St. Edmund School could house migrants, but needs are steep 

“No cuesta nada soñar,” is a common expression at the Catholic Parishes of Oak Park’s Migrant Ministry. 

It doesn’t cost anything to dream.  

It’s a phrase that motivates those at St. Edmund School forward. With an eye on housing migrants at the end of the month, the migrant ministry is balancing its work with an ambitious request to expand their help to those who left places like Central and South America to start a new dream in their home away from home. 

“We’re helping them, but they have brought a beautiful blessing to this community in Oak Park,” Rev. Carl Morello said. “We’ve got people who are Christian, Jewish, non-faith-goers all working together for the same purpose and that is to support and help these migrants.” 

The ministry began to provide services to migrants in June 2023 at St. Catherine-St. Lucy Church. Operations were later transferred out of that building to the St. Edmund School building at 200 South Oak Park Ave. to better accommodate the demand. While showers, which were provided at St. Catherine-St. Lucy Church are no longer available, migrants can still receive snacks, clothes and other necessities. 

Now, Morello, volunteers and the migrants are staring down the clock. The Village of Oak Park has asked Oak Park Catholic parishes to consider opening a temporary shelter location for those staying at the West Cook YMCA and The Carleton of Oak Park Hotel. Their deadline to move out is Feb. 29.  

The village was awarded a $1.9 million grant Friday to aid asylum-seeker services. St. Edmund was selected as a shelter because it can house between 80 and 120 individuals on its grounds. 

With news breaking Friday, it’s not yet clear how far those funds will stretch.  

To host migrants, the ministry would need to acquire cots or other bedding arrangements and a way to provide showers, Morello said. The school does, however, have a small kitchen that could be shared. 

Migrant families, rather than individuals, would be prioritized for this temporary shelter, Morello said, which would be open until roughly June. Nobody knows what will happen after that, he said. 

“A lot of what we’re doing right now, I compare to triage in an emergency room,” said Maria Allori, director of development for Ascension and St. Edmund Parish. “We’re trying to address immediate and basic needs.” 

The extra space at St. Edmund School has allowed for more efficient organization and distribution of donations, said one ministry organizer, Celine Woznica. Piles of clothes are organized by gender and size. Items such as socks and underwear are bought, not donated. 

“We feel very strongly about donations with dignity,” she said. “They [migrants] can actually select and try on something.” 

The school also has a dining room and play area for kids. Volunteers hand out food such as toast, ham, cheese and fruit while kids who are either too young to be in school or not yet enrolled play with toys, look at books and relax. 

Individuals from all different faiths as well as non-religious individuals volunteer their time to help migrants, Celine said. Roughly 35 to 40 volunteers come to help every Tuesday and Thursday, Celine’s husband, Don Woznica, said, in addition to volunteers who sort clothing and reorganize donations on Mondays and Wednesdays, respectively. 

“This ministry is so unique because it has pulled everybody together,” Allori said. “People really feel very aligned with the mission [of] this kind of work.” 

One of their dreams is to help migrants find opportunities for jobs and housing, Celine said. English classes are available now, taught by a volunteer, at the school on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10:30 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. for those who are interested. The ministry is hoping to expand services to Saturdays for those who can’t come during a typical work or school day, Allori said. 

“There is a need to really set them [migrants] up for success, so that they can be contributing members of society,” she said.  

Allori, a daughter of immigrants from Mexico, said she recognizes an even bigger need to help migrants who are struggling today, as compared to when her parents came here.  

“[Don and Celine] would love to expand more quickly, but they have to see if we have the volunteers to be able to do it,” Allori said. “There is an overwhelming desire to help.” 

In the dining room, a display of maps has pushpins showing where visiting migrants are from, including Venezuela, Colombia and Ecuador. It’s an opportunity for the migrants to share their history and story, Celine said. Other maps show where Oak Park is to help orient the new residents. 

The ministry has also hosted workshops to help migrants apply for temporary protected status, if eligible, Celine said, and they hope to have more. The ministry would also like to provide health, legal and counseling services in the future, Celine said, as well as sacramental services such as baptism and marriage for those interested. 

Certain items, such as men’s sweatpants, women’s leggings and underwear are the most needed, one volunteer, Margaret Burk, said. Blankets and boots are other high-demand items that are limited per person. Those interested in purchasing specific items can donate via the ministry’s Amazon wish list. 

Donations are now on pause until the spring, according to organizers in a note to the Journal.

“Thank you to all who have donated to the Migrant Ministry at St. Edmund’s School! Because of your overwhelming generosity, we are able to put clothing donations on pause for now. You have kept hundreds of families warm and safe in the winter months. The migrants’ needs will change as we head into spring, and we will reach out with an update in the next few weeks. Thanks once again for the continuing community support the urgent needs of migrants.

Celine Woznica,
Migrant Ministry of Oak Park”

Note: This story was updated with breaking news Feb. 2. The village was awarded a $1.9 million grant. It also was updated Feb. 6 to add information that donations are on pause.