Giving Tuesday 112719

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November 27, 2019

GIVING TUESDAY

2019

Giving

OAK PARK-RIVER FOREST

Community Foundation

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GIVING TUESDAY

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Creating a Legacy of Giving

No other organization puts your money to work in our community like the Oak Park-River Forest Community Foundation. For 60 years we’ve connected individuals’ and families’ philanthropic aspirations with local organizations and initiatives, enhancing donor investments and changing lives for the better.

With the networks we’ve nurtured, we make your giving go further. We have the knowledge and expertise to turn your financial gift into a lasting legacy – starting today and for years to come.

To learn more about the Foundation and explore how we can help establish a charitable fund tailored to your unique interests, giving level and personal timeline, visit oprfcf.org or call 708.848.1560.

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

Community Foundation

GIVING TUESDAY

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The Joyful Giving Catalog

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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!

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 www.animalcareleague. org where you can sign up to volunteer, make a donation, view our adoptable pets, and learn about upcoming events.

Beyond Hunger (formerly Oak Park River Forest Food Pantry) $1 = 3 meals, is an equation only you can make possible. With your help, Beyond Hunger has been reducing local hunger for over 40 years.

Your gifts support over 13,000 local families struggling with hunger. That support provides groceries for a week plus access to vital programs and services to help people stretch limited food budgets in healthy ways. Even a little goes a long way: every $1 donated can feed a neighbor for an entire day. Join us in making sure everyone in our community can move beyond hunger.

To make a donation, 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 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.

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

Cantata Adult Life Services Cantata Adult Life Services has a strong history that goes back 100 years. Our commitment to the changing needs of older adults on our campus and in the community continues to grow and evolve. We support over 1,000 seniors annually in their journey to “best life.”

Your contributions will carry on our mission of helping individuals, families, and the community age successfully.

In tune with the season of giving, Cantata is hosting a Soup Supper on 11/14 – all proceeds benefitting seniors and the Best Life Foundation. For m/ore information on how you can make a positive difference, please visit cantatacares.org.

Celebrating Seniors Coalition

accessibility of mental health services for high-risk children in under-resourced communities, specifically those who have experienced physical, sexual and emotional abuse, neglect, community and domestic violence, and prenatal substance exposure.

Check us out and support CRT at: childrensresearchtriangle.org/donate/

Since its launch almost ten years ago, Celebrating Seniors Week has become a vibrant annual tradition in Oak Park, River Forest and Forest Park. The Celebrating Seniors Coalition is dedicated to honoring, recognizing and serving local seniors. The organization concentrates on four main objectives: • To facilitate cooperation between the business community, government agencies and non-profit organizations for the benefit of the senior population.

• To promote senior groups and organizations that serve persons 60 and older.

• To raise public awareness of issues affecting seniors.

To generate funds to support at-risk and vulnerable elders.

To volunteer to support our Celebrating Seniors Week (May 14 – May 21, 2020) or to contribute financially to our community mission, visit us at celebratingseniors.net.

Children’s Research Triangle (CRT)

Children’s Research Triangle (CRT) is the only organization in Illinois specializing in addressing mental health and the medical impact of prenatal substance exposure and treatment of childhood trauma. Our clinical and research staff are experts in designing and implementing interventions for youth struggling with severe mental health and behavioral challenges associated with trauma and complex neurodevelopmental issues. CRT programs increase

Cluster Tutoring

Cluster Tutoring is a nonprofit, communitybased organization that provides free one-toone tutoring to more than 100 students in grades K through 12 from Chicago’s Austin neighborhood. Tutor-student pairs work together during the school year on reading, math, and 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.

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

The Collaboration for Early Childhood

For over 15 years, the Collaboration for Early Childhood has been here to support children under 5 years of age. Last year, we provided over 1,900 hearing and vision screenings for children in Oak Park and River Forest; We delivered robust outreach, and training to over 700 parents; and we hosted over 350 professionals at our Annual Early Childhood Symposium. This year, donations will support mental health programming, supports for children

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Special Advertising Section programs, inter-generational engagement, a writer-in-residence program, as well as student writing workshops, mentorships, and scholarships.

For more information about us or to donate online go to www.hemingwaybirthplace.com or mail us at: Ernest Hemingway Foundation of Oak Park, P.O. Box 2222, Oak Park, IL 60303-2222.

Friends of the Oak Park Conservatory with disabilities, and programming for grandparents and pregnant moms. Please support young children this giving season.

Empowering every voice

in our community

oppl.org/give

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 university based in the Lutheran tradition.

