West Side
House Bill 2929 could create
pilot site
for wraparound ser super vised drug use on West Side
By JESSICA MORD Staff Reporter
Residents living on Chicago’ Side are advocating for a pilot prevention center, where people can go to access wraparound resources that ha successfully reduced overdose deaths in other states and use drugs under supervision of trained professionals who can intervene to prevent fatalities
State Rep. La Shawn Ford Democratic candidate to succeed Cong. Danny Davis come November — is sponsoring House Bill 2929, which would authorize a state-sanctioned overdose prevention center in Illinois. He held a May 11 press conference at Rush University Medical Center on the Near West Side with local public health organizations and Brown University researchers to discuss the effectiveness of such centers.
Le to Right: Fanya Buford-Berry, director of the West Side Heroin/Opioid Task Force; Abdullah Shihipar and Alexandria Macmadu from Brow n Universit y; Dr. Tanya Sor rell; Rep. La Shawn Ford; and Synque Adams, member of the West Side Heroin/Opioid Task Force
“Most people would say, ‘There’s no way I would support people going on the street, buying drugs, coming in and using.’ But when you go to [a] site, it’s a place that is respectable. People are there talking to people that they trust, and people talk about the transition that they made from using street drugs to using medication to live a normal life,” Ford said during the press conference.
“We often say that, if we could find a cure for something, we would do it. But here’s a cure right here to help our communities.”
A co ee culture rows on the West Side
How nonpro ts and eneurs are building an independent co ee scene that e than just co ee and food
By IGOR STUDENKOV Contributing Reporter
The West Side coffee shop scene has been er the past 10 years.
were founded by entrepreneurs –some local, some from further out in Chicago –who wanted to create places where the community could gather over a beverage. Some were part of small, Chicago-based chains and tied into larger development ef forts. Some came from nonprofit organizations as part of their larger mission to better the community. This growth came at the time when corporate coffee chains largely avoided the West Side. Starbucks opened two stores in Galewood before it opened a North Austin location at 4925 W. North Ave. in June 2023.
West Siders have told Austin Weekly News
COFFEE CULTURE on pa ge 4
JESSICA MOR DACQ
West Side Farmers Markets launch in June for season
Head to markets in Austin, North Lawndale and Gar eld Park for fresh produce, baked goods and artisan wares
By MICHAEL LIPTROT Contributing Reporter
Far mers market season is almost in full swing.
On the West Side, you can shop produce, locally made goods and more markets in Austin, North Lawndale and Garfield Park throughout the summer. Here’s more information on each weekly market.
Austin
The Austin Town Hall Far is 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. every Thursd shine, from June through October outside the building at 5610 W. Lake St.
The market features food and artisan vendors, plus community resource market, sponsored by Austin Coming gether, is on Lake Street between Avenue and Central Avenue, in front of the Austin Town Hall building.
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The market’s objective is to “create access to fresh produce, support the local economy by purchasing from food artisans and other businesses,” according to its website.
Vendors for this year’s season have not been announced yet. Last year’s vendors included Forty Acres Fresh Market, Soul Kitchen Chicago and Sweet Comfort Creations
To apply to be a vendor, visit the market’s website or email austintownhall.citymarket@gmail.com.
Nor th Lawndale
The North Lawndale Community Farmers Market kicks of f June 13 and runs from noon to 4 p.m. every Saturday through Oct.
31 at Bible Way Apost Faith Church, 1807 S. Kostner Ave.
The market is hosted by Community First Foundation, a Christian organization dedicated to tackling chronic health conditions affecting communities of color. Vendors for this year have not been announced. For more information, visit the organization’s website.
Gar eld Park
The Garfield Park Neighborhood Market is launching its summer season on June 13 and has markets every second and fourth Saturday of each month from June to Octo-
ber. The market is operated by the Garfield Park Community Council.
All markets take place at the Hatchery at 135 N. Kedzie Ave., with the outdoor market happening on the Hatchery Plaza, according to the council’s website.
Vendors sell “value-added products,” including okra and relish, and members of The Hatchery, a food incubator, also sell baked goods; healthy, hypo-allergenic bath and body products; and innovative foods, according to the market.
Vendors for the outdoor season have not been announced yet. To apply, visit the market’s website.
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FACEBOOK/AUSTIN TOWN HALL FARMERS MARKET An Austin Town Hall Farmers Market visitor weighs produce at a stand.
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COFFEE
over the years that to them a coffee shop isn’t about coffee or food. In communities without many public spaces, they were the welcome “third spaces” where people could casually hang out, and where groups could hold meetings. The nonprofits and entrepreneurs who opened coffee shops cited that as a major reason why they wanted to open a coffee shop.
It hasn’t always been smooth sailing. Some coffee shops closed, and some never got of f the ground, for one reason or another. But the overall trend is still growth, and it shows no sign of stopping, This April, Unison coffee opened inside BandWith performing arts center in East Garfield Park, at 134 S. Califo rnia Ave.
Nonpro t missions and for-pro t visions
Among the current West Side coffee shops, none has lasted as long as Green Tomato Cafe. It opened inside Lawndale Christian Health Center, 3750 W. Ogden Ave. in 2012. The Lawndale Christian Development Corp., a faith-based organization that seeks to improve housing, health and other facets of the community life, saw the cafe as a place where residents could eat healthy, gather and get connected to resources. Green Tomato sources some of its ing redients from the nearby Farm on Ogden and BeeLove honey and skincare products, and it gets its coffee from Bridgeport Coffee roasters. There is plenty of seating, complete with an outdoor patio during the summer, and shelves filled with used books for kids and adults
Semaphore Cafe has smaller tables where customers can sit w ith their laptops, and larger tables where groups can gather. Owner Rick Weber said he wants Semaphore Cafe to be a place where customers can gather.
Speaking of Beelove, the cafe was the brainchild of the North Lawndale Employment Network. In 2004, the group launched a honey production subsidiary called Sweet Beginnings to provide job opportunities for returning citizens who struggle to find work. In 2018, the nonprofit acquired the old Liberty Bank building at 111 S. Homan Ave. to consolidate its operations, while also providing a space for a Wintrust bank branch and a coffee shop
T he name “Beelove Cafe” came from the honey brand Sweet Beginnings has been using
While the new building was originally slated to open in the summer of 2020, the pandemic delayed those plans, pushing the reopening to February 2021.
Beelove Cafe takes up most of the west section of the building. While there is a separate Homan Avenue entrance, it’s easy for customers to access other parts
of the building. T he organization made no bones about the fact that they hope that customers who might need their services or know someone who might need the services would use the visit as an oppor tunity to learn more.
But nonprofits were not the only entities opening coffee shops. Rev. Robbie Wilkerson and his daughter, Destiny Wilkerson, were not the first West Siders to try to open a coffee shop in the past 10
IGOR STUDENKOV
years (more on that in a bit); but they were the first to cross the finish line. What was originally known as Urban Essentials Coffee Cafe opened in the summer of 2023 in Austin, at 5300 W. Chicago Ave., only a few blocks from their home. T he cafe, which has since pivoted to the “Spill the Beans” name, emphasized inspiring youth and supporting local entrepreneurs, while also offering space for open mics and other events.
