-profit.

“We don’t see the need ending anytime soon,” he says of the completely volunteer organization.

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Community of Caring

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At Hephzibah everything is different but still the same Keeping hands on connections even during the pandemic

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lot, a lot has changed,” says Merry Beth Sheets, executive director of the Hephzibah Children’s Association, as she looks back at the nine months of the COVID-19 pandem-

ic.

While the losses are real and profound, Sheets says, “even during the pandemic we can still move forward.” She said that in Hephzibah’s three top programs that changes and growth have taken place since COVID hit in late winter.

The Intact Family Services program has doubled its case load since the state expanded the project on July 1. Hephzibah social workers are now working 94 cases across metro Chicago with families where there is worry about abuse and neglect. The virus has changed the program but agency staff is still face-to-face with each family at least monthly with virtual visits in between.

“The current situation only adds stressors for these families,” says Sheets. But Hephzibah staff is able to add support services for these fragile families while protecting the children. “Some of these visits may take place on the front porch” due to the pandem-

ic, she says, but the personal contact can never be fully replicated on Zoom.

Hephzibah, which for decades has partnered with the District 97 elementary schools to provide before and after school care for the kids of working parents, has pivoted this year to add daily in-person support for students during e-learning. The program is live in three D97 schools where there are a combined 215 students being supported in virtual classes as their parents – all essential workers – head to their jobs.

Hephzibah had to double its staff to pull this off and added midday hours since the program also continues to offer before and after school care.

Meanwhile there is the group home on North Boulevard near downtown Oak Park.

This is home for 26 children – ages 3-11 – who are assigned to Hephzibah by the state having been deemed to have suffered the “most severe trauma” within their families of any abused children in Illinois.

Building stability and connection is essential to the program and the pandemic has closed several of those routes even as the staff has been expanded and technology

brought to bear to foster those virtues.

“We haven’t had those interactions since March,” says Sheets.

Gone for now is the one-on-one mentoring volunteers provided weekly through the Heart Mates program. Also missing are small but valued efforts such as employees of the Park District of Oak Park who arrive to custom decorate the bedroom doors of each new arrival.

In normal times, the children in the residence also attend school at either a D97 facility or a therapeutic day school. Now with all schooling virtual they have lost connections to school friends.

Mandated in person visitations with siblings and parents have also disappeared though Sheets reports that Zoom visits with family members have been more regularly attended than the sometimes logistically challenging in-person visits.

Sheets also said the kids in the residence have each other, a giant extended family. And that, she said, might be better than an only child in a family home who faces greater isolation. To get the children beyond the four walls of the group home, Sheets says staff

will sometimes gather a handful, load them into the van and just go for a drive, maybe stopping by a Forest Preserve to run around.

Like many of the social agency leaders interviewed for this project, Sheets pointed to the resilience of the children in Hephzibah’s care. “It was a shock to all of us at the beginning. Ten months in we have a strong plan on COVID.” Speaking of the children in the residence, Sheets says, “I hope for a minimal impact.

They’ve had challenges beyond belief. But they’re fortunate to be here with all this support. They live in a social situation. I hope they make it up along the way. These kids are resilient.”

Sheets also lauded her staff. “They’ve had to work in a real scary time. I can’t speak enough about our staff. They are heroes.”

And Hephzibah’s legendary volunteers are still at it, making Christmas for the kids.

“Our Wish List has gone online for children in the foster program and the group home.

We will be bringing in everything that is on those lists.”

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Community of Caring

Resilience the unexpected gift at Thrive Counseling

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Clients, staff, community demonstrate determination, commitment

any things have surprised John Meister, the executive director of Thrive Counseling Center, during this pandemic year. But whether he is talking about the clients served at Thrive, the professional staff there or the wide community which benefits from its services, he keeps coming back to resilience.

“The resilience of our clients has just amazed,” he says.

Their ability to adapt quickly to the loss of in person therapy sessions has surprised everyone. Back in March when COVID first became real, Meister said a March 13 staff meet-

ing reflected the fears and the clear sense of the unknown everyone was feeling. By March 16 all face-to-face sessions were cancelled and the agency hustled to move to telephone sessions. Patient sessions dropped sharply in March. But to the surprise of all, by April there was a large rebound and the percentage of “kept appointments” actually rose as homebound clients called in to their therapists. There were no issues finding transportation and the other logistics that could keep appointments from being dropped.

Meister and his team learned a lot in the first weeks about how to do phone therapy an exhausting 5 to 8 hours a day.

They found that it was more successful converting a client who had started with in-person sessions into a worthwhile phone therapy sessions. Launching a new client only virtually has been more problematic.

“There is an element of trust between a client and their therapist. There are subtle cues that you don’t get over the phone,” he says based on the observations of his staff. “But telephone therapy is better than no therapy.”

Meister spends a lot of hours trying to figure out the future of how insurance companies and the government agencies which subsidize mental health treatment will pay for this care once the pandemic is eventually over.

“A hybrid model – in person and virtual – will become the new normal,” he says. What exactly it looks like it is too soon to tell.

Meister said that back in March he thought COVID’s impact would blow a hole in Thrive’s tight budget of between

“A hybrid model – in person and virtual – will become the new normal. What exactly it looks like it is too soon to tell.”