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 study through traditional, blended or online classes. Students can earn bachelor’s, master’s and 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 groups and numerous student clubs and organization focused on service, recreation, spiritual life and more.

Currently, more than 6,100 students are enrolled. To learn more, please visit CUChicago.edu or CUChicago.edu/GiveNow to support our students.

Ernest Hemingway Foundation of Oak Park The Ernest Hemingway Foundation of Oak Park is a non-profit 501(c)(3) literary arts and educational foundation dedicated to thoughtful reading and writing. The foundation offers a wide variety of programming, all open to the public, to nurture and encourage creative expression for students and for people of all ages. Through tours and exhibits at Ernest Hemingway’s birthplace museum, the foundation fosters an understanding of his life and work, his Oak Park origins and his impact on world literature. Your gift supports creative outlets for people of all ages through professional teacher development, local author and performing artist

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.

Green Community Connections At this time of increasing climate urgency, One Earth Film Festival continues to grow and harness the Power of We, of our families, friends and communities, to make real change for our planet and our future. Save the date for the 9th annual Festival, March 6-15, 2020, in the Oak Park / River Forest area and beyond. Join us for quality films, engaging discussion, activities and community-building that inspire climate action, resilience and environmental justice.

Protect our cities and our planet by joining One Earth and becoming part of the Power of We. Memberships start at $25 ($15 for students / seniors). Visit oneearthfilmfest.org/ members today. All donations now through #GivingTuesday will be matched 1:1, doubling the impact of your donation.

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

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It’s a family affair UCP Seguin Brings “Life Without Limits” to Oak Park Resident and His Family hile Oak Park resident John Winn has Down syndrome, his mother Sophie and sister Maria have always believed he can live a happy life, fully integrated into the community. Along with his loving family, United Cerebral Palsy Seguin of Greater Chicago has played a significant role in bringing “life without limits” to John.

Since 1997, UCP Seguin has served John, starting with day services focused on community activities and volunteer opportunities. For the past 11 years, John has lived in an Oak Park group home with Adult Foster Parent Silvia Iusan, housemate Peter Caden, Silvia’s son Julian, and the family dog.

Maria says, “Since coming to UCP Seguin I’ve seen noticeable improvements in John’s personal growth. He’s more independent, sure of himself and proud of himself. He does not hesitate to jump into activities when he decides he wants to participate…that is a welcome improvement! ” You too can make a difference in the lives of people with disabilities. Please give online at www.ucpseguin.org or send gifts to UCP Seguin, 332 Harrison Street, Oak Park IL 60304.

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UCP Seguin participant John Winn enjoying a festive moment with his mother Sophie Winn and sister Maria Winn.

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IMAGINE HOW YOUR DONATION WILL IMPACT A CHILD’S LIFE. Hephzibah Children’s Association provides a safe haven for children traumatized by neglect and abuse, services for children and families in crisis, foster care, and day care.

Here are four ways you can help this holiday season. Thank you for your support!

Through December 31

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MATCHED GIVING

Through December 13

January 13, 2019-Volunteer Training Session

We are currently gathering gifts for the children living in our group and foster homes, the children receiving our family services, and the children in our Head Start Program. You can find a full wish list at hephzibahhome.org.

Volunteers at Hephzibah help out in a variety of ways, from Homework Helpers and Technology Mentors to helping our garden grow. Check out the opportunities at hephzibahhome.org or email hweigel@hephzibahhome.org.

Stop by the Hephzibah Giving Tree at Whole Foods Market in River Forest and select a paper heart ornament with the name of a child in need. Return the heart with your unwrapped gift to Whole Foods by December 13.

DONATE A WISH LIST ITEM

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!

VOLUNTEER IN THE NEW YEAR

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Special Advertising Section

Listening to Dr. Salinas

By Adriana Riano, Program Manager at Beyond Hunger

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r. Salinas belongs to the first group of clients enrolled in the Home Delivery Program back in 2016. During that first year of the program, I was the main person calling clients to get their food choices every month. At the time, talking to Dr. Salinas was one of my most dreaded tasks.

I didn’t understand why he was always unhappy with our food options, because I thought they were pretty good. I explained repeatedly that we were limited to what was available at the local food bank. Providing items like “chorizo” or “crunchy peanut butter” was out of our control. One day Dr. Salinas randomly asked me: “Adriana, do you like arroz con pollo?” This is a popular Spanish dish that I happen to love. I quickly replied, “Yes, I love it!” He laughed and proceeded to invite me to his home for dinner. While I was not able to share a meal with him, that invitation alone changed everything.

