“It is often said that “knowledge is power.” The SEED (Seeking Education Equity and Diversity) curriculum helps program participants develop the knowledge of society and themselves necessary to drive personal, organizational and societal change toward social justice. Thanks to our Skokie Community Foundation grant, we were able to increase the number of trained SEED facilitators, training cohorts offered, and free training slots available for Skokie residents as we strive to create a more equitable and inclusive community in Skokie.”

“With the generous support of the Skokie Community Foundation, Turning Point and Skokie Public Library held nine free drop-in forums where between 9 and 20 teens joined Library staff and a Turning Point therapist to participate in discussions about the issues impacting their lives such as managing stress, relationships with others, moderating time spent online, self-care and available resources. After each meeting, the conversations continued with a make-your-own-taco bar. The program was so successful that we were able to secure funding for its continuation beyond the end of the grant period. We are grateful for our partnership with Skokie Public Library and for the Skokie Community Foundation’s support which has allowed us to craft a valuable program for teens in our community.”

“Thanks to our 2018 Skokie Community Foundation grant, together with the Talking Farm, our residents grew 3,176 pounds of produce this year. About 1,000 pounds of produce fed Orchard Village residents. We sold a third of the produce at four Skokie Farmer’s Markets and donated the final third of produce to the Niles Township Food Pantry. Talk about a win, win, win!!”

“Because of our Skokie Community Foundation grant, we were able to markedly increase the ability of staff of the coalition agencies to prevent and report incidents of abuse, neglect, and exploitation of adults with disabilities in Skokie. In addition, the multi-agency collaboration brought about because of the grant promoted a higher level of coordination and interaction of participating agencies in the community that will spill over into all areas of our work.”