In 1972, around two dozen people crowded into Bobbie Raymond’s Grove Avenue living room in order to think of ways to handle problems, like “white flight” and racial redlining, which plagued neighboring Austin and appeared to be heading straight to Oak Park.
Forty-five years later, the Oak Park Regional Housing Center, the entity that resulted from that conversation, and from Raymond’s master’s thesis, is celebrating its longevity with a special fundraiser “to help us continue our important work for decades to come,” according to an email the organization released earlier this month.
Throughout May, the Housing Center, located at 1041 South Blvd., will try to raise $45,000, or $1,000 for each year it’s been in existence so far.
“Donors will be able to ‘Buy a Year’ (or month or week) of the 45 years of our existence,” the statement read. “For a donation of $1,000, givers can celebrate a specific year and tell us why they chose it. A gift of $500 celebrates a six-month period, $80 a month, and $20 a week in an important time period in the donor’s life, or in the life of our integration work.”
The Housing Center is also distributing “Hate Has No Home Here” yard signs for residents to signify their support for diversity and inclusion in Oak Park. Interested community members can buy the signs at the Housing Center offices.
For more information on the “Buy a Year” campaign, or to donate, community members can visit http://www.oprhc.org/donate/.
CONTACT: michael@oakpark.com