In 2017, the elder Wilkerson was convicted of wire fraud and money laundering for embezzling more than $100,000 from the federal summer free school lunch progr am for low-income f amilies His church, New Birth Christian Center distributed the meals, with Illinois State Board of Education using federal funds to reimburse it. Wilkerson served three years in prison, and his record has been clean ever since.
T he West Side has attracted Black entrepreneurs from elsewhere in Chicago. South Siders Amanda Harth of Pullman and Felton Kizer of Hyde Park launched Monday Coffee in October 2020. In November 2021, it got a contract to operate concessions at Garfield Park Conservatory. T he ar rangement lasted until the spring of 2023.
During that time, Harth learned about Starling Community Center, the Duo Development fir m’s project to tur n a for mer laundromat at 3243 W. 16th St. into a community center with a coffee shop and a free library. Monday Coffee became a ten-
ant, opening its new, full-fledged location in early November 2024.
T he last few months saw more entrepreneurs entering the West Side coffee scene. Late last year, Andrew and Hannah Follett, who moved to Austin from Oak Park four years ago, opened the New Sound Cafe at the for mer gospel records store at 5958 W. Lake St. And, in early January Ryan Weber, an East Garfield Park resident since 2024, opened Semaphore Café in the neighborhood at 3458 W. Lake St. New Sound takes cues from the past, while Semaphore notably aims for a more high-end experience than many older shops.
A small chain expands and contrac ts
The Black-owned Momentum Coffee opened its first location in the South Loop. While the pandemic delayed its opening, the shop proved to be popular when it did open, and the burgeoning chain started to expand.
In February 2023, they opened a location at North Lawndale’s Ogden Commons, a mixed-use development at 2644 W. Ogden Ave. that includes Sinai Health System’s One Lawndale Community Care and Surgery Center, a Wintrust Bank branch, La Catedral Cafe & Restaurant breakfast spot and housing. The Austin location opened a few months later at Broader Urban Involvement and Leadership Development (BUILD) Chicago headquarters, 5100 W. Harrison St. In early 2024, they opened a pop-up at the Garfield Park Conservatory. Momentum Coffee owners Nikki Bravo and Tracy Powell tried to give each location a unique theme. The North Lawndale location features a mural depicting prominent Black actors and musicians – a nod to Cinespace Chicago Film Studios a few blocks south. The Austin location’s theme is Black history.
While all those openings were positively received, the chain couldn’t sustain that momentum. The North Lawndale location closed sometime in winter 2025. Elsewhere, the chain’s Englewood location closed later that year, and the flagship South Loop store moved a few blocks north earlier this spring – something that Bravo and Powell publicly acknowledged was largely driven by rising rents and other expenses.
West Side co ee shops
Beelove Cafe
PROVIDED
Felton Kizer and Amanda Christine Harth are the cofounders of Monday Co ee.
New Sound ow ners Hannah and Andrew Follett.
West Suburban hospital owners in court again as nal hearing nears
Order for third party nancial review will keep case from dragging on for months, judge said
By BRENDAN HEFFERNAN and JESSICA MORDACQ Staff Reporters
Counsel for the business-partnersturned-legal-foes at the heart ofthe West Suburban Medical Center closure were in court again Monday morning as a third party continues its review of contested financial record s.
T he hearing comes after Resilience Healthcare CEO Manoj Prasad and hospital landlord Rathnakar Reddy Patlola filed lawsuits against each other last month, with Patlola seeking a judge’s order that could start the process of reopening West Suburban under new management.
Cook County Judge Patrick Stanton heard new alle gations ofextensive per-
sonal use on company credit cards by each party in a brief status hearing in the case Monday morning at the Richard J. Daley Center. The parties agreed last week to have recently retired Judge Patrick Sherlock oversee years of records related to several bank accounts central to the most-serious allegations offinancial wrongdoing that Patlola has made against Prasad
Judge Stanton said the ag reement likely expedited the proceedings by several months.
“This normally would take three months, but we got this done in one week,” Stanton said.
T he case will return to court on Wednesday, when Judge Stanton plans to set a final hearing date for the case
Neither ofthe business partners was
present in the courtroom Monday, with Prasad attending the hearing via Zoom.
At the May 18 status hearing, the parties also disputed the status ofa $10 million loan Resilience received last May that was re por tedly transfer red to Westlaw Management Group — a bank account Patlola alle g es only Prasad had access to — instead ofbeing used for hospital operations. Prasad’s lawyer said the money has been accounted fo r.
“We vehemently deny that,” Patlola’s lawyer said, adding that he’s still looking for more information and documentation of where the $10 million went.
In April, Patlola filed a suit against Prasad for seven counts of breach of contract, seeking to recover over $24 million in unpaid rent and fees for Resilience-
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owned buildings. Prasad’s suit claims that Patlola tried to ille g ally evict him last month.
On Tuesday at the Daley Center, there will be a hearing between Patlola and Pipeline Health, the for mer owner of West Suburban and its sister hospital, Weiss Memorial Hospital in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood. The lawsuit stems from millions of dollars disputed in the 2022 sale of the hospitals West Suburban Medical Center closed its doors March 27, citing a y ear-long failure in the hospital’s electronic medical record billing system that resulted in as much as 90% of its work going unbilled About two weeks later, some patient care services resumed at West Sub’s Oak Park campus, according to Prasad
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25th Police District Council seeks to ll vacancy
Appointee will serve out remainder of Saul Arellano’s term
By IGOR STUDENKOV Contributing Reporter
Austinites living north of Division Street and other re gistered voters within the 25th Police District have until this T hursday, May 21 to apply to fill the vacancy on the 25th Police District Council.
As part of the 2021 police accountability refo rm packag e, each of Chicago’s 22 police district got three-member elected District Councils to work toward improving public safety, recommend policies and help nominate commissioners to the city-wide Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability. The first election was held in 2023.
District councilor Angelica Green told Austin Weekly News that the vacancy was created in April when councilor Saul Arellano resigned
A candidate must be a re gistered voter in the 25th Police District, and they
must have lived in the district for at least 12 months. T hey aren’t eligible if they worked for or served on Chicago Police Department, Civilian Office of Police Accountability or the Police Review Board. As with any elected office in Illinois, they can’t owe the City of Chicago any money, and they can’t have felony convictions.
Candidates must submit an online application at https:// bit.ly/25DC Va c anc y. They must also submit a resume and a letter of support to the district council email, at DC25@cityofchicago.org
The council holds monthly community meetings to get resident input on safety
issues and those meetings often include workshops and presentations on public safety topics. The district councils can propose CPD policies to CCPSA, and it can push for public hearings – a power that the majority of district councilors used late last year to force CCPSA to hold a public hearing on the alleged collaboration between CPD and federal immigration enforcement agencies. Councilors get a $500 monthly stipend.
Green and current council chair Jacob Arena will review the applications, interview the finalists and select a candidate CCPSA must confir m the selection, bu t that ste p is usually a for mality.
T he 25th police district is the largest police district that f alls within the West Side, and it is by far the most demo graphically diverse. It f alls between Belmont Avenue, Central Park Avenue, Division Street and the city border. Galewood, North Austin and West Humboldt Park only account for about a third of the district. It also encompasses all of Montclare, BelmontCragin and Hermosa community areas, about a fourth of Lo g an Square and small portions of Avondale and Dunning
Five candidates ran for 25th district council in 2023. Green got the most votes, Arellano came in second, Arena coming in third.