JOHN MEISTER

Executive director, Thrive Counseling Center

$300,000 and $500,000. How to begin to replace the $200,000 raised in its annual gala seemed unfathomable. Now he says, with the work of his board, Thrive is “bowled over by the response from the community.” Their virtual fundraisers cleared more than $200,000 and Meister said they discovered “the community really values what we do.”

That has been a gratifying realization for Meister and other nonprofit leaders interviewed for this project.

Now as the year closes, Meister has decided to close the agency down between Christmas and New Year’s so the staff can get an actual break. “Of course, no one can travel.

But it gives us time to take stock to spend time on things which bring us joy.”

And then, he says, it will back to at least six more months of therapy by phone.

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Community of Caring

December 23, 2020

Thank you to all of our readers Dear Readers, We’re excited to share that we met our NewsMatch goal, our Board Match goal, and now our Match Maker goal! These funds are absolutely critical to maintaining our Independent community newsrooms and will enable us to continue reporting across our seven neighborhoods.

To all of you who have already contributed: YOU made this happen and we are so grateful.

To those who have not yet given: There is still time to help out -- we’re not done yet! We’re introducing a stretch goal of $10,000, which will: • Cover costs of reporting this spring’s local elections, school and business re-openings, vaccine rollouts, and more across our Austin Weekly News, Forest Park Review, Riverside-Brookfield Landmark and Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest • Sustain our hyperlocal reporting as our local businesses recover from the effects of COVID-19 • Help us launch in early 2021 new, reader-friendly websites and newsletters to better serve readers in our seven communities We’re excited about our 2021 plans and know that, with your help, we can make them happen. Here’s how: We challenge you to ask just one friend — someone who values journalism like ours — to match the donation you made to the Weekly, the Journal, the Review and the Landmark! Ask them to go to [flag specific donation link] or give them the donation envelope in this week’s paper. But don’t delay: we have until Dec. 31 to meet this goal!

We thank all of you. We wish you all safe and joyful holidays. And join us with hope and optimism for the New Year!

With deep gratitude, Dan Haley Editor and Publisher Growing Community Media

To donate, visit www.growingcommunitymedia.com/donate

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Community of Caring

The Joyful Giving Catalog

Everything you need for a better world: • More Art

• More Food

• More Compassion

• More Health

• More Education

• More Housing

• More Equity

• More Peace

Browse, read, share with your children. Give Locally – Give Joyfully!

Each of the organizations listed in this catalog paid a fee to participate. If you run a nonprofit and you would like to be listed here, or if you would like to sponsor a nonprofit to be listed here, please contact Lourdes Nicholls (Lourdes@oakpark.com) or Marc Stopeck (Marc@oakpark.com).

African American Christian Foundation (AACF) AACF empowers young adults trapped by extreme poverty to spearhead them through education to become leaders in their communities.

These are young people who persist and cope with immense traumatic hurdles as they strive to build a better future. Founded in 1985, AACF takes a holistic approach focused on positive youth development, goal setting, and opportunity. We encourage youth to take control of their potential through mentoring, enrichment and reinforcing life skills. Youth are engaged in internships, employment, secondary education, vocational training, and provided with supportive services that encourage achievement in all their endeavors.

Youth enduring severe poverty face tremendous challenges, we need and count on supporters like you to join us to help them succeed.

For more information, or to make a donation, please visit us at aacfworks.org\

Animal Care League Animal Care League offers a safe haven for pets in need. Rooted in the community since 1973, Animal Care League takes a proactive approach to animal care and adoption as well as preventative measures to help reduce the number of homeless animals in our communities.

With over 1000 pets coming to our doors each year, Animal Care League counts on supporters to ensure that we can provide what is needed from routine vaccinations to life saving surgery.

Make a difference in the life of a homeless animal by visiting animalcareleague. org where you can sign up to volunteer, make a donation, view our adoptable pets, and learn about upcoming events.

Arbor West Neighbors Arbor West Neighbors is a grassroots organization of neighbors connecting to empower adults to thrive as we age in community. We support the residents of Oak Park, River Forest, Forest Park and Austin as we age in homes of our choice. We envision multi-ethnic, multi-cultural and economically diverse communities where all older adults are valued, age with dignity, and enjoy opportunities for growth and engagement.

Do you want to age with a purpose? Join us to share your collective talents, experiences and passion to broaden the image of aging. Learn more at: Arborwestneighbors.org

Beyond Hunger When the pandemic hit, we revamped our service model to keep everybody safe. Instead of inviting people to shop inside our food pantry, we now prepack boxes with nearly 80 pounds of groceries and pop them into car trunks or shopping carts for participants. We’ve added more home delivery recipients knowing that elderly and disabled individuals are more at risk for COVID-19. The contents of each box is tailored to meet the needs of our community.

Along with food, we include toilet paper, toothpaste, and reusable washable masks.

With your support, we can make sure no one in our community goes hungry this winter.

Even a little goes a long way: every $1 donated can feed a neighbor for an entire day.

youth escape gangs and violence to become positive leaders in their communities. These young people face enormous obstacles and trauma, and so we surround them with the counseling, mentoring, training, and opportunities they need to build a future and succeed. We engage youth at every stage, with specialized teams dedicated to street violence interventions, gang detachments, creative after-school programming, academic school and college support, mental health care, community violence crisis response, and enrichment activities ranging from art and music to sports, podcasting, engineering and gardening. Potential doesn’t discriminate, neither should opportunity.

