A TEAR-OUT GUIDE TO HELP NAVIGATE COVID-19 PAGE 25 From the Top A Profile of Open Arms Mission PAGE 4 Grass Lake School Student Perform Aladdin Jr. PAGE 27 Deeds of Kindness PAGE 29 Community Capture Our New Normal PAGE 34 SUMMER 2020 connections note Better Together. Connected Forever. e are apart, but more connected than ever… hardship and kindness. The goodness of our community is This community has always been rooted in shining through! the simple and important things in life; good As much as there is uncertainty about the impact of Wneighbors, helping hands, charitable spirits, COVID-19, we can be certain that our community is in this and a feeling of home. together and we are better for it. As we face the months These times that have fallen upon us are not going to be ahead, we will face them as we always have- with a strong here forever — the clouds will pass, the light will come in spirit, kind hearts, and compassionate hands. and we’ll open up again; stronger, rooted deeper in what it As you all know, the COVID-19 pandemic has challenged means to be part of the greater northwestern Lake County us all to rethink nearly every aspect of our organizations and Connections Note & Area Map & Area Note Connections community. operations. Given the unfortunate confluence of mandated As the challenges of sheltering in place rose, so did our pandemic preparedness measures and significant projected churches, our leaders, the sewers, the helpers, the doers, budget shortfalls, we have decided to move the this edition of the teachers, the officers, the firemen — everyone has risen Connections to largely a digital magazine, rather than a print up to protect the most vulnerable and help those in need. format. We will be printing a relatively small quantity for each Simple acts of neighbors helping neighbors. People that organization to have available for pickup by residents. have never met before are now connected forever through Be good to one another. Be safe and stay strong. AREA MAP - Emmons District 33 Connections, a quarterly magazine in publication since 2015, is a collaborative effort among several taxpayer- supported organizations to keep residents informed about news and events in Antioch, Lake Villa and Lindenhurst. We appreciate your feedback. Please send comments or questions to [email protected]. Mary Priller/MJPR Designs is a contributor for the magazine. Connections is printed by KK Stevens Publishing in Astoria, Illinois. 2 Connections Magazine I Summer 2020 table of contents Table of Contents Table ANTIOCH SCHOOL DISTRICT 34 Antioch Traveling Closet PAGE 22 CONNECTIONS Summer 2020 departments chsd117 elementary school districts 6 Lakes Community 20 Antioch School High School District 34 Keep on Learning Reading to Succeed at Antioch Upper Grade School 10 Antioch Community High School 26 Grass Lake Adaptable, Flexible & Willing District 36 Students Deliver Fantastic people & places Performance of Aladdin Jr. 4 From the Top 16 Village of Antioch 28 Lake Villa School A profile on Open Arms Mission Yours in Heart District 41 e-Learning Excitement 5 Community Contacts 24 Antioch Township Here to Support Our Community 30 Emmons School 34 Community 29 Lake Villa Township District 33 Capture Deeds of Kindness We Are Proud of Our Graduates Our New Normal: a Snapshot of e-learning. 35 Antioch Public 32 Fox Lake School Library District District 114 One Team...All In! Summer 2020 I Connections Magazine 3 from the top get to know our community leaders DETAILS Open Arms Mission From The Top From Key people in the organization: 3 part-time staff, Board of Directors, 64 core weekly volunteers and 15 churches/organization volunteer groups. Years in service: In our 20th year. People served: During April 2020, we served 1,091 households. During April we averaged 48 seniors doing drive up and an average of 113 senior deliveries. History of OAM additional pre-filled bag is given out. After the first Open Arms Mission was originally established month, we’re now spending more time at their car in 2000 by St Peter Social Justice Group. By catching up with any financial issues. For deliveries, 2004, as area demand grew, we became a our teams are now leaving boxes of food at the door community-based 501c3. Open Arms Mission rather than handing them to the client. A second is supported by the community. Our 64 weekly way we have been affected is the reduction of our core volunteers are community members, on the dedicated volunteers. We’re trying our best to have 3 nights a week of food distribution, community as few as we can in the building at a time. Third, we churches and community groups do the packing and deliv- needed to cancel our weekly Community Dinner at the Antioch ery to client vehicles and our Board is made up of commu- Senior Center. Also, since mid-March, we have added 67 new nity members. We are truly “neighbor helping neighbor” families. Finally, our main supplier of food is the Northern IL servicing Antioch and Lake Villa Townships by providing Food Bank and currently their sourcing has been challenge, food and daily living necessities for neighbors who may be therefore we need to purchase some of our food elsewhere. As struggling with life situations that challenge their finances. we move through this most unusual time, more changes may still arise. While all of this brings on challenges, we’re also very It might surprise you to know ... blessed with the community reaching out to help in many ways. I’m not certain the average Antioch, Lake Villa or Lin- denhurst resident understands that we have low income What is in the most demand residential rental apartments and homes, including senior due to COVID-19? apartments. Low income can be someone living on a Toilet paper, cleaning supplies, paper towels, laundry deter- fixed income of as little as $535, $756 or $1,100 a month gent and bar soap. Individuals and families on LINK (food supporting one or maybe a family of six. Fixed income can stamps) do not use their cards for cleaning and personal be Social Security for seniors or Social Security Disabil- hygiene items. ity for someone who cannot work due to an accident or job injury. Imagine having worked most of your life in a If a community member needs help, minimum wage position (probably working more than one what are the first steps to get help? job at a time) and now retiring, you’re going to receive the When a local family needs assistance, a good first step is to minimum in benefits as well, or someone in a low paying come during our regular distribution hours on Tuesdays, job who gets injured on the job and is not able to go back Wednesdays or Thursdays between 4:30–6:30 to receive food to work. It takes an average of 18 months to get Social and share with us your needs so we can determine how to Security Disability payments and during that time you’re help. If transportation is an issue, call 847-395-0309 so we living on savings, help from family and/or friends, and are can coordinate a food delivery or assistance. challenged by the bills adding up. If a community member needs help, what How has COVID-19 affected OAM? can they expect? COVID-19 has certainly brought on new logistical challenges. When you arrive during distribution hours, you will be First, we needed to rethink how we distributed our food in greeted in the parking lot by a volunteer who will hand you a an effort to keep clients and volunteers safe. For the past 19 number. There will be one page of paperwork to fill out that years, as families would arrive they would receive a number includes the name of each household resident and the main and enter our building in groups of 10. Today, clients remain in contact person’s phone number and address. We do ask for a their vehicle and we’re doing a drive up process. We pre-fill a picture ID and a piece of mail or something other than an ID box for everyone and for families of three or more an additional with your current address. Should you be homeless, we will pre-filled bag. For families with school-age children another pass on the address. 4 Connections Magazine I Summer 2020 from the top get to know our community leaders From The Top From What is the back story behind of their necessities. Adopt A Child ensures children have “Socks for the Soul?” Christmas gifts when their parents need to focus on paying In 2009, on behalf of OAM, the Close family initiated a rent or utilities. A couple of years ago we initiated a free campaign to provide warm socks for neighbors, sharing a weekly Community Dinner, averaging about 62 individuals little warmth and love during the cold months. Each month, a week and open to anyone needing a hot meal. (This is ca- Judy Close distributes to clients a pair or two of socks for tered by Piggly Wiggly, sponsored by community donations.) each family member that visits the food pantry. Over the past 11 years, 78,000 socks have been collected, sorted and How can individual community distributed. The socks are donated by schools, individuals, members and businesses help? businesses and community groups. At this time, cash donations are best. Rather than having the community out in the stores shopping, we can purchase in What’s your favorite memory while bulk.