Whoever is selected to re place Arello will serve out the remainder of his term, which will expire in June 2027. T he next election will be held at the same time as the 2027 city council and mayor elections, and there is nothing stopping any re placement for a seat.
OVERDOSE PREVENTION
Program
shows success from page 1
In 2023, nearly 1,600 people died from an opioid overdoses in Cook County. cording to the Chicago Health Atlas of those overdoses occurred in Austin, the highest number of any Chicago neighbo hood.
“We need to make a difference in stoppin that,” said Dr. Tanya Sorrell at the press conference. She’s an associate professor of psychiatry at Rush and chair of the Illinoi Harm Reduction and Recovery Coalition. She said an overdose prevention center would decrease loss of life, allowing people “to gain those needed social services, health care services and emotional support services that, sadly, are not there, and that are lacking in our systems.”
Dr. Deondre Rutues is an Austin resident who leads weekly Courageous Conv tions with the West Side Heroin/Opioid Task Force, where men who are using drugs or in recovery can talk to each other. He said that, out of five Courageous Conversation cohorts of 150 men, about 30 have graduated. Those men say they need ongoing communitybased discussion spaces, more education on the current drug supply presence and trends, transparency around overdose hotspots, regulated dispensing models, and more visibility and access to har m reduction resources.
chez said. “While we have recently seen a 40% decline in fatal overdoses citywide, the crisis remains a public health emergency. The West Side continues to bear the heaviest burden, particularly among our Black and Brown residents, who die at twice the rate of others. We cannot just celebrate lower numbers when hundreds of our neighbors are still dying preventable deaths every year
“That is everything that an overdose prevention site is,” Rutues said.
Ald. Rossana Rodriguez-Sanchez of the 33rd Ward also attended the press conference. She’s heading a resolution in City Council in support of opening an overdose prevention center in Chicago. So far, she’s helped get 33 aldermen to approve of House Bill 2929.
“House Bill 2929 simply allows for Illinois to set up the framework and give it to the department to lay out the framework for what overdose prevention site would be,” Ford said. “But we would need the city to answer the call. We’ve passed many bills that sometimes municipalities are not interested in So to be able to say, ‘Not only do we have the City of Chicago in support, they’re on record supporting this, so we need to pass it because they’re asking for it.’”
“We must dispel the myth of inevitable death. Nearly all opioid overdoses are reversible when a trained professional is present with oxygen and naloxone,” Rodriguez-San-
A drop in numbers is a trend. A site on the West Side is a solution.”
An overdose prevention center is a solution that “would bring people closer to us so that we can provide the care that they want and need, until they are able to love themselves and stand on their feet with dignity and respect,” said Fanya Buford-Berry, director of the West Side Heroin/Opioid Task Force, at the press conference.
“This is about moving away from the socalled War on Drugs and toward a culture of care and a public health approach grounded in science, care, connection, harm reduction and recovery,” Ford said.
While Ford has previously introduced legislation to create an overdose prevention site in Chicago, he’s confident it will move forward this year, as House Bill 2929 has more support across the aisle than it previously had.
“Republicans joined on and said that they support this bill, that this is a pro-life bill. We now have made this a bipartisan bill,”
Ford said. He added that, with three or four more Republican votes, the bill could pass the House.
The construction of a potential overdose prevention center in Illinois would be funded by $18 million from the Illinois Opioid Remediation Advisory Board, which manages part of state settlement funds from litigation against opioid manufacturers.
Overdose prevention center successes
Though people can go to an overdose prevention site to use substances they have already obtained, they can also often drop-in without appointment for clinical and health services, case management, Naloxone access and syringe exchanges, showers, washers and dryers, plus referrals or on-site access to substance-use treatment.
“These programs can really provide a wealth of services and support once you get folks in through the door,” said Alexandria Macmadu, a PhD assistant professor in Brown University’s department of epidemiology She joined the press conference to share the college’s research on overdose prevention centers.
Over 200 overdose prevention centers around the world, some up to 30 years old, show data of their successes.
North America’s first medically supervised overdose prevention center opened in
Vancouver, Canada in 2003. Two years after opening, the neighborhood around the center saw 35% less fatal overdoses.
Macmadu shared a 2024 study out of Toronto, Canada that showed that, one year after opening, overdose prevention centers in the city saw a 69% reduction in overdose deaths in a two-thirds-mile radius.
In 2021, OnPoint NYC opened the first two overdose prevention centers in the United States. As of April 2025, there were over 170,000 site visits to those centers and over 1,700 reversed overdoses.
Macmadu shared data that shows how overdose prevention centers that have trained supervisors to monitor drug use and intervene when necessary have significantly higher rates of preventing overdose deaths She also said that neighborhood economic activity and foot traffic around overdose prevention centers is unaffected by their presence, and that these centers reduce 911 calls and arrests involving drugs, allowing first responders to prioritize other emergencies.
Another study out of Vancouver showed that 42% of 600 clients enrolled in some kind of treatment after using overdose prevention centers.
“That’s really a testament to the wraparound services, the relationships and the rapport that you build when people are returning to your program day after day,” Macmadu said.
JESSICA MOR DACQ
State Rep. La Shaw n Ford speaks at his press conference for House Bill 2929 on May 11, 2026.
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REAL ESTATE FOR SALE
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENTCHANCERY DIVISION
U.S. BANK TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE, AS SUCCESSORIN-INTEREST TO U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE FOR RESIDENTIAL ASSET MORTGAGE PRODUCTS, INC., MORTGAGE ASSET-BACKED PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2005-NC1
Plaintiff, -v.RUTH MARTIN A/K/A RUTH TILLMAN MARTIN, UNKNOWN HEIRS AND/OR LEGATEES OF MELVIN MARTIN, DECEASED, MELVIN DM MARTIN, DANIELLE MARTIN, FIRST FRANKLIN FINANCIAL CORPORATION, CITY OF CHICAGO, AN ILLINOIS MUNICIPAL CORPORATION, CONTIMORTGAGE CORPORATION, UTAH MORTGAGE LOAN CORPORATION, CARY ROSENTHAL, AS SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE OF MELVIN MARTIN, DECEASED, UNKNOWN OWNERS & NON-RECORD CLAIMANTS
Defendants 2024 CH 1923 545 N. CENTRAL AVENUE D CHICAGO, IL 60644
NOTICE OF SALE
PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on March 6, 2026, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on June 9, 2026, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker, 1st Floor Suite 35R, Chicago, IL, 60606, sell at public in-person sale to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate: Commonly known as 545 N. CENTRAL AVENUE D, CHICAGO, IL 60644
Property Index No. 16-09-114033-0000
The real estate is improved with a single family residence.
The judgment amount was $82,025.91.