To learn more or to donate, visit clustertutoring.org.

The Collaboration for Early Childhood

Join us in BUILDing a better future. Visit and donate at buildchicago.org/

Celebrating Seniors Coalition Since our inception a decade ago, the Celebrating Seniors Coalition has been passionate about dispelling outdated and inaccurate myths about what it is to be a senior in our society.

At the same time, the Coalition has raised funds to help meet the basic needs of daily living for dozens of elders in our community.

As we get to the “other side” of the pandemic and embark on our second decade, join us in Celebrating Seniors—those people 60 and over in Oak Park, River Forest and Forest Park.

Learn how you can join honor and support these esteemed elders at our updated website: www.CelebratingSeniors.net.

Cluster Tutoring

To donate, visit GoBeyondHunger.org or send checks payable to Beyond Hunger, 848 Lake Street, Oak Park, IL 60301

BUILD Since 1969, BUILD has helped Chicago’s most vulnerable

other homework to prepare the student for a successful academic career. When Cluster started nearly 30 years ago, fewer than half of Chicago Public Schools graduated from high school. Now, all of Cluster’s seniors not only graduate but are accepted at colleges and other post-graduation programs. Donations go toward materials that help students learn.

Cluster Tutoring is a nonprofit, community-based organization that provides free one-to-one tutoring to students in grades K through 12 from Chicago’s Austin neighborhood. Tutor-student pairs work together during the school year on reading, math, and

Support young children this giving season. For over 15 years, the Collaboration for Early Childhood has embraced the vision that all children should arrive at kindergarten safe, healthy, and ready to thrive. This year we sharpened our equity focus and responded to the needs of our community members affected by the health pandemic and national events of racist violence. We launched Ready, Set, Kindergarten! a virtual support system for 30 families whose children transitioned to kindergarten in the midst of COVID-19. We distributed 175 ‘Activity Kits’ to families of children with disabilities to enhance their at-home learning. We supplied 62 families in need with essential items, and the work continues.

For more information, or to make a donation, please visit us at www.collab4kids. org or follow us on Facebook.

Concordia University Chicago Concordia University Chicago is a liberal arts, Christ-centered, Lutheran university where truth, freedom, and vocation form students for lives of influence and service for the common good. Founded in 1864, the University is located on 40 acres in River Forest, Illinois. Historically a college for teachers, it now offers more than 100 areas of

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The Joyful Giving Catalog study through traditional, blended or online classes. Students can earn a bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degrees through one of four colleges: the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Business, the College of Education and the College of Graduate Studies. Professors are passionate about teaching, learning and preparing students for success in their chosen vocations. Beyond academics, Concordia offers NCAA Division III athletic teams, intramural sports, touring music ensembles and numerous student clubs and organizations focused on service, recreation, spiritual life and more. Currently, more than 6,400 students are enrolled.

To learn more, please visit CUChicago.edu or CUChicago.edu/GiveNow to support our students.

The Day Nursery

Since 1912, The Day Nursery has provided exceptional early childhood education in an environment that welcomes all children, enhances individual strengths, and fosters the academic, social-emotional, and physical development that leads to school readiness. You can help lay the foundation today for successful adults tomorrow.

To learn more about us and to donate, visit www.thedaynursery.org Randolph St, Oak Park, IL 60302 The1139 Friends the Oak Park 708.383.8211of - Fax: 708.383.0692 Email: info@thedaynursery.org www.thedaynursery.org Conservatory A United Way Community Partner/NAEYC Accredited

The Oak Park Conservatory began as a community effort to house exotic plants residents collected during their travels abroad. Completed in 1929, it is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Free to the public with 50,000 visitors annually, the Conservatory offers a rich atmosphere throughout three indoor showrooms featuring more than 3,000 plants.

The Friends of the Oak Park Conservatory offers programs focused on enriching the visitor experience at the Conservatory. Toddlers through adults can participate in year-round educational and recreational programs, volunteer opportunities and special events. To learn more or to join, visit fopcon.org.

Growing Community Media Growing Community Media is dedicated to building community through independent, non-partisan local journalism. We believe that high quality community journalism preserves and strengthens the fabric of our democracy.

Independent community journalism holds local governments to account. It connects neighbors. It is the credible source when social media goes haywire, and it allows a community to debate and celebrate. Through Austin Weekly News, Wednesday Journal, Forest Park Review and Riverside-Brookfield Landmark, Growing Community Media reports local news and tells compelling local stories across many platforms. Our mission calls us to build fact-based accountability and connection, conversation and civility, diversity and a sense of belonging.

Join our mission by donating at growingcommunitymedia.org or contacting dhaley@wjinc.com

Hephzibah Children’s Association Hephzibah is making a difference in the lives of vulnerable children and struggling families.

Oak Park’s oldest social service agency, Hephzibah is the only program in Illinois designated to care for the most severe cases of abuse and neglect of young children ages 3-11. Hephzibah Home provides comprehensive, therapeutic care for traumatized young children. Our Family Based Program supports more than 100 foster care children and stabilizes 150 families in crisis. Our Day Care Program delivers quality, affordable day care and summer camp programming for elementary school children in Oak Park.

Make a difference with us at hephzibahhome.org.

