Thursday, January 31, 2013
Chelsea Chandler, an Aurora University sophomore, participated in the AU Sleep Out on the Quad to raise awareness for homelessness. Her experience prompted her to collect over 700 items for Hesed House and more.
One night of sleeping outside in freezing temperatures motivated Chelsea Chandler to take action and help the homeless. Her efforts resulted in the donation of nearly 700 items. Chandler, 20, is a sophomore studying Special Education at Aurora University (AU). Last October, Chandler joined fellow AU students and staff in Sleep Out on the Quad to raise awareness for homelessness. Chandler said that more than 100 students participated in the Sleep Out, with a low temperature that night of 36 degrees. The night included talks led by homeless individuals and a simulated experience of begging for food. “The next day I had a heavy heart and so much compassion. I kept thinking that I really wanted to help,” Chandler recalled. Chandler said her …
Thursday, January 17, 2013
The village chose Hesed House as the recipient of the donation because of “the service the organization provides to the community,” said Village Engineer Pete Wallers.
Editor's note: The following is information from the village of Montgomery. The village of Montgomery awarded $3,000 to Hesed House of Aurora at its board meeting Monday night. The donation came from funds raised by the village’s annual 5K, held in October of last year. The village chose Hesed House as the recipient of the donation because of “the service the organization provides to the community,” said Village Engineer Pete Wallers. Wallers, of Engineering Enterprises, Inc. in Sugar Grove, is a member of the Village’s River Run committee and helps coordinate day-of-race operations. Mary Ensor, director of resource development at Hesed House, attended the meeting Monday to accept the donation check and speak on behalf of the organization…
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
On Sunday, about 250 members of Community Christian Church in Montgomery headed out into the community to perform service projects. Church leaders hope to make this an annual tradition.
If you ask Carter Moss, he’ll say church is not a place you go. It’s an identity you bring with you out into the world. Moss is the pastor of Community Christian Church’s Montgomery campus, and on Sunday, he and his congregation set out to put that philosophy into action. For one week, the 12 Community Christian campuses canceled all church services, and sent their flock out into their respective towns, to serve any way they could. In Montgomery, about 250 people spread out over five locations, helping the community in various ways. Some stayed at their home base, working on a community garden and assembling a greenhouse at the church on Montgomery Road. But some headed down to the Fox River, to clean up litter and debris. They trawled the…
Monday, October 31, 2011
About 200 Aurora University students spent the night outside on Friday, to call attention to the homelessness problem in the Fox Valley.
Aurora University students walking past the quad on Friday night were greeted by a strange sight – about 200 of their fellow students sleeping outside. They brought tents and sleeping bags, and some erected cardboard structures to keep the chill night air out. But they weren’t there for fun. Participants in the first-ever Sleep Out in the Quad were hoping to call attention to the homelessness problem in the Fox Valley, and help out Hesed House, an organization doing a lot to combat that problem. The Sleep Out was shepherded by Kristin Johnson and Jonathan Dean, fellows with the university’s Wackerlin Center for Faith and Action. But Johnson said the idea—and the weeks of planning that followed—came mainly from the students themselves. …
Monday, October 3, 2011
A total of 289 runners signed up for Saturday's eighth annual 5K through Montgomery. Check out our video of the event.
The weather was perfect, and the village of Montgomery came close to meeting their goal of 300 runners for the eighth annual River Run 5K on Saturday. A total of 289 people signed up for the race, which wove from Village Hall north on River Street, east across Ashland Avenue, and then down through Boulder Hill before ending at Village Hall once again. Ray Heriaud of Sheridan won the 5K, with a time of 17:34. Ten-year-old Christina Rychov of DeKalb took top female honors, finishing the race in 20:48. Rychov said she started running competitvely when she was six years old, and has participated in 10 races. According to Village Intern Rachel Lange, the River Run 5K brought in more than $3,000 for Hesed House, the Aurora homeless shelter that …
Monday, May 23, 2011
This Montgomery resident and Hesed House employee is constantly looking to make the lives of others better.
Lynne Saidac likes helping others. Why? "It's so natural for me," she says. "It's just wanting to make people feel better about themselves." It's not about her, that's for sure. She excused herself as not being very interesting when we meet at River's Edge Cafe last week. I asked Saidac, of Montgomery, to tell me about her life and it turned out to be anything but dull. Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Saidac grew up a child of four, but she also had 45 foster brothers and sisters. Her Jewish parents took in foster children from the time that she was three years old. Not only did she learn to share the spotlight as a child, she also learned how to share her parents' love. "There was very little distinction between us and the foster kids…
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Group with members from Oswego, Yorkville, Montgomery, Plainfield, Plano and Aurora also committed to giving back to the community.
- THE NEIGHBORHOOD FILES
- Summer Scott
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Sunday, February 20, 2011
Mothers and More is more than a playgroup, a social network, a support group or an advocacy group. Perhaps more importantly, the organization provides an environment of acceptance for all mothers and encourages each woman to value herself. Mothers and More is a national organization founded in 1987 with a local chapter in Oswego. The Oswego chapter serves more than 75 members from Oswego, Aurora, Montgomery, Plainfield, Plano and Yorkville. Women with children of all ages are welcome. Members vary broadly in their work experience; some no longer work outside the home while others work full or part time. Mothers and More is “committed to creating a place for mothers to feel a part of a larger community of women who are experiencing the …
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9:24 pm on Friday, February 1, 2013
Awesome job, Chelsea! Your generosity and spirit are inspirational! I'm proud to know you! more ›