The Highland Park Community Foundation (HPCF) hosted a socially distanced gathering to distribute its annual grant awards to local agencies and nonprofits on Wednesday, October 6th outside the Highland Park Community House.

This event was held in lieu of the HPCF’s annual Grant Awards Reception, which the Board canceled this year for health and safety reasons.

For 2021, the Foundation distributed an unprecedented 58 annual grants, totaling $613,200, an impressive $100,000 more than last year. These totals mark the largest number of annual grants and dollars awarded in the history of the HPCF.

The distribution includes $300,000 in grant funding the HPCF received from the City of Highland Park pursuant to an agreement through which the HPCF serves as a fiduciary for City funds set aside for distribution to nonprofits.

The Highland Park Community Foundation (HPCF) has appointed David Reich to the position of Chairman.

At the Highland Park Community Foundation’s annual meeting in December, David Reich assumed the Chairmanship of the Foundation. “I am thrilled to turn over the reins to David Reich. He will do an excellent job of advancing our current strategic initiatives as well as bringing new ideas to our Board,” said Nancy Mills, Chairman Emeritus of the Highland Park Community Foundation.

The Highland Park Community Foundation (HPCF) has released an additional round of emergency funds to help Highland Park and Highwood residents with COVID recovery. Since the March 2020 launch of the HPCF’s Emergency Response Appeal, the Foundation has provided 7 rounds of emergency grants. The total COVID disbursement to nonprofits who support residents’needs has now reached nearly $240,000, distributed through 106 grants.

Community members still struggle with urgent COVID-related needs. The most recent grants provided funding for food; shelter for victims of abuse and their minor children; PPE, cleaning, and sanitizing supplies; housing counseling for families facing foreclosure; hygiene kits for children from birth through age 12; supports for community members seeking to successfully re-enter the workforce; cot sheets used at naptime and reusable plates and bowls for children at a local pre-school; personal care products for high school students; mental health programming and therapy for parents; supplies for prenatal moms and newborn babies; and hotspots for reliable internet.

Highland Park, IL – May 9, 2019: The Highland Park Community Foundation is pleased to announce the Golden Apple Award recipient for 2019. This year’s deserving honoree is Patricia Castro, fifth grade dual language teacher at Oak Terrace Elementary School.

Patricia’s principals and observation team applaud her for setting the standard for good teaching. Patricia doesn’t create lessons; she creates experiences. Navigating in one language is tough enough, but Patricia does it in two. To benefit her students, she takes the core curriculum and adapts it to Spanish. Her dedicated methods change the way her students learn by encouraging them to believe in their own potential while fostering an environment where everyone is on an equal playing field. Each student brings his or her own ideas, strengths, desires, background, and knowledge to the group and ultimately becomes a valuable and participating member of the classroom.

“The Highland Park Community Foundation is privileged to honor Patricia Castro as 2019’s Golden Apple Recipient,” said Sara Sher, HPCF Golden Apple Selection committee. “Exceptional teachers such as Patricia are guiding the next generation of Highland Park citizens. Through our recognition of deserving life-enhancing teachers, the Highland Park Community Foundation can celebrate the profoundly positive impact that their exemplary teaching has on the children of our community.”

In 2010, the Highland Park Community Foundation and a local family foundation initiated an annual Golden Apple Award to recognize outstanding teachers in the Highland Park School systems. Nominations are made in a rotating cycle: K-5, 6-8, and 9-12. A selection committee, comprised of exemplary current and retired educators and administrators and former Golden Apple award recipients, evaluate the extensive application and complete a full day of observation. The final recipient of the award is chosen based on instruction, content knowledge, student and staff interaction, and contribution to school and community.

This year, nominations were accepted for full-time teachers in grades K-5 in North Shore School District 112 who have completed at least four full years of teaching. The committee received excellent nominations, and after a rigorous and intensive review process, nominations were narrowed to three spectacular semi-finalists: Patricia Castro, Amy March, and Becky Purse.