Historical Society Forest Park The Historical Society Forest Park was founded in 1975 for the purposes of “collecting and preserving the rich heritage of Forest Park.” The historical society offers tours of Haymarket Martyr’s Monument in Forest Home Cemetery every Saturday in the summer, collect oral histories of Forest Park Veterans of Military service, hosts several historical events a year and celebrates Forest Park.

For more information about the Society, its events and programs, or to donate visit forestparkhistory.org or mail us: Historical Society of Forest Park, PO Box 311, Forest Park IL 60130

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Sedrick finds growth and opportunity at BUILD

edrick, fifteen, came to BUILD in elementary school, already angry, quiet, and unwilling to talk about traumas in his past. Now in high school, he has transformed into a thoughtful young man who seeks avenues of growth and uses the mistakes of his past as examples to help him make better choices.

His phenomenal growth evolved from the support of his dedicated BUILD mentor, his own determination, and a lot of fun, too! “Sedrick is now giving himself opportunities to learn from his challenges and his youth,” notes Jeremy Mercado, Sedrick’s mentor, and Career Readiness Coordinator at BUILD. In the beginning, Sedrick signed up for activities: playing basketball, softball, and working in the garden.

Eventually, to everyone’s surprise he got involved with BUILD Radio, where a microphone helped him find his voice! He continues to engage in My Brother’s Keeper and other BUILD programs including Strong Bodies, Iris Garden’s Summer Program and more.

Now, Sedrick is one of BUILD’s best advocates! Famous for his laugh and his spotless Air Jordans, he’s training to

Historical Society of Oak Park and River Forest We are the community’s story tellers and our new facility is an 1898 Oak Park Landmark at Lake and Lombard called Oak Park River Forest Museum, selected

by Illinois Association of Museums as Small Museum of the Year. We invested $1 million in private funds to create a welcoming space in a former firehouse. Come and check out featured exhibit “Open House: The Legacy of Fair Housing,” before it closes in 2021. We are not supported by tax dollars and a gift of any amount funds our 2021 schedule of programs, our research center, and our knowledgeable staff.

Learn more and donate at oprfmuseum.org or 708-848-6755

Sedrick be an Apprentice Mentor and recruits other young people to BUILD - most recently, his own little brother Philip, twelve.

Sedrick’s mentor Jeremy couldn’t be prouder. “Sedrick’s willing to grow from anything life brings him now, big or small,” he says. “His future is going to shine bright.”

You can help BUILD a better future for Chicago’s most vulnerable youth. Visit and donate at buildchicago.org/

Housing Forward Housing Forward is passionately focused on one vision – ending homelessness. We believe in bold, comprehensive approaches to prevent homelessness whenever possible, respond to housing crises, and stabilize individuals and families through permanent housing. With offices in Maywood and Oak Park, we offer wraparound services including case management, housing, outreach, employment, and emergency assistance. Last year, we served over 2,000 adults and families across 20+ communities. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, our emergency shelter and supportive services programs consolidated into a 24/7 Interim Housing model for clients on a path to permanent housing—including medical respite. This site joins Sojourner House

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For UCP Seguin, Giving Is A Family Affair

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been able to work in a gainful, productive, meaningful job. As his father gratefully affirms, “Richard wouldn’t be who he is today without UCP Seguin.”

Since then Richard has been an active participant in everything the world has to offer. Rose and Rich ensured that he had a good education, while providing opportunities for him to participate in sports and enjoy social and recreational activities in the community. Through employment services provided by UCP Seguin of Greater Chicago, Richard has

Throughout their many years of involvement with the organization, the Smiths have been faithful financial donors in support of UCP Seguin’s programs for people with developmental disabilities. In addition to monetary gifts, Rich and Rose gave of their time and talent, helping to form a local special recreation association to provide fun activities for individuals with disabilities in the west suburbs. Even as his wife Rose passed away, Rich carried on her legacy of generosity. Rich has acted as the Moonlighters DJ for many years

hen Richard “Rick” Smith Jr. was born with Down syndrome 53 years ago, his parents Rose and Rich were determined to make the life of their only child the best it could be. They arranged for him to attend the original Seguin School, where he was offered the chance to develop, learn and grow.

and Ohana House in assisting individuals and families, plus two new housing programs focused on youth and veterans.

To learn more, volunteer, or donate, visit housingforward.org, email giving@housingforward.org or call 708.338.1724 ext. 262.

IWS Children’s Clinic Help us champion childhood health! The OPRF Infant Welfare Society and our Children’s Clinic have continuously been there for at-risk children and families since the start of the pandemic.

We serve the dynamic whole health needs of children: sick visits, critical vaccines at well child check-ups, integrated behavioral health services, and preventive and restorative dental care, including for children with special needs.

Together, we are ensuring the health and well-being of children in our community, including Oak Park, Chicago’s West side, Berwyn, Cicero and beyond.

IWS Children’s Clinic serves 3,400 children each year, and your generosity is key as our costs of providing care have increased substantially due to COVID-19. A gift of $50 pays for two essential vaccines. A gift of $150 provides specialized dental services.

Champion Childhood Health – Give Today! www.oprfiws.org/donate or 708-4068661.

L’Arche Chicago L’Arche Chicago provides high quality care in community-integrated homes for adults with intellectual disabilities in the OPRF area. Our mission is lived through daily life shared in mutuality: afternoon walks to the park, doctor’s appointments, and dinner parties. Moreover, L’Arche is committed to life together in a way that welcomes difference. As our society seems increasingly fearful of difference, L’Arche offers a counter story: that the differences so often keeping people apart can become the substance of joyful and transformative relationships.

