CHICAGO NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS – Lakeview, Loop, Ravenswood, Norwood Park, Oak Park

There are so many ways to give back to our community and reach out to those in need. Donations and volunteering come in many forms and we’re using the Thanksgiving season to deem several of these services as newsworthy.

LAKEVIEW

Food pantries, food banks, and community kitchens usually come to mind when considering volunteering around this time. Lakeview Pantry at 3945 N. Sheridan Ave. is a standout among its kind. This state-of-the-art facility had its grand opening in June of this year and it’s more than a dignified setting, it’s downright gorgeous! One task for volunteers is to guide consumers through the food distribution center that includes fresh produce, cold case items and is stocked to the ceiling with dry goods, reminiscent of a wholesale warehouse store.  With social service offices upstairs and a cozy meeting area in the front of the house, it’s worth a drop by to see how this organization embodies the spirit of Thanksgiving all year round.

LOOP

Headquartered in the Loop at 205 W. Randolph St., 19th Floor, Imerman Angels, provides one-on-one support to cancer fighters, survivors, and caregivers. They provide a network of mentors and supports to individuals surviving with cancer and their caretakers. Regardless of lack of personal experience with cancer, Imerman Angels has volunteer positions and ways for anyone with a heart for the cause to be a cancer fighter.

RAVENSWOOD

The Heartland Alliance’s Refugee and Immigrant Community Services (RICS) facility at 4419 N. Ravenswood Ave. has an ongoing need for volunteer tutors for adult refugees participating in their Vocational & English Language Training (VELT) program Monday  – Thursday mornings for 30 – 60 minute sessions twice per week for at least 3 months. These sessions are supplemental practice for students who are enrolled in English as Second Language (ESL) courses . It requires patience and dedication to the time requirements and RICS staff will always be on hand to assist. To give you an idea of the scope of those seeking asylum in the U.S., Chicago specifically,  the languages spoken by RICS staff include Alcholi, Amharic, Arabic, Dutch, French, German, Japanese, Kirundi, Somali, Spanish, Swahili, Tigre, Tigrinya, Xhosa, and Portugese. 

NORWOOD PARK

Sometimes those in need must be wherever they are. I did some research in finding this intriguing ongoing request for volunteers to give New Life to Old Bags. I learned that the NLOB program consists of weaving old plastic bags into lightweight mats that are distributed by Cornerstone Community Outreach to homeless folks to be used as sleeping mats. These ingenious uses for plastic bags do not make themselves. The volunteer ad above is for any able body to help make these sleeping mats a reality by creating “plarn (plastic yarn)”. The NLOB website shows that they have production times every Tuesday from 1:30 – 3:30pm at Bethesda Home & Retirement Center (2833 N. Nordica Ave.), south of Norwood Park. There are several other volunteering sessions and other ways to get involved but since Tuesdays were the only sessions advertised in ChicagoCares.org, I assume they are the most in need of helpers.

OAK PARK

And here’s an event that returns the good feelings while you’re donating to a good cause. RSVP to the Pantry Pale Ale Launch Party at Exit Strategy Brewing Co. (7700 Madison St., Forest Park) on Tuesday 11/29/16, from 5:00 – 8:00 p.m. For every Pantry Pale Ale purchased, $1 will be donated to the Oak Park River Forest Food Pantry (848 Lake St., Oak Park) that’s been serving the areas of Oak Park, Forest Park, Franklin Park, Schiller Park, River Grove, River Forest, Berwyn, Elmwood Park and the Austin and Humboldt Park neighborhoods  for over 35 years. So attend and drink up!

CATHY MALLERS & DEAN’S TEAM CHICAGO