Since then I have learned many things about Dr. Salinas. For example, he lives alone and doesn’t have any family close by. What he really wants is someone to talk to. When he calls, we joke around, he gives me a hard

Adriana Riano and Dr. Salinas

Support your local animal shelter this holiday season!

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

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

time, and I enjoy every minute of it.

Recently, I received a big surprise when Dr. Salinas came to visit me here at my office. This alone was a beautiful gesture. He is homebound and needed the assistance of his home caregiver to arrive here. With difficulty, he made his way down the stairs to my office where he needed to sit for several minutes before he could talk. He wanted to see where I worked so he could visualize the “whole organization.” To me, that made the gesture even more special. His visit made my day! (Even though he asked me when we were going to get crunchy peanut butter.)

Dr. Salinas’ story resembles the story of many of our Home Delivery Program clients.

A recent AARP review identified loneliness and social isolation as major problems for older adults and are linked with negative physical and mental health consequences including depression, cardiovascular disease, low quality of life, general health, cognitive function and mortality. I’m honored that Dr. Salinas worked so hard to get me to see this on a personal level. He’s a big part of why I am passionate about this work and want to expand the program until everyone who needs it can get Home Delivery.

GIVING TUESDAY

Special Advertising Section 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

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.

Historical Society of Oak Park and River Forest

We are the community’s story tellers and our new facility in an 1898 Oak Park Landmark at Lake and Lombard is 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.

Featured exhibits include “Open House: The Legacy of Fair Housing” and “Proud Oak Parkers: OPALGA at 30.” We are not supported by tax dollars and a gift of any amount funds our 2020 schedule of programs, our research center, and our knowledgeable staff.

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

Hephzibah Children’s Association

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 Hephzibah Children’s Association was founded in 1897. We serve more than 1,000 children and families each year through innovative, community-based programs. Hephzibah

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provides a Group Home for children who have been taken from their families due to profound abuse or neglect. Our skilled staff recruits and trains foster parents and offers ongoing support to help all family members navigate challenges. Our after-school Day Care operates on a sliding scale to serve working parents in Oak Park, with programs based at each elementary school.

lives of over 2000 adults and families with minor children annually.

To learn more about us, to volunteer or to donate, visit housingforward.org, email giving@housingforward.org or call 708.338.1724 ext. 283.

Infant Welfare Society (IWS)

To make a real difference in the lives of children and families, please donate today at hephzibahhome.org.

Housing Forward

Housing Forward’s mission is to end homelessness by transitioning people from housing crisis to housing stability. The agency, now in its 27th year, offers a full range of services designed to reduce the length of time and impact of trauma associated with homelessness and housing instability. Our current programs include the PADS Emergency Shelter, Outreach & Engagement, Supportive Housing, Employment Readiness, and Emergency Assistance and Stabilization in two area walk-In centers (Oak Park and Maywood). In 2019, we launched Sojourner House to offer medical respite for medically vulnerable individuals and interim housing for families transitioning from homelessness. Housing Forward impacts the

Join us in our mission to advance the health and well-being of children in need. When you support the Infant Welfare Society, you help vulnerable children in our community and surrounding areas access critical healthcare, including pediatric, dental and behavioral health services.

Our Children’s Clinic and health outreach programs serve 3,500 children each year, and your generosity is key. A gift of $50 pays for two essential vaccines. A gift of $150 provides specialized dental services.

Give Health today: www.oprfiws.org/donate or 708-406-8661. You’re also invited to join us for our 21st annual Holiday Housewalk & Market, December 5 - 7!

W. HARRISON ST. | CHICAGO, IL WWW.BUILDCHICAGO.ORG | - -

Since 1969, BUILD has helped Chicago's most vulnerable 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.

Grateful for this community.

A itude of Gratitude Make a difference to the youth in Austin and the greater Eest side this holiday season.

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We engage youth at every stage, with specialized teams dedicated to street violence interventions, gang detachments, creative a er-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.

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Intersection Christian Ministries

HELP DISCOVER THE NEXT HEMINGWAY OPEN DOORS FOR YOUNG WRITERS. YOUR GIFT SUPPORTS: • OPRF Hemingway Scholarship Fund • Teacher Development • Student Mentorship • Young Writers Programming Donate @

hemingwaybirthplace.com

YOUR DONATION HAS A RIPPLE EFFECT IN OUR COMMUNITY...

