Click to contribute now to our Migrant Response efforts via PayPal:
Migrant Response Support
On Halloween night 2023 during the first snowfall and frigid temperatures of the winter season, nearly 200 migrants (many of whom are children) living in tents outside of a nearby city police station, arrived in Oak Park seeking warm shelter from the life threatening weather conditions. Since then it’s been heartening to see how Oak Park Area community members and various faith communities have come together in the past few months to provide much-needed support.
The kindness and empathy shared with these individuals is truly admirable.However, we are now at a crossroads as The Village of Oak Park will end its official engagement with this asylum-seeking community on February 29, 2024, with no other options but to return to city shelters.This is a moment for the many pillars of our community to come together to navigate viable and sustainable paths forward for the new arrivals.
A Resettlement Task Force (consisting of local area volunteers and immigration advocates), alongside The Community of Congregations, and in collaboration with Housing Forward and West Cook YMCA, share a mission to coordinate a thoughtful, intentional, and impactful transition for the current Oak Park migrants who choose to work with us and will center their needs. We are seeking to connect asylum-seeking Oak Parkers to safe and secure long term housing options in the Chicagoland Area and beyond and raise a years rent in order to help provide them with the time needed to establish roots along this next step of their journey.
We firmly believe in our communities’ collective intellect, creativity, and compassion to help provide them with the sense of stability and security they so desperately need while helping to give them the tools required to survive in this foreign land and start living the life they braved unimaginable circumstances to have. We know that the hard work of resettlement can be collectively shared by the many who are moved to support in manifold ways.We remain committed and hopeful for success in these endeavors and rely on the support of the broader community to streamline support, funds, and resources.
Oak Park New Neighbor Needs
Oak Park Community Migrant Resettlement Mission
St. Edmund’s
Job Request: Individuals are working to establish themselves in the community. A critical piece is being able to work and pay their bills. There are some very talented folks who are eager to work. If you are interested in connecting with a worker please fill out the form. Skills include: chef/catering, cleaning, gardening/yard work/snow removal, painting, construction, carpentry, childcare, upholstery, moving furniture, mechanic, handyman projects, and more
The Resurrection Project
St. Christopher’s Church
Grace Episcopal Church
ROYAL
- Donate to ROYAL here
- donations go to supporting:
- A new neighbor’s holiday party
- Ongoing youth ESL class with our teacher, Diana
- Job Board (hire new neighbors)
Euclid Ave. United Methodist Church
Amazon Wish List (goes to a volunteer’s home in central Oak Park and is distributed across locations)
