Community Outreach at Its Best

Oak Park Township Senior Services and River Forest Township representatives offer ways to help the townships deliver high-touch services

Wonder Works Children’s Museum’s CEO Rachel Rettberg recruiting at the Meet & Match.

Kristin Carlson Vogen, President & CEO Oak Park-River Forest Community Foundation with Phillip Jim?nez, President & CEO West Cook YMCA, delighted at the turnout.

More than 250 people visited the Volunteer Meet & Match to connect with opportunities to give back to the community.

New Moms table next to the Oak Park Education Foundation participating in the event.

OPRF Community Foundation’s Program Officer Elizabeth Chadri, volunteer Isaac Chadri and leading member of the Volunteer Meet & Match Organizing Committee, Ruth Reko, greet visitors to the Veterans Room of the Oak Park Public Library.

Animal Care League’s Justin Wheeler, Volunteer Program Intern and Hannah Voss, Programs and Development Manager, share information on volunteers needed.

Seven Generations Ahead’s Lisa Daleiden-Brugman works adjacent to representatives from the Sugar Beet School House

Oak Park Art League’s Executive Director Julie Carpenter, and Oak Park Regional House Center’s Stuart Barnes Jamieson engaging guests.

More than 270 people came to the Volunteer Meet and Match event hosted by the Oak Park Public Library on Wednesday, April 13.  This event, during National Volunteer Week, helped potential volunteers connect with local nonprofits that address the causes they care for. The West Cook YMCA, the Oak Park River Forest Community Foundation, Ten Thousand Villages, Ernest Hemmingway Foundation and the RSVP of West Suburban and Southern DuPage organized the event. The forty participating nonprofits reported great success in signing up new volunteers. Cheryl Munoz for the Sugar Beet Schoolhouse said, “Great event! We have so many wonderful leads for new volunteers.” Marty Colchamiro for the Crop Walk found a volunteer to help with social media. The Library’s Sharon Grimm remarked, “People continue to report how successful they felt it was and what a good idea it was. Even those whom I saw who are currently volunteering at the library felt they found some additional opportunities to contribute.”