The HPCF Golden Apple Selection Committee met this May to determine the 2019 recipient. Patricia Castro receives a $2000 honorarium, a $500 gift card to Apple store, and a “Golden Apple” award.

All three of the semi-finalists will be honored publicly at the May 21 District 112 Board meeting. By honoring exceptional educators, the Foundation hopes to demonstrate the strength and importance of excellent teaching in helping young people reach their full potential.

The committed Board and dedicated staff of the Highland Park Community Foundation (HPCF) propel the work that is done year-round to raise awareness about the Foundation and funds we need to support our grants and provide critical funding for nonprofits that address unmet needs in our community. As our presence in Highland Park and Highwood continues to grow, so too does our team. With great excitement, we recently welcomed Caroline Mead as our newest Board member and Eric Zoberman to our staff.

Caroline Mead was raised in the suburbs of Kansas City and moved to Highwood with her wife Piper in the summer of 2013, where they continue to make their home with their two sons. “There are so many things that individuals in Highwood and Highland Park do to celebrate each other, to look out for one another. This community has inspired me to become involved with the HPCF.”

The Highland Park Community Foundation (HPCF) expanded its HPCF Covid-19 Emergency Response Appeal this month to include a second round of funding, totaling $60,350, for organizations that address the needs of the Highland Park and Highwood community. This response to the increased demand for services from residents impacted by the Covid-19 outbreak came just weeks after the Foundation’s initial $25,000 disbursement to address urgent needs.

The Highland Park Community Foundation (HPCF) is honored to welcome not only Gregory Auto Group as our 11th Corporate Champion, but also to have Jonathan Plotkin join our Board of Directors. The HPCF relies on local businesses as well as committed community members to further our mission of addressing unmet needs in our community and expanding opportunities for all Highland Park and Highwood residents. With Gregory Auto Group’s help, we will be able to fund essential services nonprofits provide for children and adults. Jonathan brings with him a creative perspective that will be used to further our mission in other respects.

Gregory Auto Group has served the Highland Park and Highwood community as a family owned and operated car dealership for the past 35 years. In addition to their extraordinary customer service, they are known for helping customers find the perfect car that suits their specific needs, and for ensuring the best deal possible. With several dealerships throughout the Chicagoland area, including Gregory Hyundai and Gregory Genesis of Highland Park, Gregory Mitsubishi in Lake Villa, Gregory Infiniti of Libertyville, and a variety of used car lots, their expert staff are available to fulfill all automobile-related needs for the community.

HIGHLAND PARK, IL — The Highland Park Community Foundation (HPCF) has continued to address the needs of Highland Park and Highwood’s children, families, and seniors during the COVID-19 crisis. The Foundation has awarded a third round of emergency grants totaling $34,380. With a total disbursement of $119,730, the Foundation has provided 40 grants to assist organizations providing critical assistance to the community.

For over 30 years, the Highland Park Community Foundation (HPCF) has provided annual grants to nonprofits and governmental agencies that support residents and enhance the vitality of the Highland Park and Highwood community. These grants focus on maintaining and enhancing programs for residents that pertain to education, human services, senior services, services for individuals with disabilities, and the creative & cultural arts.

Creative and Cultural Arts

Arts and culture are not luxuries, they are essential commodities with social, economic, and health benefits. We are proud of the fine arts, music, writing, and literature programs and resources available to Highland Park and Highwood residents. For our community to reap their full benefits, however, there needs to be equitable access to them and expanded opportunities for their growth.

HPCF is pleased to support and promote creativity at a grassroots level by investing in recurring festivals, events, and programs that promote arts and cultural participation, celebrate diversity, foster connections, and provide creative experiences for residents of all ages.

The Highland Park Community Foundation has launched a Corporate Champion Program to provide the opportunity for businesses to become philanthropic partners and help the Highland Park/Highwood community at a time when communities need support like never before.

Mesirow Financial has signed on as HPCF’s first Corporate Champion, making a substantial commitment at the Platinum level. The independent, employee-owned financial services company has pledged a 5-year commitment to support the foundation’s mission to address unmet needs of Highland Park and Highwood residents.