Make a needed local impact through our people and mission at www.larchechicago. org/opendoors

Maywood Youth Mentoring Program Organized in 1993 as a 501c3, the Maywood Youth Mentoring Program has served hundreds of middle to highschool youth providing a variety of programs, workshops, field trips, and experiences designed to increase academic potential and instill cultural pride. Since 2008, the program has hosted free monthly youth breakfasts with topics ranging from anger management/and conflict resolution,

Rose and Rich Smith, with their son Ric so all the people with disabilities could rock the night away with friends during their Saturday nights out.

Buoyed by his son’s successes, his wife’s memory, and his own zest for life, Rich Smith personifies the spirit of philanthropy, a spirit that that continues to make UCP Seguin a preeminent

etiquette, police/community interactions, sexual health, drug and alcohol avoidance, and academic excellence. Youths practice critical thinking skills to encourage positive life choices. Volunteer mentors interact with youth providing positive role models for college and career choices. Funds are needed to continuously provide free services and incentives for participation.

To volunteer, or to donate, visit us at maywoodyouthmentoring.org, or contact Barbara Cole, founder/CEO at 708-3443577.

New Moms

New Moms believes in the strength, skills, and potential of all families and communities to achieve audacious possibilities for their futures. At New Moms, young moms take powerful first steps towards economic mobility and family well-being. Our 2-Generation Approach puts families experiencing poverty in control of their goals and unleashes their potential. We partner with families to construct the foundations of well-being by strengthening core life skills, incorporating early childhood development supports, building pathways to and preparation for education and employment, and expanding positive social networks and access to community resources.

Learn more and donate at newmoms.org.

organization serving people with disabilities.

You can join Rich Smith and help to provide life without limits for people with disabilities. Donate online at ucpseguin.org or send gifts to UCP Seguin, 332 Harrison Street, Oak Park IL 60304

The Nineteenth Century Charitable Association

The Nineteenth Century Charitable Association strengthens our community through learning, giving, and sharing our landmark building through space grants to local non-profits (80% of its usage is non-profit). During COVID-19 our building has been largely closed, but we have been connecting with our community with weekly Monday Enrichment Zoom programs. We are also providing community outreach to food pantries, shelters and first responders. We need your help keeping our ‘doors’ open.

If you would like information about donating, please contact us at 708-386-2729 x 3 or epayton@nineteenthcentury.org. You can also make a donation at nineteenthcentury.org.

Oak Park Art League Celebrating its centennial in 2021, the Oak Park Art League (OPAL) is one of the longest, continually running non-profit arts organizations in Illinois. OPAL is a vibrant cultural center where the invitation and challenge to use art as a medium for personal and community growth is made available to people of all ages. Since 1921, OPAL has brought arts education, appreciation, exhibitions, and the spirit of artistic inquiry to the surrounding community. OPAL is committed to meaningful community

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outreach to the population that makes up our greater community through partnerships and on-site art and programming with local social service agencies through our “Family stARTs” program.

For more information about membership, volunteering, or to make a donation, please contact Executive Director, Jill Kramer Goldstein at 708-386-9853 or director@ oakparkartleague.org. The Oak Park Art League is located at 720 Chicago Ave., Oak Park, IL 60302.

Oak Park Regional Housing Center For more than four decades, the Oak Park Regional Housing Center (OPRHC) has been an advocate for fair housing. Our mission is to achieve vibrant communities and promote intentional and stable residential integration throughout Oak Park. The OPRHC is the only non-profit in Oak Park and the Greater Westside Region that encourages pro-integrative housing options.

Our work is at the heart of why Oak Park is such a wonderful, diverse, and vibrant community, welcoming to everyone.

Support our work with a donation at oprhc. org/donate. To learn more about the OPRHC call 708.848.7150, inforequest@ liveinoakpark.com, 1041 South Blvd, Oak Park, IL 60302.

Oak Park-River Forest Community Foundation

The Oak Park-River Forest Community Foundation is based on a powerful promise: to create an enduring institution where people can come together and pool their resources to meet our community’s most pressing needs — not just now, but forever. For sixty years, generations of thoughtful and caring donors and residents have empowered the Foundation’s work to safeguard and advance the community in which we live, raise our families and work.

From helping donors with legacy gift planning, to managing donor advised funds, to strengthening local non-profits, we connect. Visit oprfcf.org or call Rhea Yap at 708-848-1560 to start a fund, discuss your charitable estate plans, or make a donation today.

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Community of Caring Oak Park and River Forest High School Alumni Association Through its Bobbie Raymond Summer Enrichment grant program, the Oak Park and River Forest High School Alumni Association helps current OPRFHS students experience life-changing experiential learning opportunities that advance their interests and knowledge in preparation for higher education and future career goals. All freshman through juniors are eligible to apply for awards, though students from under-resourced families receive greater consideration. For more than 20 years, students have traveled to destinations throughout the U.S. and the world, taking part in cultural exchanges, camps, and enrichment opportunities. The future outlook of these life-changing opportunities, and their accessibility for students most in need depends on your support today.

Donate at https://tinyurl.com/oprfalumnidonate

OPRF High School Scholarship Foundation In May 2020, the Oak Park and River Forest High School Scholarship Foundation granted $140,000 in scholarships to 63 graduating seniors. Since 1924, the Scholarship Foundation has been an important and growing partner in the community, providing much-needed financial assistance to OPRFHS students as college tuition and expenses continue to increase.