• Public programs in art, music, science, social science and literature • Scholarships for OPRF students • Networking and fellowship for members • Landmark building used by many local not-for-profits HELP TO

Restore & Renovate this Historic Landmark for 21st Century Needs

To make a donation to our annual building fund, please contact:

The Nineteenth Century Charitable Association 178 Forest Avenue, Oak Park, IL 60301 708-386-2729 • info@nineteenthcentury.org www.nineteenthcentury.org

Intersection Christian Ministries, a ministry of Judson Baptist Church, seeks to demonstrate the love of Christ by addressing the economic injustice and inequity that afflicts West Side of Chicago. As the Chicago neighborhoods plagued with the highest crime rates are the same ones beset by the worst unemployment and poverty rates in the city, employment and job readiness training present the greatest opportunities to have an immediate and significant positive impact on our community.

We offer free classes in Windows/Internet/ Email, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel and classes in essential job search, resume writing and interviewing skills.

To volunteer or donate, call 708-613-5177, email at info@intersectioncm.com or donate at intersectioncm.com/donate/

L’Arche Chicago L’Arche Chicago is a community where people with and without intellectual disabilities share life together in homes, as family.

We are committed to merge individualized, high-quality care with genuine friendships in our group homes.

Our vision is to create environments that celebrate difference - revealing the unique gifts of people with intellectual disabilities.

Help L’Arche Chicago spread joy and gratitude in this season: www.larchechicago. org/gratitude

Maywood Youth Mentoring Program Organized in 1993 as a 501c3, the Maywood Youth Mentoring Program has served hundreds of middle to high-school 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, 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.

To volunteer, or to donate, visit us at www. maywoodyouthmentoring.org, or contact Barbara Cole, founder/CEO at 708-344-3577.

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MOMENTA Momenta is the resident Dance Company of the Academy of Movement & Music, located in Oak Park. MOMENTA dance concerts are the only place audiences can see classical ballet, historic American modern dance, contemporary works, and integrated dance (includes dancers with disabilities) all in one performance.

Learn more and donate at momentadances.org

New Moms

New Moms believes in the strength, skills, and potential of all families and communities to achieve audacious possibilities. Guided by our mission, to share the love of God by surrounding young moms and their children with everything they need to transform their lives, New Moms takes a 2-Generation approach to engagement that puts families in control of their goals and unleashes their potential. Together with families, we construct the foundations of wellbeing by strengthening brain architecture, 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.

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. We provide community outreach, scholarships, and public programming in five areas: music, art, literature, science, and social sciences. The NCCA is the owner of 178 Forest Avenue, commonly referred to as the Nineteenth Century Club. Our charitable and cultural activities are supported by our members, volunteers, donors, and by the events held at the Club. Programs are open to all and we welcome all ages to join.

If you would like information about volunteering, joining or donating, please call us at 708-386-2729 email to info@ nineteenthcentury.org. You can also make donation at ncca.memberclicks.net/givingtuesday.

Oak-Leyden Developmental Services The mission of Oak-Leyden Developmental Services is to help children and adults with developmental disabilities meet life’s challenges and reach their highest potential. The organization offers

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Opportunity Knocks helped Ryan find her voice

yan Gravely is a typical 22 year old. She is a social, outgoing and hard-working young woman.

However, when Ryan turned 22 last year and graduated from the OPRF CITE Program, Ryan and her family knew that she needed continued support to navigate adult life in the community. The Gravely family turned to the Life Shop program at Opportunity Knocks (OK) to help Ryan build confidence and further develop important life skills.

Through OK’s Warrior-centered community-based approach to programming for young people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, she’s able to build these skills and access her community in a self-directed and meaningful way.

Ryan Gravely “OK has given her the confidence to advocate for herself,” said Whitney Gravely, Ryan’s mother. “I revoice and speak up.” ally think that the support of the staff and her friends here have helped her find her Ryan is an active leader, using her voice

to suggest program activities, indicate her preferences, clarify daily schedules, and

encourage her friends. And, in 2019, Ryan was recognized as OK’s Warrior of the Year.

“I have seen her become more confident and more willing to share her ideas,” said Executive Director Mike Carmody.

According to Ryan’s mom, “OK has opened the door for Ryan to try new things. She’s really aware of wellness now, and exercise, and farming. She loves being out in the community. Without Opportunity Knocks, I can’t say that Ryan would have these experiences that are so valued…it’s lifechanging.”

