Public-private partnerships provide powerful possibilities for philanthropy
Oak Park and River Forest High School’s Project 2 is currently underway. The project involves building a new physical education wing on the southeast corner of the Scoville Avenue campus. According to OPRF Superintendent Greg Johnson, the construction would not be possible without the support of The Imagine Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that works to…
Community Foundation names Carrie Summy new leader
Carrie Summy said her first interaction with the Oak Park-River Forest Community Foundation made her feel like she wasn’t the kind of person meant to get involved. Now after nine years working with the foundation to serve the west Cook region, she’s landed the agency’s top job and is intent on making sure the foundation…
GCM paper named best in Illinois
Dear readers, Last week we took a road trip to East Peoria. The Pair-a-Dice Casino and Hotel if you want to program your GPS. It was the annual Illinois Press Association conference and the editorial and advertising awards. Honestly, winning awards from your peers is gratifying. We don’t do this hard and good work for…
Infant Welfare Society welcomes new executive director
John McIlwain said he has wanted to help people since he was young. “I decided at the age of 12 that I was going to become a minister. The minister at my church put his hand on my head, and he said, ‘I won’t be surprised if this kid preaches someday,’” McIlwain said. And he…
New leader’s vision for The Neighborhood Bridge: to be a ‘lifeline to a better life’
Prentice Butler, the newly hired executive director of The Neighborhood Bridge, is looking to connect as many individuals and families as possible with needed services, including housing resources, employment aid, financial counseling and health care. The Neighborhood Bridge is a nonprofit established in 2023 with the intention to work with existing providers of services that…
OPRF Community Foundation to bolster racial equity with new partnership
The Oak Park-River Forest Community Foundation has announced a new investment partnership with Bivium Westfuller to help address systemic racial inequities. The new, outsourced chief investment officer will begin to manage the foundation’s $35 million investment portfolio June 1. An OCIO handles investment needs with expertise without being in-house, according to a statement from the…
Styrofoam ban in effect in River Forest
River Forest’s ban on polystyrene took effect Jan. 1, although no citations will be issued for violations that occur in the first four months of the year and the ban will not affect smaller restaurants until 2025. The village board voted in September to prohibit food establishments in the village from selling or distributing disposable…
Oak Park polystyrene foam ban is in effect
Food establishments cannot sell or distribute disposable food containers that partially incorporate or are entirely composed of polystyrene foam packaging, a ban that went into effect Jan. 1. The limit on microplastics was an ordinance approved by the village board of trustees in May 2023. The decision reflects the village’s desire to mitigate climate change…
Oak Park’s north Athletico Physical Therapy team gives $1k grant to Beyond Hunger
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include the complete name of one person quoted. The Oak Park north Athletico Physical Therapy clinic was selected to allocate a $1,000 grant to a community nonprofit of their choice, awarding it to Beyond Hunger, a local hunger relief agency. Teri Miller, director of development for Beyond…
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