Always Home

AN IRREPLACEABLE RESOURCE FOR AN EXTRAORDINARY COMMUNITY

The Community House is an irreplaceable resource for an extraordinary community.

For more than 100 years, this vital organization has been a home for families to come together to celebrate, perform, create, learn, exercise, and make connections that last a lifetime.

The North Shore families who founded the Community House believed that it was a place where their children and grandchildren, and even their great-grandchildren, would continue to value and engage in community life just as they did.

And they were right.

AN INDEPENDENT NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION

An independent non-profit organization with a three-and-a-half-acre campus and a 103,000 square foot facility, the Community House is not supported by tax dollars, but, rather, by the very people who value its presence.

Today, as in the past, visionary residents must come together to help the Community House grow into its next exciting incarnation. By working together, we will strengthen this very special non-profit organization, expand its programs and services, and ensure that it remains the heart of the community for years to come.

CONTINUING TO ENGAGE AND INSPIRE FUTURE GENERATIONS

ALWAYS HOME CAMPAIGN: honoring the past and looking to the future

The ALWAYS HOME Campaign provides critical resources for renovations to the most cherished spaces in the Legacy Building - the oldest and most storied part of the campus dating back to 1911.

If we are to build on our legacy of continuously evolving and innovating to meet changing community needs and interests, we must invest in our beautiful, historic building - our home - to ensure we are ready to engage and inspire future generations.

OUR THEATER IS THE CENTERPIECE OF THE CAMPAIGN

The Historic Theater

The historic theater, the main performance and event space in the Community House, is the centerpiece of the project.

This crown jewel will sparkle again with updated flooring, flexible seating, a modernized sound and lighting booth, streamlined stage access, an updated green room, an energy-efficient HVAC system, and new electrical systems, safety elements, and accessibility features.

The restored theater will be a highly visible space for Children’s Theatre of Winnetka, Village Follies, Skyline Children's Theatre, dance recitals, and special events, and will allow the Community House to expand its performing arts offerings to the community.

TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY FOR THIS CENTURY & BEYOND

The Pine Street Entrance

This iconic, beautiful, reimagined, and fully ADA-compliant Pine Street Entrance announces the building and features a weather-protective portico.

The Theater Gallery

This expanded, generous, and attractive Theater Gallery provides a comfortable space for informal gatherings before and after the show, during intermission, while children are in class, or any time.

MAINTAINING A LASTING LEGACY

Other project highlights include:

The Legacy Room – a renovated main room for special events, programs, parties, classes, and meetings

An updated, efficient kitchen for cooking classes, weddings, special events, theater receptions, and everyday use

New windows throughout the Legacy Building, new signage and wayfinding, a modernized elevator

ADA-compliant accessibility – all leading to an improved user experience for everyone

Modernized restrooms on both floors

The project is designed by Sheehan Nagel Hartray, the noted Chicago-based architecture firm renowned for their work, including Winnetka’s Christ Church and the award-winning Oak Park Public Library. The result will be a stunning showpiece that serves the community for the 21st century and beyond.

Backstage (Green Room Below)

Fireplace

Stairs Vestibule

Vestibule Ramp

THE IMPACT: FULFILLING OUR PROMISE

These momentous updates to the Community House are key to fulfilling our promise to inspire lifelong learning and personal growth - and to strengthen community through opportunities for engagement - now, and for generations to come.

The capital project furthers the Community House’s strategic plan by:

• Creating 21st century, modernized spaces for increased usability by young people and adults through renovations, ADA accessibility, and proper HVAC conditions

• Establishing a more functional and flexible space for performances, classes, programs, and celebrations such as birthdays, weddings, and special occasions

• Providing the best possible home for some of the area’s important non-profit organizations

• Driving a robust rental program that brings additional activities and events to the local community – and contributes to the long-term sustainability of the Community House

• Properly caring for the Community House, which helps to retain the unique character of Winnetka and ensures that the North Shore remains an exceptionally desirable place to live

IT IS OUR TURN TO GIVE BACK TO THIS LEGENDARY BUILDING

ALWAYS HOME CAMPAIGN: realizing the vision for the Community House

We are proud of the Community House and the historic place it holds in the Village of Winnetka and the entire North Shore. It has nurtured and cared for generations of families, and now it is our turn to give this legendary building the care it deserves for the next century and beyond.

We invite you to support the Community House by confidently and generously investing in the ALWAYS HOME Campaign, above and beyond annual support, at the most inspired level possible. Together, we can protect this unique and important asset for current and future generations, allowing them to benefit from all the Community House has to offer, and to continue calling it home.