This year we need your support as we elevate Ryan and her friend’s voices, with respect to how they choose to learn, work and live within our community. For more information or to consider a donation to our Annual Fund, please see our website at www.opportunityknocksnow.org/annual-giving-fund/

Generations of Growth YOUTH PROGRAMS THAT OFFER SKILL DEVELOPMENT, THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTIONS, AND MENTORSHIP TO IMPROVE TEENS' MENTAL HEALTH, SAFETY AND WELL-BEING. OFFICES THROUGHOUT CHICAGO AND WESTERN SUBURBS

https://www.yos.org/donate 773-777-7112

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community. OPAL is committed to meaningful community 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 “Art for Social Change” initiatives.

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

Oak Park-River Forest Community Foundation

life-changing support in three areas: Children’s Services, Residential Services, and Lifelong Learning.

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.

Empower people with developmental disabilities today at oak-leyden.org/getinvolved/donate.

From helping donors with legacy gift planning, to managing donor advised funds, to strengthening local non-profits, we connect.

Oak Park Public Library

Oak Park Art League As one of the longest, continually running non-profit arts organizations in Illinois, the Oak Park Art League (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

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Empower every voice in our community! When you choose to give to your local library, you invest in foundational resources, services, and spaces that support a unique quality of life in Oak Park. You support work dedicated to literacy, education, diversity, inclusion, equity, health, safety, and affordability. You also choose to help connect people and community, to educate global citizens, and to sustain, share, and respect our community’s resources.

To learn more about how you can make Oak Park’s center of information, civic engagement, and local history stronger, contact Executive Director David J. Seleb (DavidS@oppl.org, 708.697.6911). Make an online donation now at oppl.org/give.

Visit oprfcf.org or call Rhea Yap at 708-8481560 to start a fund, discuss your charitable estate plans, or make a donation today.

Opportunity Knocks Opportunity Knocks is dedicated to enriching life and community. We exist to support 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

Writing is Not a Solo Act

very artist starts somewhere, and Claire Lombardo started in Oak Park. Lombardo is the author of The Most Fun We Ever Had, a debut novel the New York Times Book Review described as “a rich, engrossing family saga.” It caught the attention of Laura Dern and Amy Adams, who are now adapting it for HBO. “I grew up on the corner of Iowa and Oak Park Avenue, just a few blocks from Hemingway’s birthplace,” Lombardo said. “Knowing that a famous author grew up right around the corner from me, made writing as a profession seem more tactile – more of a real possibility.”

Claire recently returned to Oak Park Claire Lombardo when The Hemingway Foundation (photo by Michael Lionstar) hosted her for a book event at the Birthplace Museum moderated by foundation to pursue her artistic goals. “I author and broadcast journalist, had a couple of English teachers in high David W. Berner. “It was a full house,” school – Mr. [Bill] Lovaas and Mr. [Richard] Executive Director Keith Strom said. “Claire Zabransky – who were pivotal figures attended school here in Oak Park and the in helping me realize that writing was community was ecstatic to celebrate her something worth pursuing.” success.”

Lombardo believes that one essential Lombardo says that her experiences in challenge for new writers is to find a the Oak Park community gave her a solid

supportive community – book lovers, fellow writers, mentors, and friends. “Writing can be a very lonely profession,” Claire admits. “I think the best thing you can do as a writer, professional or otherwise, is to find a community.” Teaching classes and appearing at book events, like her recent book-signing at The Hemingway Birthplace Museum, are opportunities to connect and draw energy from people who have a common passion for books and writing.

Through writing contests, author events, and book discussions, The Ernest Hemingway Foundation of Oak Park strives to support the artistic community. We award a two-year Writer-in-Residence that includes a writing workspace in the Hemingway home, and the opportunity to mentor local high school writers. Help support the arts here at home by supporting The Ernest Hemingway Foundation of Oak Park. To find out about our events, volunteer opportunities and other ways to support the arts locally, go to Hemingwaybirthplace.com.

Special Advertising Section 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 and rely on the generous support of the community. Your gift does matter in moving our mission forward.

To volunteer or donate, visit us at www.opportunityknocksnow.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. In addition to loaning band and orchestra instruments to students whose families cannot afford them, PING! also provides music enrichment through workshops; mentoring; and scholarships for summer music camps, school music trips, and private instruction.

Enrichment programs like these provide positive peer groups and growth opportunities for students in need. PING! relies on community support for donated instruments and financial contributions to maintain its instrument inventory and program funding.

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

River Forest Public Library Foundation

RFPL Foundation works to enhance River Forest Public Library today and for the future through fundraising and advocacy. In 2019, the Foundation fully funded major updates in the Children’s Room to make the space more welcoming and functional. We provided support for the Summer Reading Program and contributed to the Lobby/Circulation area renovation. Since 2015, gifts have supported special programming for all ages, staff development and the Anne Smedinghoff Memorial Garden.