Sale terms: If sold to anyone other than the Plaintiff, 25% down of the highest bid by certified funds at the close of the sale payable to The Judicial Sales Corporation. No third party checks will be accepted. The balance, in certified funds/or wire transfer, is due within twenty-four (24) hours. The subject property is subject to general real estate taxes, special assessments, or special taxes levied against said real estate and is offered for sale without any representation as to quality or quantity of title and without recourse to Plaintiff and in ‘’AS IS’’ condition. The sale is further subject to confirmation by the court. Upon payment in full of the amount bid, the purchaser will receive a Certificate of Sale that will entitle the purchaser to a deed to the real estate after confirmation of the sale. The property will NOT be open for inspection and plaintiff makes no representation as to the condition of the property. Prospective bidders are admonished to check the
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REAL ESTATE FOR SALE
court file to verify all information. If this property is a condominium unit, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale, other than a mortgagee, shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/9(g) (1) and (g)(4). If this property is a condominium unit which is part of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/18.5(g-1).
IF YOU ARE THE MORTGAGOR (HOMEOWNER), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN IN POSSESSION FOR 30 DAYS AFTER ENTRY OF AN ORDER OF POSSESSION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 15-1701(C) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW.
You will need a photo identification issued by a government agency (driver’s license, passport, etc.) in order to gain entry into our building and the foreclosure sale room in Cook County and the same identification for sales held at other county venues where The Judicial Sales Corporation conducts foreclosure sales.
For information, contact The sales clerk, LOGS Legal Group LLP Plaintiff’s Attorneys, 2801 LAKESIDE DRIVE, SUITE 207, Bannockburn, IL, 60015 (847) 291-1717 For information call between the hours of 1pm3pm.. Please refer to file number 24-100713.
THE JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION
One South Wacker Drive, 24th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606-4650 (312) 236-SALE
You can also visit The Judicial Sales Corporation at www.tjsc. com for a 7 day status report of pending sales.
LOGS Legal Group LLP 2801 LAKESIDE DRIVE, SUITE 207 Bannockburn IL, 60015 847-291-1717
E-Mail: ILNotices@logs.com
Attorney File No. 24-100713
Attorney Code. 42168
Case Number: 2024 CH 1923 TJSC#: 46-567
NOTE: Pursuant to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, you are advised that Plaintiff’s attorney is deemed to be a debt collector attempting to collect a debt and any information obtained will be used for that purpose.
Case # 2024 CH 1923 I3286296
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENTCHANCERY DIVISION FREEDOM MORTGAGE CORPORATION
Plaintiff vs. ISRAEL J. WILLIAMS JR AKA
ISRAEL J. WILLIAMS AND UNITED STATES OF AMERICA ACTING BY AND THROUGH THE SECRETARY OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT AND UNKNOWN
REAL ESTATE FOR SALE
OWNERS AND NONÙÄÄÉECORD CLAIMANTS
Defendant 25 CH 12130 CALENDAR NOTICE OF SALE
PUBLIC NOTICE is hereby given that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure entered in the above entitled cause Intercounty Judicial Sales Corporation will on June 22, 2026, at the hour 11:00 a.m., Intercounty’s office, 120 West Madison Street, Suite 718A, Chicago, IL 60602, sell, in person, to the highest bidder for cash, the following described mortgaged real estate:
P.I.N. 16-13-310-033-0000.
Commonly known as 2926 West Polk Street, Chicago, IL 60612.
The real estate is: single family residence. If the subject mortgaged real estate is a unit of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by subsection(g-1) of Section 189.5 of the Condominium Property Act. Sale terms: At sale, the bidder must have 10% (or 25% if so ordered in the Judgment of Foreclosure) down by certified funds, balance within 24 hours, by certified funds. No refunds. The property is sold AS IS subject to all liens or encumbrances. The property will NOT be open for inspection. Prospective bidders are admonished to check the circuit court case record, property tax record and the title record to verify all information before bidding. IF YOU ARE THE MORTGAGOR (HOMEOWNER), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN IN POSSESSION FOR 30 DAYS AFTER THE ENTRY OF AN ORDER OF POSSESSION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 15-1701(c) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW. For information call Sales Department at Plaintiff’s Attorney, Halliday, Watkins and Mann, P.C., 376 East 400 South, Suite 300, Salt Lake City, Utah 84111. (801) 355-2886. IL21280 INTERCOUNTY JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION intercountyjudicialsales.com I3287015
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENTCHANCERY DIVISION EF MORTGAGE LLC, PLAINTIFF, VS. LARRY MCMAHAN, DEFENDANTS.
CASE NO.: 2025CH10105
130 NORTH WALLER AVE, UNIT B CHICAGO, IL 60644 CALENDAR: 59
NOTICE OF SALE
PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on January 21, 2026, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will on June 15, 2026 at 10:30 AM, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker, 1st Floor Suite 35R, Chicago, IL, 60606, sell at public in-person sale to the highest
bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate: Commonly known as 130 NORTH WALLER AVE., UNIT B, CHICAGO, IL 60644
Property Index No. 16-08-415035-0000
The real estate is improved with a townhouse.
The judgment amount was $106,862.77.
Sale terms: If sold to anyone other than the Plaintiff, 100% of the bid amount shall be paid in certified funds immediately by the highest and best bidder at the conclusion of the sale. The certified check must be made payable to The Judicial Sales Corporation. The subject property is subject to general real estate taxes, special assessments, or special taxes levied against said real estate and is offered for sale without any representation as to quality or quantity of title and without recourse to Plaintiff and in ‘’AS IS’’ condition. The sale is further subject to confirmation by the court. Upon payment in full of the amount bid, the purchaser will receive a Certificate of Sale that will entitle the purchaser to a deed to the real estate after confirmation of the sale. The property will NOT be open for inspection and plaintiff makes no representation as to the condition of the property. Prospective bidders are admonished to check the court file to verify all information. If this property is a condominium unit, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale, other than a mortgagee, shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/9(g) (1) and (g)(4). If this property is a condominium unit which is part of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/18.5(g1).IF YOU ARE THE MORTGAGOR (HOMEOWNER), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN IN POSSESSION FOR 30 DAYS AFTER ENTRY OF AN ORDER OF POSSESSION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 15-1701(C) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW. You will need a photo identification issued by a government agency (driver’s license, passport, etc.) in order to gain entry into our building and the foreclosure sale room in Cook County and the same identification for sales held at other county venues where The Judicial Sales Corporation conducts foreclosure sales.
For information, contact Johnny Dale Frevert, Jr., KELLEY KRONENBERG, P.A. Plaintiff’s Attorneys, 20 N CLARK STREET SUITE 1150, CHICAGO, IL, 60602 (312) 216-8828. THE JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION
One South Wacker Drive, 24th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606-4650 (312) 236-SALE
You can also visit The Judicial Sales Corporation at www.tjsc.com for a 7 day status report of pending sales.
Johnny Dale Frevert, Jr. KELLEY KRONENBERG, P.A.
20 N CLARK STREET SUITE 1150 CHICAGO IL, 60602
312-216-8828
E-Mail: jfrevert@kelleykronenberg. com
Attorney ARDC No. 6305960
Attorney Code. 49848
Case Number: 2025 CH 10105
TJSC#: 46-251
I3286993
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENTCHANCERY DIVISION M&T BANK, Plaintiff, -v.LEONARDO MORALES; SARA SIMON; SECRETARY OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, Defendants. 2025CH03695
1730 WEST 18TH PLACE, CHICAGO, IL 60608
NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on 3/11/2026, an agent of Auction.com, LLC will conduct the Online Only auction at www. auction.com, with the bidding window opening on 6/15/2026 at 10:00 AM CDT and closing on June 17, 2026 at 10:00 AM subject to extension, and will sell at public sale to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate.