Please visit our website at www.scholarships4oprfhs.org. and make a gift to our General Fund to help increase the number and amount of scholarships we offer or to the College Knowledge Project (CKP) Scholars Fund that supports our CKP alumni, many of whom are first generation college students.

We hope you will join us by investing in the future of OPRFHS students today and make a tax-deductible donation. Contact scholarshipsoprfhs@ gmail.com to learn more.

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Service to the community is a longstanding and integral part of Concordia-Chicago’s identity

Teacher and students in Concordia University Chicago’s Early Childhood Education Center.

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he Early Childhood Education Center (ECEC) is a treasured institution within Concordia University Chicago and the surrounding community. As the ECEC celebrates its 45th anniversary, our teachers reflect on how they inspire lifelong learning as a centerpiece of the educational experience.

“What has helped the ECEC endure for 45 years is its unwavering commitment to best educational practices rooted in the most current research and theory, as well as the Gospel,” says Bogusia RyndakMazur, assistant director. “Our exceptional teachers foster children’s natural curiosity about the world and support a lifelong love of learning through guided play and project-based learning.”

Ryndak-Mazur has been working at the ECEC since 2001, when it was still housed in the basement of Lindemann Hall. In 2002, the ECEC moved into the brandnew Christopher Center building, where Ryndak-Mazur taught younger full-day preschool, gaining the experience that led to her promotion to assistant director in December 2019.

“As part of the University, the ECEC always inspired me, personally, to continue my education,” she says. “I came to the Center with a master’s degree, but working with University students, professors and families who have high expectations of us motivated me to pursue further education. I went on to earn a Professional Teacher License and am currently in my third year of a PhD program in early childhood education. My educational journey is far from over.”

The connection between the ECEC and the College of Education was the idea of Professor Emerita Dr. Shirley Morgenthaler, and it continues to this day. “The curriculum framework we use is based off Shirley’s original framework,” says Cathy Gruenwald BA ’88, ECEC

director. “Over the years, the ECEC staff have taken her framework and expanded it as the basis of our emergent and project-based curriculum.”

Teacher Kim Keane BA ’11 explains that the Early Childhood Education Center has multiple layers of learning built into it: the children, the lab students and the teachers. “The ECEC has a significant impact on the learning and growth of every person involved, from the infants all the way up to the administration,” she says.

Through the hardships of the COVID-19 pandemic, it became even more apparent how valued the ECEC is by the local community. After temporarily closing in March in observance of Illinois pandemic regulations, the ECEC reopened in June with a lower capacity, amended operations and strict safety measures in place. “Over these past several months I have been struck repeatedly by how blessed I am to be part of this community.

Everyone has approached the work that we do with such grace, compassion and commitment,” Keane says. “The teachers have worked hard to provide safe and positive environments for their students.

The administration advocated for us.

While we were closed, the families even got together to fundraise in our support.

God is so good!”

“The ECEC has been an invaluable asset to Concordia-Chicago and the community for the last 45 years,” says Ryndak-Mazur. “I am confident we will continue to share the Christian faith with others while also providing the best early childhood environment and experiences for many years to come.”

Learn more about the Early Childhood Education Center at CUChicago.edu/ECEC and to read the full edition of the recent Forester magazine visit CUChicago.edu/ Forester.

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Community of Caring

It Takes A Village To Create A Happy Holiday Season at Hephzibah

hen asked what he wanted for Christmas this year, Hephzibah’s newest resident 6-year-old Nate replied, “I don’t believe in Santa Claus. Last year, I asked for love and I didn’t get it.”

This year, the holidays will be different for Nate and all the children in Hephzibah’s care, because love is abundant, and our generous supporters help ensure that it is a holiday season filled with excitement and joy.

It takes months of work and an entire community of elves to bring holiday cheer to the hundreds of children and families in Hephzibah’s care. And, while the pandemic has forced the cancellation of the many traditional celebrations and events, the holidays will still be joyous and

Oak Park Mutual Aid Oak Park Mutual Aid (OPMA) is a coalition of neighbors dedicated to directly caring for one another and those around us in greatest need. We provide direct community support including food, clothing and limited financial assistance. Our website and volunteer responders also share a collection of resources that can help support those living in Oak Park and the surrounding area during this difficult time. To date, we have raised more than $47,000 in donations and assisted hundreds of area residents.

As the situation will remain difficult for the foreseeable future, we need your help through donations and volunteering! https://oakparkmutualaid.com/

fun-filled this year.

Thanks to generous foundation, corporate and individual donors, and imaginative Hephzibah staff, this year children living at Hephzibah Home will enjoy festive light displays in the neighborhood, special holiday meals, and open gifts purchased specially for them from a personal wish list.

The hundreds of children and families in Hephzibah’s foster care program and receiving services through our Intact Family program, will receive gifts, gift cards and holiday meals all provided by donors to Hephzibah and from several corporate partners and their supporters.