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

Sarah’s Inn

For nearly 40 years, Sarah’s Inn has worked to improve the lives of those affected by domestic violence and break the cycle of violence for future generations. Sarah’s Inn Services and Programs include: • Free, confidential and bilingual services for victims of domestic violence • 24-hour crisis line (708)386-4225 • Advocacy, referrals, and safety planning

Special Advertising Section • Counseling for adults, teens and children • Legal Advocacy • Partner Abuse Intervention

GIVING TUESDAY The Symphony of Oak Park & River Forest

• Community and professional training • School-based violence prevention • Volunteer and internship opportunities To donate, visit www.sarahsinn.org/donate.

To learn more about our services, programs, upcoming trainings, events and more, visit www.sarahsinn.org. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @SarahsinnOakPark.

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.

Named “Community Orchestra of the Year” in 2018, The Symphony of Oak Park & River Forest, under the leadership of award-winning conductor, Jay Friedman, continues to bring extraordinary and accessible concerts to our community. Ticket sales provide less than half the funds needed for the Symphony’s performances. Your gift keeps the orchestra going strong and allows us to maintain affordable ticket prices, including free admission for all students through college.

Please help us continue and strengthen our 88-year tradition of bringing beautiful and inspiring music to Oak Park and River Forest. Make your end-of-year tax-deductible donation at symphonyoprf.org, or: P.O. Box 3564, Oak Park, IL 60303-3564.

Thrive Counseling Center

Thrive Counseling Center (formerly Family Services of Oak Park) has provided mental health services to our community for over 120 years. Located in the heart of Oak Park, our mission is to build healthy minds, families, and communities by empowering people to attain

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High School Humanist chose Hephzibah as the recipient of her $1,000 award grant. “It has been a joy to see children who were once shy and reserved blossom into strong, confident kids at Hephzibah,” Love reflected at the award ceremony. “I will carry Hephzibah’s mission and values with me for the rest of my life.”

To learn more about volunteering and how you can help the children at Hephzibah Home go to HepzibahHome.org.

our years ago, Claire Love was more than a wide-eyed freshman trying to find her way at Oak Park River Forest High School. She was a budding humanist looking for a way to help people in need.

She found it through the Huskie Helpers, a service club for high school students with big hearts and a commitment to Hephzibah’s kids.

Love threw herself wholeheartedly into her role as a Huskie Helper, coordinating movie nights and recreational outings for the children at Hephzibah Home, raising funds, collecting school supplies, organizing events and expanding the reach of her high school service club by recruiting scores of additional volunteers. She was also adept at seeing a need and filling it. When she noticed that the African American boys living at Hephzibah Home needed positive African American male role models, she recruited members of her high school’s wrestling and football teams to share friendship, mentoring and fun.

So, it was no surprise to us when the college-bound senior received the 2019 Oak Park-River Forest Community Foundation’s Excellence in Philanthropy Award for an Outstanding Young Person—and then

Award-winning volunteer and philanthropist Claire Love with some young friends from Hephzibah Day Care

MAKE 2019

DONATE ONLINE TO UCP SEGUIN ON

DECEMBER 3 DONATIONS WILL BE DOUBLED BY CHALLENGE GIFTS GIVE O N GIVI NG TUE S DAY AND THR O UGHO UT THE HO L IDAY S E A S O N TO MA K E A D I FFE R E NCE IN YO UR CO M M UNITY.

ucpseguin.org UCP Seguin of Greater Chicago 332 Harrison Street Oak Park, Illinois 60304

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mental and emotional well-being. Hope, resilience and recovery form the heart of our programs and services. Last year we provided critical services to more than 1,400 friends, neighbors and family members including:

UCP SEGUIN OF GREATER CHICAGO

• Counseling for youth and adults • Psychiatric care and medication management • In-home counseling for older adults • Increased access to care for impoverished youth • 24/7 crisis intervention • Suicide Safer Community Programs including: safeTALK and QPR • FREE, public Thrive Talks: our Speaker Series at the Oak Park Main Library Adult and youth group therapy including: art therapy, stress management, coping with anxiety, grief support and Sibshops We are open Monday through Friday during regular business hours and evenings, and on Saturdays from 9am-2pm (all services). To learn more or donate, please visit thrivecc. org or call 708-383-7500, ext. 111. Follow us on Facebook!