Commonly known as 1730 WEST 18TH PLACE, CHICAGO, IL 60608
Property Index No. 17-19-410035-0000
The real estate is improved with a Multi-Family. The judgment amount was $166,461.30 Sale Terms: Full Sale Terms are available on the property page at www.auction.com by entering 1730 WEST 18TH PLACE into the search bar. If sold to anyone other than the Plaintiff, the winning bidder must pay the full bid amount within twenty-four (24) hours of the auction’s end. All payments must be certified funds. No third-party checks will be accepted. All bidders will need to register at www.auction.com prior to placing a bid. The subject property is subject to general real estate taxes, special assessments, or special taxes levied against said real estate and is offered for sale without any representation as to quality or quantity of title and without recourse to plaintiff and in “AS IS” condition. The sale is further subject to confirmation by the court. Upon payment in full of the amount bid, the purchaser will receive a certificate of sale that will entitle the purchaser to a deed to the real estate after confirmation of the sale. The property will NOT be open for inspection and plaintiff makes no representation as to
the condition of the property, prospective bidders are admonished to check the court file to verify all information. If this property is a condominium unit, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale, other than a mortgagee, shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required by the Condominium property Act, 765 ILCS 605/9 (g)(l) and (g)(4). If this property is a condominium unit which is part of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by the Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/18.5(g-1).
IF YOU ARE THE MORTGAGOR (HOMEOWNER), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN IN POSSESSION FOR 30 DAYS AFTER ENTRY OF AN ORDER OF POSSESSION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 15-1701 (C) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW. For information, contact Plaintiffs attorney: McCalla Raymer Leibert Pierce, LLP (312) 346-9088 please refer to file number 25-21006IL. Auction.com, LLC 100 N LaSalle St., Suite 1400, Chicago, IL 60602 - 872-225-4985 You can also visit www.auction.com. Attorney File No. 25-21006IL Case Number: 2025CH03695 NOTE: PURSUANT TO THE FAIR DEBT COLLECTION PRACTICES ACT, YOU ARE ADVISED THAT PLAINTIFF’S ATTORNEY IS DEEMED TO BE A DEBT COLLECTOR ATTEMPTING TO COLLECT A DEBT AND ANY INFORMATION OBTAINED WILL BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE. I3287157
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENTCHANCERY DIVISION U.S. BANK TRUST NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY AS OWNER TRUSTEE FOR LEGACY MORTGAGE ASSET TRUST 2018-RPL3 Plaintiff vs. UNKNOWN HEIRS OF WILLIE MACK, MARVIN HARDIMAN, GAIL HARDIMAN, WILLIAM BUTCHER AS SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE, DAVID HARDIMAN, UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NON-RECORD CLAIMANTS
Defendant
23 CH 6361 CALENDAR 63
NOTICE OF SALE
PUBLIC NOTICE is hereby given that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure entered in the above entitled cause Intercounty Judicial Sales Corporation will on June 29, 2026, at the hour 11:00 a.m., Intercounty’s office, 120 West Madison Street, Suite 718A, Chicago, IL 60602, sell, in person, to the highest bidder for cash, the following described mortgaged real estate: P.I.N. 16-11-410-014-0000 AND 16-11-410-015-0000. Commonly known as 3427 W. WALNUT ST., CHICAGO, IL 60624. The real estate is: single family residence. If the subject mortgaged real estate is a unit of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by subsection(g-1) of Section 189.5 of the Condominium Property Act. Sale terms: At sale, the bidder must have 10% (or 25% if so ordered in the Judgment of Foreclosure) down by certified funds, balance within 24 hours, by certified funds. No refunds. The property is sold AS IS subject to all liens or encumbrances. The property will NOT be open for inspection. Prospective bidders are admonished to check the circuit court case record, property tax record and the title record to verify all information before bidding. IF YOU ARE THE MORTGAGOR (HOMEOWNER), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN IN POSSESSION FOR 30 DAYS AFTER THE ENTRY OF AN ORDER OF POSSESSION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 15-1701(c) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW. For information call Sales Department at Plaintiff’s Attorney, Law Offices of Ira T. Nevel, 175 North Franklin Street, Suite 201, Chicago, Illinois 60606. (312) 357-1125. 23-01784 INTERCOUNTY JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION intercountyjudicialsales.com I3287420
Submit events and see full calendar at austinweeklynews.com/events
May Is Mental Health Awareness Month
We All Have Mental Health
Whether you are struggling with a temporary challenge or if you are living with a chronic condition, your mental health is just as important as your physical health.
Investing In Our Future
The Community Mental Health Board of Oak Park Township (CMHB) and the River Forest Township Mental Health Committee invest in a continuum of mental health care that is responsive to our unique and evolving community needs.
Together, we provided over $1.6M last year to help local organizations and schools offer prevention, early intervention, treatment, and quality-of-life services to Oak Park and River Forest residents.
Our grants resulted in:
50%
More than 50% of Americans will be diagnosed with a mental illness or disorder at some point in their lifetime
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Growing Crisis Among Youth
America’s youth mental health crisis has been worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness INCREASED 69%
between 2009 and 2021 for U.S. high school students
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Community Mental Health Board of Oak Park Township
Community Mental Health Board Of Oak Park Township
•Over 7,700 Oak Park residents accessing services
•Over 6,300 units of mental health treatment for Oak Park residents
•Over 150 educational presentations on mental health to Oak Park residents
•Over 1,000 Oak Park high school students trained in suicide prevention
In fiscal year 2026, CMHB provided nearly $1.4M in funding for mental health, substance use, and intellectual/developmental disability services. To learn more about our work in this area, visit oakparktownship.org/CMHB.
6
River Forest Township Mental Health Committee
•Supporting 10 local, not-for-profitagencies
•Over 7,000 hours of services provided to River Forest residents
•150 hours of educational presentations on mental health to River Forest residents
•Over 250 River Forest high school students trained in suicide prevention
In fiscal year 2026, RFT provided over $215,000 in funding for mental health, substance use, and intellectual/developmental disability services. To learn more about our work in this area,visit www.riverforesttownship.org/mental-health.
May Is Mental Health Awareness Month
We All Have Mental Health
Whether you are struggling with a temporary challenge or if you are living with a chronic condition, your mental health is just as important as your physical health.
Investing In Our Future
The Community Mental Health Board of Oak Park Township (CMHB) and the River Forest Township Mental Health Committee invest in a continuum of mental health care that is responsive to our unique and evolving community needs.
Together, we provided over $1.6M last year to help local organizations and schools offer prevention, early intervention, treatment, and quality-of-life services to Oak Park and River Forest residents.
Our grants resulted in:
50%
More than 50% of Americans will be diagnosed with a mental illness or disorder at some point in their lifetime
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Growing
Crisis Among Youth
America’s youth mental health crisis has been worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic. 6
Persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness INCREASED 69%
between 2009 and 2021 for U.S. high school students
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Community Mental Health Board of Oak Park Township
Community Mental Health Board Of Oak Park Township
•Over 7,700 Oak Park residents accessing services
•Over 6,300 units of mental health treatment for Oak Park residents
•Over 150 educational presentations on mental health to Oak Park residents
•Over 1,000 Oak Park high school students trained in suicide prevention
In fiscal year 2026, CMHB provided nearly $1.4M in funding for mental health, substance use, and intellectual/developmental disability services. To learn more about our work in this area, visit oakparktownship.org/CMHB.