“There is still much to celebrate this season,” says Juliet Yera, director

One Earth Film Festival By taking care of each other, we take care of ourselves. That’s the lesson that the COVID19 pandemic and the growing social & environmental justice movements are teaching us. And that’s the Power of We! The One Earth Film Festival continues to grow and expand our circle of engagement. Save the date for our exciting 10th anniversary One Earth Film Fest, March 5-14, 2021. The Festival was born in Oak Park, and this year, we will be screening virtually to a national audience. Join us for quality films, engaging discussion, meaningful action opportunities and community-building.

Memberships start at $25 ($15 for students / seniors).

For more information and to donate, visit oneearthfilmfest.org/give.

of development. “Though 2020 has been an especially challenging, difficult year for our children and families, we are so fortunate to have a generous community embracing the

spirit of the season.”

Visit the Hephzibah Wish List at hephzibahhome.org/donate/holidaywish-list/ to help make a child’s holiday dream come true.

Opportunity Knocks Opportunity Knocks is dedicated to enriching life and community for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) as they live, work, learn, grow and connect within their community. We use a dynamic, person-centered and community-based approach to programming that serves to engage the voice of our participants, foster interdependent connections, encourage exploration, promote holistic wellness and healthy relationships.

We are 95% privately funded so your support is more important than ever this year in keeping our mission moving forward. To join us in creating a more dynamic and inclusive community for all, visit opportunityknocksnow.org, 8020 Madison Street, River Forest, IL 60305.

The Parks Foundation of Oak Park

The Joyful Giving Catalog

The Parks Foundation of Oak Park promotes giving opportunities to support initiatives for the Park District. Our mission is to collaborate with residents, community groups and partner organizations to support exceptional projects that enhance and enrich our parks and community life.

We believe a commitment to equity and diversity is what makes our community strong.

Our fundraising efforts enhance scholarship funding to make it possible for all community members to participate in Park District programs. Last year over 200 scholarships were provided to enable individuals and families to

participate in park district programs.

To learn more, and make a donation, visit parksfoundationop.org

PING! Providing equitable access to instrumental music for students in grades 4 through 12 in Oak Park and River Forest public schools has been the mission of PING! (Providing Instruments for the Next Generation) for more than 20 years. PING! loans band and orchestra instruments to students in need, and provides music enrichment through workshops; mentoring; and scholarships for summer music camps, school music trips, and private instruction. In this challenging year of COVID, PING! is adapting these enrichment programs to fit the needs of our students learning at home. Community support for our PING! students this year is more important than ever.

For more information, or to make a donation, please visit our new website at pingoprf.org. If you have an instrument to donate, send us an email at pingoprf@gmail. com.

Pro Bono Network We believe access to justice should not depend upon your ability to afford an attorney.

There are simply not enough legal aid lawyers to help people in dire need of civil legal aid.

These include issues of safety from an abuser, adequate housing, critical care documents, and more. Pro Bono Network has enabled 400+ attorneys to give more than 24,000 hours of free legal assistance to over 4,300 clients

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The Joyful Giving Catalog whose lives were meaningfully changed.

To get involved or donate, visit pro-bononetwork.org. Your support will make an impact the lives of many!

River Forest Public Library Foundation

Proviso Partners for Health

Young students in The Day Nursery playground.

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The Day Nursery Difference

t the heart of The Day Nursery’s mission is the belief that all children have the right to a quality early childhood education regardless of their ability to pay.

COVID-19 has resulted in an unemployment rate not seen since the Great Depression. Many who still have jobs have seen their hours cut. That recently happened to a Day Nursery family who had been in attendance for almost two years. The parents experienced a reduction of hours as well as required furlough days. They asked The Day Nursery if they could somehow reduce their child’s attendance temporarily to make ends meet during this challenging time.

At The Day Nursery, we understand that for children, consistency and continuity are vitally important, especially in early childhood. So, The Day Nursery worked with the parents, recalculating their new income, and was able to provide them with a reasonable fee level, that

considered their new circumstances.

Utilizing our internal financial assistance, The Day Nursery could give the family an opportunity for their child to continue to attend the program 5 days a week, providing the child the consistency needed to thrive and the parents some piece of mind.

Everyone - The Day Nursery, the child, and the parents – were thrilled to create a solution that worked for all. That’s The Day Nursery Difference.

Thanks to our generous donors whose gifts can provide support to families when they may need it the most and ensure that we can continue our mission to provide exceptional early childhood education in an environment that welcomes all children, enhances individual strengths, and fosters the academic, social-emotional, and physical development that leads to school readiness.

To learn more about us and to donate, visit www.thedaynursery.org

Proviso Partners for Health (PP4H) is a community-led coalition to advance racial and economic pathways toward justice, community health, and well-being. COVID-19 disproportionately affects people of color and highlights the unmet mental health needs that Black/African American and Latinx residents have experienced for generations. In response, PP4H launched True You, a virtual series that gives voice to the historical and current racial trauma and promotes racial healing. The series recognizes the power and strength of self-discovery through peer support among people of color.

Support our vision and expansion of this work by donating and visiting www. provisopartners.com/

Race Conscious Dialogues RACE CONSCIOUS DIALOGUES The Race Conscious Dialogues are designed for people who are white to deepen their awareness of identity, power and privilege, then develop tools for anti-racism work.

The foundational workshop series consists of 4 sessions, 3 hours each, with light readings to be done in preparation. This volunteer-based nonprofit was intentionally created for our community of Oak Park and surrounding areas. All discussions, readings and activities are framed around unpacking and understanding Whiteness - our own racial identities, the historical and current harm being caused by Whiteness, and guided discovery of how we show up and work collectively to eradicate racism.