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

VOCEL

At VOCEL, our ultimate purpose is to help ensure every child has the foundation to learn, grow and lead. Our core program, the Child

Special Advertising Section

Parent Academy, is a dynamic, two-generational early learning accelerator for both children and their parents. VOCEL uses innovative early learning approaches designed for children age 0 to 3 while remaining grounded in sciencebased best practices in child development, attachment, and neuroscience. Through VOCEL’s programs, families are equipped with the insights, tools, and support they need to catalyze their child’s brain development in preparation for preschool and beyond.

Find out more about VOCEL and donate at vocel.org.

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

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 yos.org/ donate or text @GROWYOS to 52014. Or help empower youth to reach their goals, by calling 773-777-7112 to refer them for services.

Donations to WSSRA, help provide financial assistance to those participating in our yearround programs and summer day camp. To make a donation, please visit wssra.net.

The L’Arche Way of Life

By Ron Cichon he expression “You are what you eat,” means that we receive the building blocks for our bodies through the food we eat. My take is “You are who you eat with.” When we share a meal with another person and allow that person to impact us, we give ourselves the opportunity to grow and be more human, more accepting of our own frailties and those of others.

In describing my son’s group home to anyone, I always start by saying that the assistants and the core members live, eat, pray and celebrate birthdays and anniversaries together – blurring the lines between caretakers and care-takees. These simple acts of solidarity, community and love, express the mutuality of respect and dignity that lies at the heart of L’Arche.

Next to how I’ve witnessed L’Arche assistants express compassion and mutuality with patience and acceptance, my long-practiced tricks to coax cooperation from Noah seem more like clever manipulations of behavior.

Successful or not, my tricks would treat Noah as ‘other’, to be managed. But watching his assistants taught me to make accommodations in my own schedule and plans. I’ve learned to share my thoughts and feelings with him, especially our

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Karen, Ron and Noah at a 2016 golf outing

mutual grief at the loss of Karen, my wife and Noah’s mother. I look forward to the time that we spend together and am constantly in awe of who he is as a person.

During an extended road trip last year,

I interviewed assistants from various L’Arche communities across the country.

Notably, several assistants with tenure in L’Arche over five years shared a common sentiment – that L’Arche is not just a job

that one does. Rather, it is truly a way of life.

We are who we eat with.

To support L’Arche Chicago, go to www. larchechicago.org/gratitude

GIVING TUESDAY

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November 27, 2019

Helping to build a better library

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n the last fiscal year, more than 15,000 people participated in elementary and preschool programs at the River Forest Public Library (RFPL) and many thousands more visited the Children’s Department to browse, pick out books and materials, use computers, play and hang out. Although the Children’s Room is only a fraction of the total building, it accounts for 40% of the materials circulated (over 100,000 items) and 74% of all program attendees.

That level of use attests to how wellloved the Marion Lahey Children’s Room is—and it means heavy wear on the carpeting and paint installed in 2010. Most of the shelves were purchased in 1953 for the original Children’s Room in the Library basement and they are virtually impossible to move or reconfigure to allow greater access to materials and to make the room accessible for patrons with disabilities.

In August 2018, the River Forest Public Library Foundation kicked off a campaign to raise funds to update the Children’s Room with new shelving, carpet and paint. The campaign was conceived following the pledge a major gift from an anonymous River Forest family with strong

attachment to the Children’s services and attracted support from a wide range of donors including River Forest Daisy Girl Scouts and Cub Scouts. The campaign concluded successfully raising over $65,000 from more than 100 donors who made gifts ranging from ten dollars to several thousands.

This was the first major campaign by the Foundation which was established in 2015 to enhance the vitality of RFPL for today and for future generations. Previously, the Foundation supported the Anne T. Smedinghoff Memorial Garden and has underwritten special programming by the Library. In this season of giving, donating to the RFPL Foundation is a great way to honor a parent, child, teacher, friend, mentor or your own lifelong love of learning. Your gift helps ensure that RFPL is strong and vibrant, able to serve people of all ages and interests.

Visit RFPLFoundation.org/donate.

The newly redone Marion Lahey Children’s Room at the River Forest Public Library.

Science at our core, children in our heart

Join us this giving season in redefining early education, child by child, parent by parent.

Learn more at www.VOCEL.org

Sarah’s Inn changed my life.

– CLIENT

The mission of Sarah’s Inn is to improve the lives of families impacted by domestic violence, and to break the cycle of violence for future generations.

Please consider making a gift to Sarah’s Inn during this holiday season. www.sarahsinn.org/donate • (708) 386-3305 • (708) 386-3305 24-hour crisis line

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GIVING TUESDAY

Special Advertising Section

Concordia University Chicago: A Quality Education Close to Home intramurals, 11 choral and instrumental music groups, and more than 45 student clubs and organization focused on service, recreation, spiritual life and more.

