Highland Park Neighbors Magazine Articles

Every community has neighbors who need a helping hand. Sometimes it’s a family searching for affordable housing. Sometimes it’s a parent struggling to afford diapers. Sometimes it’s a young person navigating anxiety or trauma. Other times, it’s someone facing an unexpected financial crisis who simply needs the flexibility to decide how they can best use financial assistance made available to them to address their most urgent needs.

Through its Human Services grant category, Highland Park Community Foundation (HPCF) invests in organizations addressing those everyday needs, helping build a healthier, stronger, and more resilient Highland Park and Highwood. “It’s at the center of what we do,” said Bonnie Mervis, HPCF Board Member. “There’s nothing more important than helping neighbors when they need it most.”

For David Reich, HPCF Board Member and Co-Chair of the Grants Committee, the category reflects the Foundation’s commitment to supporting people at every stage of life. “Our community is very diverse, and the needs are significant,” David said. “We have organizations addressing very different needs — from children to seniors, from mental health to food insecurity. It’s important that we’re able to support all of them.” That broad approach is reflected in HPCF’s Human Services grantees, each tackling a different challenge while sharing the same goal: helping neighbors thrive.

One of those organizations is Housing Opportunity Development Corporation (HODC), which believes that stable housing creates opportunities far beyond having a roof overhead. “HODC builds and manages quality affordable housing, really focusing on creating opportunities for people to not only live, but also thrive,” said Laura Youngberg, Director of Fundraising. “Stable housing improves people’s health, employment opportunities, family relationships, community connections, and overall quality of life.”

HODC currently owns or manages 36 affordable housing developments throughout Chicago’s northern suburbs, including Highland Park. This year’s HPCF grant supports the organization’s partnership with Collaborative Community Housing Initiative (CCHI) on Highland Park Commons, an innovative affordable homeownership model for adults with disabilities.

Laura said HODC is contributing its expertise in affordable housing development, financing, and construction to help bring the project to life while creating a model that could benefit other communities in the future.

Bonnie noted that affordable housing remains an essential need, even in communities often perceived as affluent. “This community has a reputation for being very affluent, but it isn’t true across the board,” Bonnie said. “Helping people find affordable housing gives families housing security instead of worrying every month whether they’ll be able to stay in their homes.”

Another grantee is Keeping Families Covered, which addresses needs that many people don’t realize exist. Diapers, period products, and incontinence supplies are generally not covered by state or federal assistance programs, leaving many families to choose between purchasing essential hygiene products and paying for other necessities.

Founded in 2010 by Ann Marie Mathis, Keeping Families Covered has grown from a grassroots effort in her basement into one of northern Illinois’ largest hygiene banks, serving over 30,000 families each year. “One in two families struggle with diaper need, one in four individuals experience period poverty, and incontinence is the fastest growing absorbent hygiene issue among adults, ” Ann Marie said. “Our program is not just about removing barriers to basic hygiene. It’s about dignity and providing people with what they need to fully participate in daily life.”

HPCF’s grant helps support the organization’s mobile pantry program in Highland Park and Highwood, where families can access hygiene products alongside food and other community resources. Ann Marie said many of the families they serve are working but still struggle to make ends meet and Keeping Families Covered helps to fill the gap. “People shouldn’t have to decide between buying diapers and buying food or paying their utility bills,” she said.

To date, Keeping Families Covered has distributed more than 14 million essential hygiene products. “These are things that people don’t always think about,” Ann Marie said. “The cost of diapers and hygiene supplies is a tremendous burden for those with limited income. Every day, we help families get what they shouldn’t have to go without. We envision a community where every family has what they need to live with health and dignity—no matter their age, income, or circumstances.”

Mental health is another growing need throughout the community. For nearly 55 years, OMNI Youth Services has provided counseling, prevention programs, and crisis intervention for children, teens, adults, and families. “We wanted to create a place for everyone,” said Chrissy Trilling, CFRE, Chief Development & Marketing Officer. “No matter your background or ability to pay, we never want finances to be a barrier to receiving support.”

Today, OMNI serves more than 75,000 people annually and continues to see increasing numbers of youth struggling with trauma, anxiety, depression, and school avoidance. Chrissy said those challenges intensified following COVID-19 and the Highland Park shooting. This year’s HPCF grant supports a collaborative youth program in Highwood involving OMNI Youth Services, Glenn’s Friends, and the Highwood Public Library, providing a safe, welcoming space where young people can receive support and build connections.

“We’re seeing positive impact every day,” Chrissy said. “There are amazing organizations working together to meet these mental health needs, and support for these programs truly makes a difference.”

Bonnie, a retired school social worker, said investing in youth mental health benefits the entire community. “When you can help children when they’re young, you end up with healthy, productive adults,” Bonnie said. “I’m a great believer in therapy and support services for families going through crises.”

The Foundation also supports Direct Giving Lab, which takes a different approach to helping families by providing direct cash assistance. Rather than limiting how funds can be used, the organization trusts recipients to determine what will make the greatest difference in their own lives.

David said that flexibility allows families to address their most pressing needs, whether that’s housing, transportation, medical expenses, or another unexpected hardship. “It gives individuals the ability to use those funds in the way they deem most important,” he said. “There’s very little interference with their choices, and they can use the assistance where it will have the greatest impact.”

Bonnie agreed that direct financial assistance can be transformational for families experiencing temporary hardship. “There are times when people desperately need money,” she said. “Helping families through a financial crisis can give them the opportunity to get back on their feet.”

Although each organization serves the community in a different way, together they illustrate the purpose behind HPCF’s Human Services grant category: investing in organizations that meet people where they are and provide the support they need to move forward.

“It’s such a fundamental part of what we do,” David said. “We’re entrusted with community resources, and our job is to make sure those funds go to organizations doing amazing work in the most impactful way possible.” For Bonnie, the Foundation’s work is ultimately about creating a stronger community for everyone. “I was awed by the number of agencies and the variety of programs the Foundation supports,” she said. “It all adds up to making this a more caring community — one that truly supports its residents.”

Through its annual grants program, Highland Park Community Foundation invests in nonprofit organizations that strengthen the quality of life for residents of Highland Park and Highwood. By supporting programs that address essential needs — from housing and mental health to hygiene insecurity and financial stability — the Foundation helps ensure that neighbors facing challenges have access to the resources and support they need. Together with its nonprofit partners, HPCF continues to build a stronger, more connected community where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.