Oak Park Nonprofits and Charities

I greatly appreciate the opportunity to help support such an important organization. The leadership team provides many opportunities and is particularly effective with their communication. All in all, good people helping other good people.<br>Bruce Phillips

I went through seminar in 2016 and have been involved ever since! Going through the seminar helped me become more confident in who I am both personally and as a leader. <br> <br> It's impossible to describe seminar without personally attending, but trust me when I say that it is truly lifechanging. Stepping into seminar, I was scared. I would have to talk to and spend an entire weekend with people I didn't know. However, as soon as my parents dropped me off, I knew that ILS was going to be an irreplaceable experience. By the end of seminar, you truly feel a part of the ILS family. <br> <br>During my seminar I got to interact with a diverse group of people (something I wasn't exposed to in my small hometown) while learning more about being a leader. ILS is accepting of everyone as they are, and that really shines throughout the seminar. This seminar isn't a weekend full of "to be a leader you need to be in charge and outgoing," it teaches you how to actively become a leader in your community--no matter if you are loud and talkative, or quiet and more reserved. ILS has given me skills to bring back my high school and now my college. Everyone you meet in the organization is welcoming, and open to conversing and getting to know you. <br> <br>The seminar is amazing all in itself, but the alumni community is even more impactful. I've met amazing friends through this organization, and have earned valuable experience in my future career of media through volunteering on the media team each summer. This org has given me a support system I know that I can always turn to, and I honestly cannot imagine what my life would be like without having gone to and stayed involved with ILS.

I purchased planners "The get it done no matter what planners for myself and my team at work and they helped us stay grounded and focus".

I am a new Board Member, a trained singer and a parent of a child who has been with Pro Musica for two years. Watching my son grow not only in his musical abilities but his sense of accomplishment and pride in his participation with this group has been so worthwhile. My child is nine and has gained confidence not only in his singing ability but also in his ability to perform in front of others with minimal nervousness. This Chorus will help him tremendously with the fabulous musical talent available and has enabled him to be a better more rounded out all around person. This Choir is ongoing to these fortunate children through their teacher's love, compassion and hard work for sharing music.

Supervisor and case worker threatened to take away my baby without any paperwork if we did not comply with services which was all voluntary. They are not all on the same page stories are mixed up. Very uncomfortable and stressful situation from a simple accident of dislocating my arm while asleep. Refuses to stop coming to our home unless we do services.. very rude and disrespectful. Supervisor stated they do not like animals of any sort and pushed away my baby kittens forcefully thankfully none of them are injured. Overall a failure.

I was to foster a kitty before adoption because he really hated the shelter and the other cats. They said I should foster the kitty to see if he is a good fit. I agreed to go to the shelter to sign foster papers on Sunday Sept 29th at 5:45 with the adoption consular and when I got there she was gone. I waited 25?minutes outside to talk to some manger just to find out they will tell the consular to call me on Monday. Well they didn’t have the nerve to call and apologize to me on Monday for driving all the way from Darien to Oak Park for nothing because I did not get my kitty. I truly wish these people who work / volunteer their would put the animals first and not themselves

Pro Bono Network is a small organization that makes a significant personal impact on the lives of the people it supports. Both volunteers and clients love it. And so do partner organizations, like mine!

The Executive Director of Seven Generations Ahead is a transformational leader always prioritizing efforts that have the greatest impact. His staff are knowledgeable and passionate at promoting, educating, and leading for a more sustainable future.

This organization has now reached its 20th anniversary, and continues to accomplish much for women and girls. Last year I visited one of its sites in Kenya and was overwhelmed by the warmth of the greetings of the the beneficiaries and the local staff. The latter is key to success of a grassroots organization. This year has seen the dedication of a library and computer center, the only one in that rural region of Kenya. I am proud to have been chosen a board member of the organization.

Cover Thy Brother and Sister has been a very important part in the community the reside in. They fed and clothed over Seven Hundred families each year. They have given over 500 hundred bibles and a thousand care bags to the homeless. They have given their time and resources to those that are in need. And all of this have come from out of pocket.<br><br>My desire is that one day some one like you would fund this great dream. <br><br>I love this Center. It has blessed me and my family as well.

I dedicate considerable time, energy and dollars to Friends of Seraj – most of all because I've seen for myself what a difference these libraries make for children and families in these rural West Bank villages and refugee camps. Children delight in reading, practicing computer skills, receiving tutoring by young adults. It's a very tangible support for those seeking justice and peace in the Holy Land.

