Neighborhood House Happenings
January - March 2023
A LASTING LEGACY
It is with a heavy heart that we share the news that our longtime supporter, board member and fellow community advocate, Judy Oakford, has passed away.
It is impossible to put into words the full extent of Judy’s impact on the Peoria community. A true trailblazer, she shepherded our community’s volunteerism by her example and involvement in Neighborhood House and countless other local organizations. Her wide influence established roots that connect us all to ensure we are all working towards a common goal of community support.
Here at Neighborhood House, she will leave a void that could never be filled. Her tireless passion for supporting those in need cannot be matched, nor can her grace in her pursuit of resources. We will forever be grateful for her involvement and support of Neighborhood House and our community
Judy’s family graciously allowed Neighborhood House to be the beneficiaries of her memorial contributions The outpouring of support we have received in Judy's name has been simply incredible and speaks volumes to the number of individuals Judy impacted throughout her amazing life
We are beyond grateful for this support and are simply in awe of how even posthumously Judy is continuing to make such a huge impact for Neighborhood House and our community.
We will honor her memory through our continued focus on mission driven community support
Since the 1970s, Neighborhood House has been delivering daily meals to homebound senior citizens through our Meals on Wheels program More than just a meal, the daily wellness checks and personal relationships our drivers create with our clients is just as important as the meals themselves Since our last report, we've added 80 new clients to our route and delivered shelf stable meals to ensure everyone has food if Illinois winter weather was to prevent us from delivering their daily meal. In coalition with our Meals on Wheels program, we also offer Sunday meals and a twice monthly food pantry. Your contributions are instrumental in continuing these services for our community. One box in our food pantry costs $100 and a whole month of meals for a senior in our Meals on Wheels program costs $110 Your donations helps us provide these services for over 1,100 people
Educate
Neighborhood House continues to educate both youth and adult students. We currently offer FREE courses for adults to advance their literacy and prepare for a GED test. We also provide after school and summer programs for youth where they are provided one on one tutoring and a daily hot meal.
On average, one adult learner's GED classes cost about $120 and our monthly lunch & learn sessions costs about $100 for each student. You can help us provide this crucial service for our community by donating or volunteering to tutor
FREE Adult Education Services 15-20 Children
www.nhpeoria.org
Feed
Attend Daily
Over 1,100 Seniors Fed Over 100 Pets Fed
Empower
We are proud to report we've had our first GED graduate! All of their hard work in our classes paid off for a truly empowering achievement. Another student in our youth program saw their reading level increase by 2 grade levels in less than 6 months! Each day we see more of this student's personality shining brighter and their confidence grows as they feel more positive and assured of their skills.
This is why we do what do here at Neighborhood House! Your continued support enables us to support more students, children, and families in reaching real empowerment
Holiday Recap
28 Adult Learners
The holiday season was a great success as 200 families received sponsorship through our Angel Tree program and a total of 1,000 gifts were distributed to local senior citizens, through Santa for Seniors. Each program bringing joy and cheer to the community This act of kindness and generosity helped spread holiday spirit and brought smiles to the faces of those in need.
The outpouring of support from volunteers and donors made it possible to make a positive impact on so many lives. Thank you! The holiday season was a true testament to the power of giving and coming together to make a difference.
www.nhpeoria.org
FIRST
Serving
GED Graduate!
200 Angel Tree Families
1,000 Santa for Senior Gifts
NeighborhoodHouse
1020SMatthewSt.
Peoria,IL61605
www.nhpeoria.org
PUTTING THE FUN BACK IN FUNDRAISING
FOOD FIGHT 2023
What a night! Thank you to everyone who attended, donated and participated in our 9th Annual Food Fight. Special thanks to all 10 of our competing chefs for helping us make an impact for so many!
Congratulations to our winners!
1st Place - Golda Ewalt
OSF Saint Francis Medical Center
2nd Place - James Hubbartt
Childers Eatery & Catering
3rd Place - Jon Scrivner
Par-A-Dice Hotel & Casino
People's Choice - Amanda Pyle
The Cookery Inc
RAGBRAI 2023
In 2023, RAGBRAI will be celebrating 50 years of cycling across Iowa! Our team is excited to once again participate, July 22-29, 2023, and fundraise for our meal prgrams If you are interested in learning more about this event or joining our team, please contact Amanda Rassi, amandar@hpeoria.org, 309-674-1131 ext. 246.
Can't ride 500 miles across Iowa? We understand, stay tuned for a new local component You can also support our riders and our programs without pedaling, scan the code above or visit www.nhpeoria.org.