River Forest Township Mental Health Committee
•Supporting 10 local, not-for-profitagencies
•Over 7,000 hours of services provided to River Forest residents
•150 hours of educational presentations on mental health to River Forest residents
•Over 250 River Forest high school students trained in suicide prevention
In fiscal year 2026, RFT provided over $215,000 in funding for mental health, substance use, and intellectual/developmental disability services. To learn more about our work in this area,visit www.riverforesttownship.org/mental-health.
Creating a mosai of mental health support
How Oak Park’s Mosaic Counseling & Wellness is transforming community mental health care
By JACKIE PISANO Contributing Reporter
For as long as she can remember, Oak Park resident Carey Carlock has felt a profound, unwavering pull toward a life of service.
Though not always certain of the direction her future would lead, Carlock believed her greatest fulfillment would come from holding space for others during moments of trials and tribulations.
“I’ve always been drawn to listening, supporting and being in the helping field,” she said. “It just felt like a natural fit for me ever since I was a young person.”
Heeding her intuition, Carlock embarked on studies in counseling and psycholo gy, receiving her aduate de from Boston Colle ge early 1990s. Shortly after she returned to Chicago establish her career in the mental health profession.
Carlock’s career began in youth mental health treatment programs, including partial hospitalization programs and intensive outpatient programs, where she discovered a passion supporting direct care and group therapy.
Eventually, her journey led her to hospital administration — specificall landing the top position as chief executive officer of Forest Park’s Rive Hospital, the largest psychiatric hospital in Illinois and a facility which is 90% publicly funded
In her 13 years at the helm of Rive Carlock was credited with significantly framing the reputation of the behavioral healthcare facility.
“At Riveredg e, we were really trying to provide trauma-infor med care for those who might not have all the protective factors that other people do — those with high acuity and lots of other psychosocial stressors,” she said. “I loved that wo rk and was really proud of the recovery of that hospital.”
As CEO, Carlock was a steadfast advocate of championing ef for ts to destigmatize mental illness while providing top-quality care for some of the area’s most vulnerable populations.
“It was the privile ge and responsibility of career in a lot of ways to lead such
high acuity, such intensity,” she said. “The hospital had its own recovery that I was part of leading, and that was really mission-aligned.”
While Carlock was gratified by her work at Riveredge, two factors led to a new chapter in her career: persistent requests from neighbors and friends for mental health recommendations, and unexpected obstacles she faced when trying to find a therapist for her own son.
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“While out and about in Oak Park, people knew I was active with the NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Board and in the mental health space,” she said. “At Little League games, book clubs or out getting coffee, people would often approach me and ask for recommendations for child psychiatrists. I didn’t really have a lot of resources in my own community; that tugged on me and I didn’t find that acceptable.”
At the same time, Carlock’s son was experiencing mental health challenges. While Carlock says she had privileges of a job in mental
healthcare leadership and access to quality insurance, she ran into the problem of therapists not returning her phone calls.
“I couldn’t find a therapist in my own community for my own son — that was unacceptable to me,” she said.
From there, it was mission pivot for Carlock. In June 2021, she left Riveredge and decided to open her own practice.
“It was almost incumbent upon me to say, ‘I know how to do this. I need to do this in my own community, for my o wn community,’” she said. “It felt like a mission to provide inte grated, high-quality care without a long waitlist in my own community so I could say ‘yes’ to moms who were looking for services.”
Carlock’s answer was Mosaic Counseling & Wellness, a behavioral health private practice promising to deliver highquality, community-based services with care that is intentional and holistic for each individual.
Essential for Carlock to have Mosaic’s home base be in Oak Park, in the summer of 2021, she purchased a vacant building in Oak Park’s Arts District on Harrison Street. While renovating the space, she opened Mosaic’s first small office in Elmhurst in the fall of 2021, with the Oak Park site officially opening in August 2022.
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Carey Carlock, founder of Mosaic Counseling & Wellness chats with Mosaic Oak Park therapist Lonn Obee
Mosaic’s rst Oak Park location, 215 Harrison St., opened in August of 2022.
MOSAIC
from page B3
Carlock landed on the name Mosaic, explaining that when things come apar t in life, there is splendor in helping guide someone’s mental health to a better state.
“Things that are in pieces at times come back together to make something beautiful,” she said. “By the time you reach out, you need someone to answer the phone and call you back — that’s part of the installation of hope.”
With therapy for children through seniors, Carlock says it was important for Mosaic to have therapists who not only reflected the variety of needs of locals but focused on community connection and advocacy
“It’s such a deeply personal relationship of what you’re trying to look for in a therapist — what you’re trying to get out of that therapeutic relationship and how you take that into the rest of your life,” she said.
“The goodness of fit is so important.”
Besides talk therapy, Mosaic features art therapy, dance therapy, therapy in Spanish and clinicians from a variety of backgrounds — something Carlock says ensures care remains culturally-sensitive and responsive.
MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH
Park (Arts District, Downtown and new this spring, the Hemingway District); Elmhurst, Glen Ellyn, Hinsdale and Orland Park. Mosaic employs nearly 100 therapists, two psychiatrists and four psychiatric nurse practitioners.
“Growing very quickly wasn’t the strategic plan, but we have an integrated, highquality client experience which I think propelled our growth,” Carlock said. “I am very proud, grateful and humbled by the growth.”
Carlock adds that in recent years, it has been “remarkable” to see society shifting toward more publicly addressing the importance of mental health care — and not just in times of crisis. While she says therapy may carry a stigma, she emphasizes taking the reaching out for care is brave.
“There is no health without mental health,” she said. “We don’t have to suffer and whiteknuckle it; we can give ourselves coping skills, support and credit for being brave enough to allow ourselves to get help. Therapy is not just heavy and sad — it can also be inspiring, hopeful and even fun.”
Carey is grateful people throughout Oak Park are seemingly proud in helping change the narrative around mental health.
“The intention is to try to have a diverse team, not only in how people are trained and how they treat people [but] so we can meet people where they’re at,” she said. “I say that with a lot of humility because that’s a big statement.”
If people reach out to Mosaic and the practice ends up not being the right fit due to niche clinical need or insurance factors, Carlock says they will keep communication open and refer individuals within contact networks to find that ideal therapist.
“Even if Mosaic isn’t the right door, we will help you get to the right place,” she said. Five years in, Mosaic has now expanded to seven suburban locations — three in Oak
“Oak Park is really pretty special in the reduction of stigma,” she said. “Honestly, people are proud to have a therapist. I don’t always see the same mental wellness-forward attitude in all the communities we serve.”
She appreciates that teens have greatly helped change the narrative as well.
“Many of my kids’ friends say, ‘I want a therapist,’ or ‘Why would I suffer without support?’” she said. “It’s prevention. It’s wellness. I feel really inspired by what is so different now with young people than when I was growing up.”
