The Rotary Clubs of Wilmette, Wilmette Harbor, Winnetka/Northfield, Evanston and Evanston Lighthouse hosted a 5K walk/run on May 6 to benefit homeless individuals in Chicagoland.
The Saturday morning Gillson Park event began with remarks and fellowship on the stage of Wallace Bowl. The 10 a.m. morning walk and run took place down a path from Wallace Bowl around Gillson Park with approximately 100 registrants.
Light rain began in 50 degree range temperatures as the walk started, causing participants to bring out umbrellas. Dogs were allowed this year and wore dog friendly event T-shirts, adding to memory-making festivity.
The event’s goal was to fundraise more than $15,000.
Mariana Alfar of Evanston, president-elect of the Rotary Club of Wilmette, said 100% of the funds raised go to the homeless. Alfar came up with the idea for the newer 5K run/walk where each of the five participating clubs raises funds.
“We’re 100% volunteer, we want to do that, we want to help out, we want to make a difference,” Alfar said. “We’ve seen these tent cities, we’ve seen people in the streets, we’ve talked to the homeless.
“There’s a stigma around homeless people and what people don’t know is that most of the homeless are older men that lost their jobs and a lot of them are women in their 60s that are divorced,” Alfar said. “There’s a lot of stigma around homeless people.”
Alfar explained that many of those experiencing homelessness are considered the working homeless, who work everyday but don’t make enough income to afford bills, rent and other necessities. This forces them to have to spend their nights on the street.
“And we forget that, we forget that there is a big sector of the homeless that needs our help. They have to have medical help, medical treatment, they lack that,” Alfar said. “They lack support in so many things.”
Event recipient agencies included Fraternite Notre Dame of Chicago, which has a St Roger Abbey French patisserie store in Wilmette at 1101 Central Ave., La Casa Norte of Chicago, Connections for the Homeless of Evanston and Interfaith Action of Evanston.
“There’s a big need,” said Shawn Iles of Evanston, Rotary Club of Evanston member and Interfaith Action of Evanston assistant program director whose role at the interfaith agency includes the management of the overnight emergency shelter.
Interfaith Action of Evanston offers soup kitchens, a produce mobile, overnight shelters and a hospitality center, among other services. The overnight shelter accommodates 25 people a night from October 23 to May 20.
“My waiting list is over 50 people,” Iles said of the overnight shelter.
Among recipient agencies describing their work and gratitude to event attendees included Elle M. Ullum, associate director of development, communications and donor engagement for Connections for the Homeless of Evanston.
“It’s so nice to be here and see all the people come together,” Ullum said.
Angelina Sidney, director of facility asset management for La Casa Norte of Chicago, said, “Our program is very distinctive because in the City of Chicago there’s not a lot of beds for homeless youth.
“We provide the majority of the beds for the homeless youth in the City of Chicago,” Sidney said. “We’re always grateful for anybody that’s willing to help out our program.”
Sisters Virginia and Marie Chantal also appeared on behalf as nuns with the Fraternite Notre Dame of Austin Chicago in front of the group to offer gratitude and information about their mission.
“It’s terrible because they (homeless) live under tents, sometimes no tents, just on a couch,” said Sister Virginia. “And the snow is around and the rats are around too and it’s very, very terrible.
“So we bring them hot meals, cooked meals … they really like it because most of the time they just eat peanut butter sandwiches,” Sister Virginia said. “So when we bring (a) very good meal that means a lot and it means that we really care for them.”
Among local residents and Rotarians taking part were Heidi Voorhees, formerly of Wilmette, Terry Porter of Wilmette, Frank Candioto (of the Rotary Club of Wilmette) and John Held of Winnetka.
“This is a great service opportunity,” Held said.
Candioto said, “Everybody doesn’t know how to give back sometimes and this is an opportunity for anybody to participate.”
About the philanthropy on Saturday, “It’s a multi club effort,” Porter said.
“Homelessness has increased everywhere in the country,” Voorhees said. “We’re seeing it in parts of the country that people have not seen it and there are people experiencing homelessness for a wide variety of reasons. And this is an opportunity to help them.”
Karie Angell Luc is a freelance reporter with Pioneer Press.