River Forest Public Library connects our community with information and entertainment, with each other and the world.

RFPL Foundation works to enhance the Library today and for the future through fundraising and advocacy. The Foundation fully funded major updates in the Children’s Room in 2019.

We have provided support for the Lobby/ Circulation renovation, Summer and Adult Reading Programs, special programming, and the Anne Smedinghoff Memorial Garden.

Help ensure a strong community and a bright future for River Forest Public Library with your gift. We gratefully accept cash, credit/debit, securities and bequests. Visit RFPLFoundation.org/donate.

SisterHouse Founded in 1982 by the School Sisters of Notre Dame, SisterHouse educates and empowers women to lead sober and fulfilling lives by providing a safe and structured spiritual living community. Each successful and resilient woman is reaching towards her full potential by growing in self-awareness, self-respect and forgiveness, learning to embrace self and others, while building healthy relationships. She learns not only how to maintain sobriety, internalizing the 12 steps and building a support system, but also how to thrive in life. Each SisterHouse woman secures quality employment and stable housing. She makes plans for her future and acquires the skills, knowledge, and abilities to realize her dreams.

For more information or to donate go to sisterhousechicago.org.

We invite your participation! Donations are appreciated as well www. raceconsciousdialogues.org/donate

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December 23, 2020

OAKPARK.COM | FORESTPARKREVIEW.COM

Community of Caring

The Joyful Giving Catalog

F

Equitable Access in Instrumental Music

or one Oak Park middle schooler, playing the double bass for the first time in 4th grade – an instrument taller than he was at the time – became more than just adding music to his life. It increased Braden’s confidence, his fine motor skills and helps him be a more well-rounded student, according to his mom, Jennifer.

something new.

PING! (Providing Instruments for the Next Generation) not only provides Braden, and other peers who need assistance, with their instruments, but other opportunities to these young musicians in Oak Park and River Forest public schools, such as pairing mentors from OPRF High School with PING! students in grades 5 through 8.

“He started expressing interest in music very early on,” she said. “I think if we waited until we were at a place where we could afford all the extra things with music, we would have missed that window in supporting him in his interests. We’re really grateful we didn’t have to forego that very long because of all the resources that PING! has provided.”

Braden began meeting his mentor virtually this fall as PING! has adapted to keep students safe and engaged.

In their first session, Braden learned

St. Angela School St. Angela School has walked with the families of Chicago’s west side for one hundred years— walked with a deep commitment to enriching the lives, and the futures, of their children. We have a rich and varied history – and a future of great promise. We provide our children with a safe and loving environment and challenging academics; we help them explore paths that lead to meaningful and rewarding careers; and we teach them, above all, to believe in themselves. As we prepare for our next hundred years, we’re proud to reaffirm our commitment to love and serve all those who choose to be part of our community.

Learn more about St. Angela School at saintangela.org or call us at (773) 6262655

“He taught me some holding positions of the double bass and some tips to play better,” Braden said.

After he made those adjustments, Braden said, “It sounds way better than I used to play.”

Jennifer believes it would have been a missed opportunity for Braden if not for PING!.

Learn more/donate: pingoprf.org/ donate.

Sweet Rest If you are curious about how to shift to an anti-racism, anti-white supremacist way of being, while considering what a world that accepts and supports Black women broadly and widely looks like, we invite you to join our community. The Sweet Rest subscription is designed as a set of 12 monthly emails that build on each other and invite the reader on a journey. The content is geared toward a white audience ready to change from within. The coaching emails, complete with monthly action items that compel readers to act without further traumatizing people of color, will deepen the justice walk of white people without further burdening the lives of people of color. Your monthly subscription dollars are used to create rest opportunities for Black women.

This is the kind of restorative framework that we hope will move us toward a more equitable way of being.

To learn more or to subscribe please visit www. sweetrest.net

Braden and his bass.

UCP Seguin of Greater Chicago UCP Seguin believes that all people, regardless of ability, deserve to achieve their potential, advance their independence and act as full members of the community. So we stop at nothing to provide life skills training, assistive technology, meaningful employment and a place to call home for people with disabilities, as well as specialized foster care for children. Our goal: life without limits for people with disabilities.

Make a difference in the lives of people with disabilities. Donate online at ucpseguin. org or send gifts to UCP Seguin, 332 Harrison Street, Oak Park IL 60304

West Suburban Special Recreation Association West Suburban Special Recreation Association provides recreational programming for individuals with disabilities who reside in Oak Park, River Forest & nine other surrounding communities.

Join us for our Virtual Celebration Benefiting the Stars of WSSRA. Auction opens 9:00am November 30. View Auction Items or make a donation at https://one.bidpal.net/ wssrastars2020

Youth Outreach Services Youth Outreach Services supports youth ages 12 to 21 and their families, by providing free programs that offer skill development, therapeutic interventions, and mentorship to improve their safety and well-being. Through the past 60 years, YOS has offered outpatient, community-based behavioral health and substance abuse treatment, after school mentoring and outreach, family therapy, crisis intervention services, case management, foster care, transitional living and housing services, in-school prevention curricula, and juvenile justice programs.

Help youth flourish by donating at www.yos. org/donate or text @YOSCARES to 52014.

Or help empower youth to reach their goals, by calling 773-777-7112 to refer them for services.