Outside of Mosaic, Carlock remains active at the state level. Last year, she testified in favor of Illinois House Bill 1085, a landmark behavioral health care and mental health parity law. The bill, which passed the Illinois General Assembly and was signed into
Oak Park therapists (le to right) Alexandra Backis, Kyla Gilmore and Alison Zdarsky share information about Mosaic at one of Downtown Oak Park’s ursday Night Out events in summer 2025.
law in December, aims to strengthen mental health and substance use disorder care by requiring state-regulated private insurers to offer better reimbursement rates for behavioral health services. Effective next January, it mandates 60-day credentialing for providers, aiming to expand network access for roughly 2.5 million Illinoisans Fundamentally, Carlock says therapy is serious work, but at Mosaic, is something she
aims to showcase as essential — and possible — for healing
“It’s incredible work and is such a privilege and responsibility,” she said. “It’s what I was intended to do, and I’m glad I listened to that voice about my community needing this. I believe in therapy because it works.”
For more information about Mosaic Counseling & Wellness, including new client inquiries, visit mosaiccare.com.
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A peek into the layout of a talk therapy space at Mosaic.
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Delivering resources and changing narratives
Oak Parker Cheryl Potts champions mental wellness through the lens of lived experience and personal passion
By JACKIE PISANO Contributing Reporter
For Cheryl Potts, leading Oak Park Township’s Community Mental Health Board isn’t just a career — it’s a deeply personal mission.
Serving as executive director since the fall of 2021, the longtime resident greets each day with the goal of not only assisting promotion of mental health services but working to shatter the stigma of mental health care by being open about her own firsthand experiences.
Whether finding ways to fund community services alongside elected officials, building partnerships with social service providers or speaking one-on-one with someone, Potts’ experiences of having a brother die by suicide, a family history of mental health concerns and facing her own mental health battles remain her catalysts for bringing real change to the way Oak Park addresses mental wellness.
“I thought it was a good opportunity to work in my own back yard and help my own neighbors with mental health,” she said. “What I really wanted to focus my career on was reducing the barriers to access and eliminating the stigma and discrimination around mental health.”
Five years ago, Potts was selected to lead the charge of the Township’s Mental Health Board following 20 years of experience in the field of human services. With roles including nonprofit work with the AIDS Foundation of Chicago and The Kennedy Forum Illinois, it has always been mission-critical for Potts to help eliminate mental health discrimination and destigmatize the narrative around reaching out for mental health and addiction support, both through lending a helping hand and openly sharing her journey from struggl e to recovery
“There should be no shame in reaching out for help when struggling,” she said. “People have in their head wh at they think mental i llness is, and it ’s usually ne gative thoughts. When you do seek out suppo rt and treatment, you c an be ve ry productive and live a normal life — and I think it ’s really important to share those storie s. ”
“A lot of people are fearful and think, ‘Well, I’m not a mental health exper t.’ But it ’s about making those true, genuine connections which we miss so much in our society today.”
CHERYL POTT S Director Community Mental Health Board
Since 1973, the Community Mental Health Board has served Oak Parkers through planning, developing, evaluating and funding mental health services throughout the village. However, while Potts ag rees the resources for mental health care have evolved since the board’s early days, the candidness of the conversation hasn’t quite caught up fully.
“Having the general public aware of
what they can contribute is not insignificant,” she said. “You could have a conversation with someone at a grocery store that could change their day. A lot of people are fearful and think ‘Well, I’m not a mental health exper t.’ But it’s about making those true, genuine connections which we miss so much in our society today.”
What Potts has enjoyed most with the board is truly having a direct impact at the hyperlocal level. She cites area resources like Thrive Counseling Center, NAMI Metro Suburban, Beyond Hunger and Sarah’s Inn as those which have joined forces to examine the root causes of conditions and make life easier for Oak Parkers in need
“When we bring people to gether to solve problems, then I think we’re able to make a bigger impact,” she said. “The piece I love most is not sitting in the office but actually being out in the community.”
Even so, Potts adds that challenges to
the role have included being a small, local organization which still has to deal with all of the changes that happen at the federal level, from changes to Medicaid and insurance policies, and budg et cuts to critical funding sources.
“We have a wonderful community, but we don’t live in a bubble — we are affected by all these things that destabilize any progress we’ve made.”
Nonetheless, Potts maintains honest conversations are essential to normalizing mental health challenges, which will in turn help connect locals with the extensive helpful resources available in Oak Park
“It really doesn’t feel like work — it feels like this is what I’m meant to be doing,” she said. “It’s a passion, and seeing the changes in people over time is what really reassures me that I’m doing the right thing.”
Black men talk abou mental wellness an overcoming stigm
Men’s Mentalhood and PCC Wellness team up for conversation
By ETHAN TUCKER Contributing Reporter
“In every adult man, there’s a broken boy that needs to be healed,” said Jonathan Muhammad during Men’s Mentalhood’s recent panel on Black men’s mental health at PCC Austin Family Health Center. On Saturday, May 2, Men’s Mentalhood partnered with PCC Community Wellness Center to host a community panel and breakfast focused on mental health awareness for Black men and boys on Chicago’s West Side.
Held at PCC Austin Family Health Center, 5461 W. Lake St., the event created space
for open conversations re addiction, emotional wellness and healing within the Black community.
Founder Victor Love said Men hood was created to address the stigma surrounding therapy and emotional vulnerability among Black men.
“We have suf fered through so much and swept so much under the ca Love “As a result, that’s how Love encouraged attendees to up from the neck up,” a phrase used throughout the event to promote mental wellness, self-awareness and emotional honesty.
Community members also shared personal testimonies about how Men’s Mentalhood has impacted their lives and created an environment where they feel safe discussing issues often left unspoken.
“I’m not where I was, and I’m not where I want to be, but I’m in a much better and more empowered mental space,” Muhammad said.
PCC Community Wellness Center leadership used the event to connect residents with available healthcare and behavioral health resources.
“Mental health in general is something that we’re really passionate about here at PCC,” said Alyssa Sianghio, CEO of PCC Community Wellness Center. “We are here in the community so people have accessible and fordable healthcare centered around you.”
Sianghio said PCC operates 14 sites across Chica’s West Side and neighboring communities, offering primary care, therapy, dentistry, food ograms and substance use recovery services. he Austin Family Health Center location opened in late 2024.
and accessible.
“Mental health is just like physical health,” Gutier re z said. “We want to take care of our minds and make sure we’re doing okay mentally and emotionally.”
“I’m not where I was, and I’m not where I want to be, but I’m in a much better and more empowered mental space.”
JONATHAN MUHAMMAD
Title
“It doesn’t matter what insurance you’ve got or no insurance at all,” Sianghio said. “It doesn’t matter what your background is what history you’ve got — we’re going to be here.”
Lisa Gutier re z, PCC’s behavioral health director, said mental health remains heavily stigmatized in many communities, but PCC hopes to make services more visible
The event also connected attendees with professionals working directly in youth development and behavioral health. In a separate conversation following the panel, Dr. William Steward III, acting superintendent of the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center, reflected on the importance of mental wellness among incarcerated youth.
“Mental health starts in your mind,” Steward said. “I have 160 kids locked up in our facility, and mental health means helping them see they are more than their past and more than their mistakes.”