To find out more about Concordia University Chicago,

visit CUChicago.edu. To impact student scholarships or learn about the university’s many initiatives, visit CUChicago.edu/Give Now.

Founded 1920

St. Angela School

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estled in a leafy corner of River Forest, Concordia University Chicago has the trappings of a liberal arts college: ivy-clad buildings, rigorous academics and a tradition of scholarship that goes back generations.

Chapel bells toll at 11 a.m. every school day, one of many ways the university reflects the Lutheran faith of its founders.

Concordia was founded in 1864 as a college for teachers, and education is still the largest major. Today it is a comprehensive university offering more than 100 graduate and undergraduate degrees through its College of Arts and Sciences, College of Business, College of Education and College of Graduate Studies.

The student body is growing and diverse. Enrollment for fall 2019 exceeded 6,100 students: approximately 1,500 undergraduates and 4,600 graduate students, many of whom study online. Of undergraduates, nearly half are the first in their families to attend college.

For Andres Salvador, a sophomore who commutes to school from his home in Chicago, Concordia was both accessible and affordable. “The scholarship I have here at Concordia is essentially the gateway to my future, because it allows me to continue my studies while still caring for my family back at home,” he said. “Without it, I would not be able to attend this amazing school and pursue my dream of becoming a doctor.”

Beyond academics, Concordia offers a wide array of support and enrichment programs. Extracurricular programs offered include 17 NCAA Division III athletic teams, many

Help us spread

this season!

This is a time for big dreams.

For our neighborhoods, our city, our country, our planet.

To learn more about the people, the programs, and our vision for the future at St. Angela School, please visit www.saintangela.org St. Angela School • 1332 N Massasoit • 773.626.2655

GIVING TUESDAY Special Advertising Section

Community journalism remade

Building community through independent, non-partisan community journalism.

Reporting local news and telling compelling local stories in many ways, across many platforms. Convening community members and organizations, especially those not often heard, for honest conversations as we build a pervasive presence in our communities.

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Friday, December 6th • 3-9pm Saturday, December 7th • 9am-3pm Sunday, December 8th • 11am-3pm Pictures with Santa: Saturday 10am-2pm AND Sunday 12noon-2pm • Bring your pets & kids!

Pictures with Santa: Saturday 10am-2pm AND Sunday 12noon-2pm Bring your pets & kids! holiday items, pet items gift baskets, bakery, jewelry, music & more!

Please come join us!

All your generosity goes right back to support the daily activities of our shelter. Call 708-848-8155 for more information!

Print.

Digital.

Social.

Events.

Growing Community Media

We’ve created a new non-profit with one purpose: to own our four respected and essential community newspapers and, then, to grow independent, sustainable journalism in our seven neighborhoods for the decades to come.

That path will surely include printing newspapers and selling all the advertising we can. But we’ll add more digital reporting, more specialized beats, video, podcasts and events.

And where’s this new stream of non-profit revenue coming from?

From readers and donors in our seven neighborhoods who see the essential value in independent community journalism.

Partner with us.

Find out more at GrowingCommunityMedia.org

1003 Garfield., Oak Park (Just East of Volvo dealership at Harlem) learn more at

animalcareleague.org

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GIVING TUESDAY

Special Advertising Section

Sharing Solutions in an Open World

(left to right) Tatyana Valeryevna Shkred, Rotarian Cathy Yen, Olga Shamilevna Kravtsova, Olga Vladimrovna Volkova, Anna Sergeyevna Kutuzova, Darya Yevgenyevna Yakoleva, Irina Borisenkova, and Rotarian Jessica MacKinnon, following a workshop on the campus of Dominican University.

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otary’s Open World program brings current and future leaders from post-Soviet countries to the United States to complete intensive programs related to their professional or civic work. In November, the Rotary Club of Oak Park – River Forest hosted a delegation from Russia seeking to study firsthand our community’s response to the treatment and prevention of domestic violence. Coordinated by local Rotarian Cathy Yen, our six Russian guests spent eight days in workshops facilitated by Sarah’s Inn, a local nonprofit that has, for over forty years, worked to improve the lives of those affected by domestic violence.

It was an extraordinary week of cooperation, sharing and learning as professionals from two countries came together to discuss and tackle one of the world’s most intractable problems.

As a member of Rotary, you too can be a part of an international effort to solve problems and build peace. For information on joining, contact Amanda Young at 312.307.2201.

Local Action, Global Impact