I have never worked with you but this is a great organization

namimetsub is a safe haven for me and though i haven't frequented there in recent times, it is comforting in the back of my mind knowing i could patronize there when i choose. -matt cordtwist

I am a middle aged non-professional dancer who has been transformed in the last 10 years by InterPlay. When I started, I was NOT middle aged, didn&rsquo;t have grey hair and certainly did not consider myself a dancer. As time has progressed I enter into mid life with ease and grace with the tools I have found in InterPlay....Dancing all the way! When I dance alone, I am a solo dancer, when I dance on behalf of someone or some circumstance, I am prayerfully dancing. I dance at work albeit in my cube in the corporate world, but I dance! I dance with an incredible ensemble, Off The Deep End; which sprang from InterPlay. I stepped into InterPlay's philosophy, jumped into the Programs that lead me to a deeper understanding of my own being and I dance, dance, dance! In Raleigh, North Carolina there is a strong InterPlay community that embraces diversity, encourages, affirms and provides opportunities to play and dance.

Violence Prevention at-risk youth involvement with referrals and follow up assistance. <br> <br>Back to School distribution to the Austin Community in Chicago, Illinois. <br> <br>Military Month of May - distribute care packages to Veterans @ Hines hospital final stage unit. <br> <br>Referrals: Suicide Prevention, youth & adults <br> <br>Job training: Ex-offender women, homeless women, job placement. <br> <br>Adopt-a-Senior - Christmas <br>www.lifefoundationoutreach.org <br>

This group is the definition of grassroots volunteerism. This is a nonprofit that exists to make a difference in the lives of those in the community via education outreach in the form of health awareness events and youth empowerment. I came to connect with this group as my neighbor started this group (actually her kids started it) and my boys and I began helping at the various events. At first, we would show up at mainly the yearly cancer bag stuffing event- to prepare for distribution to the local hospitals and clinics. But, when you know Mrs. Cisco and her family- and the extended CCP family, it's nearly impossible to not become more involved, as you see her positivity reaching everyone and anyone she touches and meets. She is a walking example of moving forward and doing something meaningful with your life, and how could I not want to expose my kids to such inspiration. She is a five time cancer survivor who sees her mission in life to share her story to make a difference by empowering youth to be respectable, respectful, educated people who make differences themselves, and by educating all who will listen about cancer prevention. Mrs. Cisco is a force to be reckoned with, and one that not only is a trained educator, but more importantly is on a mission to make a difference. My boys and I are so honored to be a part of the CCP team, in the small ways we can, by spreading the word about what CCP does, by showing up at events in the community, and by helping CCP achieve it's goals as best we can. I think that sometimes when people think that their nonprofit work has to be on a big scale they're mistaken. CCP is a perfect example of making a difference in your community- whether it's by donating care bags to cancer patients at the holidays, or by organizing STEM events for teenage girls, or just by setting up cancer education workshops, it doesn't have to be a big production to be helpful. Sometimes it just takes one amazing family to start the ripple of huge differences, that make waves of change. I'm so honored to be a part of such a remarkable group.

I started volunteering for the Chicago Fringe Festival while still living in Milwaukee. I clocked thousands of miles driving back and forth multiple times a month for six years before I finally moved to Chicago. I never considered quitting because of both the people involved and the mission. It truly is about building community, making the arts accessible and supporting artistic risk-taking. It has never taken the easy route - staying committed to being unjuried, returning 100% of the ticket sales back to the artists, supporting a diversity of voices and producing the festival in an artistically underserved neighborhood. To this day the staff remains 100% volunteers. Rather than money and glory, they get to grow professionally, meet amazing people and support new, weird, adventurous, challenging art and activate a community located far from the arts hubs of the city. $5,000 would be a game changer for this amazing group.

The African American Christian Foundation has impressed me as being a very responsible, effective and accountable nonprofit organization serving youth in Chicagoland.

20 years ago my own sister was a victim of domestic violence and I knew back then that I had to help to break the cycle somehow, someway one day. I did just that when I joined the board of directors at Sarah's Inn and have seen the impact that we as focused and mission driven board members make in our communities. We bring hope to those who feel hopeless. We all have a civic and morale duty to our familiies, friends and strangers who face this tragic way of life day after day. We stand together in solidarity to say "enough is enough" and that we can no longer consider it someone elses problem, it's ours. Together we can educate and stop the cycle of domestic violence once and for all.

The Illinois Vaccine Awareness Coalition does not appear to be in compliance with any of the requirements of 501c3 status. No board of directors is listed, no 990 forms have been filed with the IRS, and the information presented on their website year old and has been proven false. <br> <br>This does not appear to be a legitimate organization. No person with expertise in the field of child immunization seems to be affiliated with this organization.

By providing band and orchestra instruments, and supporting low-income students with music books and lessons, scholarships for summer band camp, relationships with high school mentors, and cultural enrichment opportunities, PING! is making a big difference in the lives of 155 students this year. Our students' parents report that their children have more confidence, and that the lessons they learn about self-discipline and practicing also lead to improved academic outcomes. The kids love to perform with their friends, and to belong to a group within their schools. The board works hard to gather feedback from the families to create a supporting community, with regular informational meetings, special workshops, and outings to hear music in the area.