The collaboration between Men’s Mentalhood and PCC Community Wellness Center highlights a growing ef fort on Chicago’s West Side to address mental health through community conversation, accessible care and culturally relevant support for Black men and boys
PROVIDED BY ETHAN TUCKER
Victor Love
PROVIDED BY ETHAN TUCKER
Men’s Mentalhood partnered with PCC Community Wellness Center to host a community panel focused on mental health awareness for Black men and boys on Chicago’s West Side on May 2.
e Living Room o ers ‘natural connectiveness’ for those with mental health challenges
Free service provides acceptance and empathy with listening focus
By GREGG VOSS Contributing Reporter
Like most of us, Marty has seen challenges in his life, some that were tough to overcome.
Things like that can weigh on a person, so much so that it can feel near impossible to attack head on.
That was Marty, and to a de gree still is, but these days, he’s got support and a safe place, which can make all the difference.
“Losing my job was traumatic even though it was five years ago,” he said, adding he also dealt with the loss of a loved one before that. “I think it was an accumulation of things where it wasn’t something I was aware of on a daily basis. It maybe just crept up.
“I didn’t really have anyone or resources to tur n to.’
This day, Marty sits in a comfortable chair in a closed-door room at The Living Room in Oak Park, 816 Harrison St., which opened April 8 and is a free service operated by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Metro Suburban branch.
I was very excited for the opportunity.”
Open from noon to 8 p.m. dail ing Room in Oak Park is a welcoming space – clean, quiet, with meeting rooms offset right upon entry, in all honesty, similar to a living room. When arriving, you’ll li run into Beck Beishen, a coordinator and trained specialist. He’s a soft-spoken guy who works with guests like Marty to help them by talking out life’s knotty problems that might be exacerbated ADHD, panic attacks and other issues.
But Beishen isn’t only a trained specialist. He’s been in Marty’s shoes and those of the 35 separate individuals that ha the location since April 8 – already a of the total anticipated in its first y
“It started in high school when toms became more severe,” he said. “It was ADHD combined with anxiety. It went undiagnosed for After high school, things just kind of w quickly, where I started to cope with the symptoms with what I was feeling that time with substances and alcohol.”
“I nd that knowing that the sta has their own history with mental health and recovery, there’s been a relatabilit y.”
MART Y A Living Room client
Dressed in a St. Louis Cardinals cap – though he chuckles when he says he’s a diehard Los Angeles Dodgers fan – Marty is in a good mood, because he’s confident that the Living Room in Oak Park has been a gamechanger for him.
“I was aware of La Grange and Summit having locations, and the living room concept was very appealing to me,” he said. “I live in Berwyn, three minutes from here, and just growing up in Oak Park, when I heard The Living Room was going to open,
That went on for 10 years, and by his mid-20s, he realized he was headed in the wrong direction. He entered a 30-day program that provided the tools to handle his challenges. What’s more, he realized he could take his mess and make it his message.
He decided he wanted to pursue a career in social services, and Friday he graduated with his master’s de gree in social work from UIC. He’s planning to pursue a doctorate.
But the point is that there is common ground for Beishen and guests like Marty who come with a wide variety of struggles.
“Plenty of resources in terms of good advice, and I find that knowing that the staf f has their own history with mental health and recovery, there’s been a relatability,” said Marty.
“There is just a natural connectiveness.”
The process of getting started at The Living Room is seamless. Walking in there is a short intake process that is compliant with HIPAA to ensure confidentiality
“After that, we just sit down and talk to the guests,” Beishen said. “Why are they here? What are their goals? For each guest it’s different, and it’s about meeting the guests where they are at and then trying to help build that into a strength.”
Shelly Lustrup is the chief executive officer of NAMI Metro Suburban, and she said T he Living Room in Oak Park –which is adjacent to T he Drop-in Center at 814 Harrison St. – offers multiple recovery tools to help guests, which sets it apar t from other living room-style models.
“It’s a community-based progr am that can be for both prevention and intervention,” she said, adding that “going to the hospital or the ER, where we know it’s usually not the best fit, oftentimes
it’s overstimulating, it’s loud, long wait times
“Instead, you can come to a living room and the team can work to help de-escalate, make any kind of safety planning.”
But consider that T he Living Room team can facilitate a hospitalization if it feels that’s what’s needed.
In its short existence, there are many success stories, including Marty’s, and there will be many more, he’s convinced.
“I think immediate acce ptance and nonjudgment, and a true eng aged empathy for listening to your situation and offering different resources to help you,” he said. “Quite frankly, it’s free, it’s accessible. I came here the first time and I’m like, why not give it a chance?”
For more information about The Li ving Room in Oak Park, visit https://namimetsub.org/
GREGG VOSS
Beck Beishen, a coordinator and trained specialist at e Living Room in Oak Park, makes a point during a recent session.
Half of the world’s population will experience a mental health disorder by the time they are 75 years old.1 As many of us know from experience, attempting to navigate the mental health system when you are at a low point can be incredibly difficult. The Community Mental Health Board of Oak Park encourages everyone to learn where to go for help ahead of time, with the hopes that you won’t ever need it.
You always have Someone to Call, Somewhere to Go, and Someone to Respond.
Someone to Call: In July 2022, 988 replaced the ten-digit National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.2 This expanded resource provides 24/7, no-cost, confidential support for individuals in distress, including prevention and crisis resources. Calling or texting this number will connect anyone to a trained professional who is ready to help callers deal with their suicidal ideations (picturing their own suicide), mental health crisis, substance use issues, or other emotional distress. People who are worried about a loved one’s mental health crisis and want
CMHB Board President, Ann Schreiner Community Mental Health Board of Oak Park Township
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Somewhere to Go
to provide support can also contact 988. Someone to Respond: Thrive Counseling Center is an Oak Park-based comprehensive mental health center that provides a no-cost 24/7 crisis line (708-383-7500). The main difference between this phone number and 988? Thrive has the ability to send a mobile crisis team to the distressed person and provide on-site assessment and de-escalation. Their crisis counselors are all highly trained Master’s-level clinicians whose goals are to stabilize the immediate situation, provide support, and facilitate connection to ongoing help.
Somewhere to Go: Do you feel the need to go somewhere warm and inviting to talk to someone? Bypass the emergency department and go to NAMI Metro Suburban’s Living Room Program located at 816 Harrison Street in Oak Park. The Living Room is a place to go if you are experiencing stress in your life or an increase in mental health symptoms. It’s for anyone who is 18 or older who is feeling scared, anxious, angry, sad, or just needs someone to talk to. It’s a calm, home-like space where adults experiencing distress can
connect with a trained peer recovery support specialist who has lived experience for support, de-escalation, and tools to maintain mental health recovery. The Oak Park Living Room is open daily 12–8 p.m. Services provided are free of charge and open to all.
Importantly, if you are in or around a mental health crisis that has the potential to end in immediate harm to someone, it is always better to err on the side of safety and call 911. We mourn the loss of our loved ones to suicide and devote our efforts to educate, empower, and mobilize toward helping prevent future losses. Program these numbers into your phones, teach your children about them, and hang up a call list in a prominent place for you to reference. Our goal and hope is that you will never need to use them. #YouMatterOP
1) Harvard Medical School, July 31, 2023, https://hms.harvard.edu/news/half-worlds-population-will-experience-mental-health-disorder 2) 988 Lifeline https://988lifeline.org/
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