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.

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 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.

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.

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.

The Highland Park Community Foundation (HPCF) has recognized three well-deserving Highland Park High School teachers with 2020 HPCF Golden Apple Awards. This year’s honorees are Josh Chodoroff, HPHS Band Director; Nairy Hagopian, Spanish Teacher; and Katrina Tolemy, Special Education Essentials Teacher.

“The Highland Park Community Foundation is privileged to honor Josh, Nairy, and Katrina as the HPCF’s 2020 Golden Apple Recipients,” said Sara Sher, HPCF Golden Apple selection committee chair. “We want to recognize these exemplary teachers for the valuable work they do every day on behalf of the children in our community. The Highland Park Community Foundation celebrates these extraordinary individuals for their positive impact and their teaching in both the classroom and the virtual world.”

The Highland Park Community Foundation bolstered the work of 15 community agencies that assist Highland Park and Highwood residents with a fourth round of COVID-19 grants totaling $25,000.

With this round of emergency funding, the HPCF has now disbursed 55 grants, totaling close to $145,000, to community organizations that are dedicated to serving Highland Park and Highwood residents in need of emergency assistance during the pandemic.

Agencies benefiting from this additional round of grants include: A Safe Place, Center for Enriched Living, Cradles to Crayons, Family Focus Highland Park, Family Service of Lake County, Glenkirk, Gratitude Generation, Highland Park Community Early Learning Center, Highwood Public Library, Jewish Council for Youth Services, Keshet, Northern Illinois Food Bank, Project Shop N’ Drop, The Josselyn Center, and Zacharias Sexual Abuse Center.

The Highland Park Community Foundation (HPCF) recognized Cookie Anspach Kohn with the 2020 Jack Blane Community Service Award.

“We are thrilled to honor Cookie with the annual Jack Blane Community Service Award,” said David Reich, HPCF chairman. “Her dedication to service within our community along with her selfless efforts to improve the lives of others are inspiring and truly embody the spirit of this award.”

“To be recognized as this year’s Jack Blane Community Service Award recipient is an honor,” said Cookie Kohn. “I am extremely grateful to Jack Blane for his leadership and generosity and the friendship we shared. I am also so grateful to serve as a Highland Park Community Foundation Board member. I have learned so much from the organizations that provide critically needed services for Highland Park and Highwood residents.”

52 programs and services benefiting Highland Park/Highwood residents receive funding.

The Highland Park Community Foundation (HPCF) announced its annual grants distribution for 2020. The Foundation awarded $512,550 in grants to support 52 programs and services provided by local nonprofits to assist and enrich the lives of Highland Park and Highwood residents.

This year’s grants were funded primarily by contributions from the community in support of the Foundation’s annual fundraising efforts, with additional funds coming from the Foundation’s endowment fund. The remaining $50,000 was funded by a grant from the City of Highland Park.

“We’re proud to provide such a significant amount of grant funding to address unmet needs of our community. This year’s allocation more than doubled the amount of funding distributed in 2019 ($225,00), which was our previous high,” said David Reich, chairman of the Highland Park Community Foundation.

We certainly do love to partner with everyone – organizations, individuals, and businesses, and others – who help our community! The first quote was not exactly right, however, the Rotary Club matched the HPCF’s grant that was provided to support Operation Warm’s efforts to ensure all children in our community have coats to make it though the winter – a basic need of many Highland Park and Highwood children that would otherwise have been unmet.

The Rotary Club of Winnetka-Northfield gifted new winter coats to children in need earlier this month, providing 250 of them to students in pre-kindergarten to eighth grade at North Shore School District 112.

The district serves Highwood and Highland Park.

“Our club believes a brand new coat is more than a coat, and offers a child physical and emotional warmth, confidence to socialize and succeed and hope of a brighter future,” said Rich Lalley, secretary/treasurer of the Rotary Club of Winnetka-Northfield.

Lalley said the Rotary Clubs of Wilmette, Wilmette Harbor, Glencoe and Lake Forest-Lake Bluff supported this outreach with cash contributions.