As a committee member for Senior and Disability Services, I have navigated the world through that lens for the past nine years. I soon realized that even though I am a longtime resident, I had no idea what the townships actually do.
John Becvar, River Forest Township supervisor, and April Dugal, general assistance director for Oak Park Township, say the program they wish people knew about is the Emergency Assistance Program for Oak Park and River Forest townships. It provides financial assistance to residents for issues that shift their ability to earn income or pay for emergency events.
One such example is the strain some residents felt who were in the restaurant business and made their money from tips when the Democratic National Convention was here. Many restaurateurs and restaurant workers experienced a loss of income due to their restaurants being shut down for security reasons during the convention.
The Emergency Assistance Program steps in to help in situations like that. John and April, recalled a woman who was over 60 and was not able to pay her tax bill who received help paying her bill. They recalled another person who became ill and was not able to pay some basic bills. Both townships have services for seniors and youth, and collaborate in order to provide services and funds for low income individuals in our communities. Through partnerships with other organizations, like Chicago Furniture Bank, many domestic needs can be met.
John is a semi-retired former chief of procurement officer for Groupon and is active with Oak Park Area Lesbian and Gay Association Plus. He realized that, due to a death and some health challenges within his family, his mission in life was to no longer work 80 hours a week but rather serve his highest purpose volunteering to help others be more self-sufficient and stable. April, like myself, had a near-death experience which resulted in gallbladder and kidney failure. She has been in social services for 28 years.
John says, “People don’t know what townships do.”
Only 1 percent of our property tax bill goes to River Forest Township to provide for these needs. About 2% of the tax bill in Oak Park goes to Oak Park Township to help individuals in the community. Oak Park and River Forest dynamically work together to make life here a little bit better for everyone.
You can visit the respective township websites to find out more about these services (https://www.riverforesttownship.org/financial-assistance) (https://oakparktownship.org/general-assistance/) and if you do not need these services, maybe you can volunteer to help advocate for others.
EL Serumaga is a resident of River Forest.
