The Village of Oak Park | 123 Madison St.  Oak Park, IL 60302 | village@oak-park.us

Main menu

STAY CONNECTED

Make Real Change, Not Spare Change

The Village of Oak Park, in conjnuction with the Oak Park Coalition to End Homelessness, is lanching a campaign to educate the public about alternative ways to support people experiencing homelessness, or poverty, without directly giving money to panhandlers. Panhandling involves a person asking for money or something else of value in a public place. It can be passive or aggressive and it is legal in the State of Illinois. The Make Real Change, Not Spare Change campaign aims to:

  • Encourage residents/visitors to donate to area non-profits to support systemic solutions
  • Focus on long-term solutions
  • Support local businesses
  • Coordinate community resources
  • Improve public safety and its perception

The following organizations are active in the Oak Park community in the fight to end homelessness:

  • Beyond Hunger
    • Providing hunger-relief programming and services to 13 zip codes across Cook County, including portions of Chicago and its near-west Suburbs. Beyond Hunger's service offerings seek to provide the food, resources, knowledge, and skills people need to live healthy, active lives.
  • Housing Forward
    • Transitioning people from housing crisis to a permanent and stable home in their community. Through impactful services and strategic partnerships, we find innovative, systemic solutions to end homelessness. Housing Forward's strength is in our determination to end homelessness and our proven record doing so - one individual at a time.

  • NAMI Metro Suburban
    • NAMI Metro Suburban is an affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness. They are a grassroots family and consumer self-help support, education and advocacy organization dedicated to improving the lives of people, families and communities affected by mental illness in the western suburbs of Cook County. NAMI Metro Suburban is one of 600 affiliates nationwide.
  • Sarah's Inn
    • Founded in 1980, Sarah’s Inn has grown to be one of the most comprehensive domestic violence agencies serving the City of Chicago and the Western Suburbs. The mission is to improve the lives of those affected by domestic violence and to break the cycle of violence for future generations.
  • Thrive Counseling Center
    • The mission of Thrive Counseling Center is to build healthy minds, families, and communities by empowering people to attain mental and emotional well-being. Hope, resilience, and recovery form the heart of our programs and services.