Friday, January 30, 2026

From Albany Park and our surrounding neighborhood communities, brought to you by North River Commission!

NRC UPDATES

Meet the newest Chamber of Commerce members!

The Albany Park Chamber of Commerce is thrilled to welcome 5 businesses to our strong yet growing business community!

• The New Lincoln Antique Mall

• Culture Shock Chicago

• Total Spectrum

• AIK Family Health

• Northwestern Mutual

Stay tuned for events in 2026, such as workshops and networking "Coffee and Chat" meetings! If you're interested in joining the Chamber, contact Karen at karen@northrivercommission.org.

Community Events

Lawrence/Pulaski SBIF Lunch & Learn

February 4 from 12:30-2pm

4343 N Elston Ave

Join us for an informational session about the City of Chicago’s Small Business Improvement Fund (SBIF). The application period is open February 1st to March 2nd to businesses located in the Lawrence/Pulaski TIF district.

The SBIF grant is funded by local Tax Increment Financing (TIF) revenue and is made available to business and property owners located in a SBIF-eligible TIF district citywide. Grant funds may be used to reimburse a portion of pre-approved construction costs These funds can be used for new windows, roofs, doors, HVAC systems, tuckpointing, bathroom remodeling, and more.

Game Night For Good

January 31 from 5:30-9pm

3600 W Irving Park Rd

Bring friends or come make new ones - they’ll introduce you to some of their favorite fast, fun tabletop games, while supporting a good cause.

• Play games, collect tickets and trade them in for goodies from local businesses

• All welcome, all skill levels

• Snacks & drinks available

All proceeds go directly to supporting our neighbors through Albany Park Mutual Aid.

Winter Mercadito

February 7 from 3-7pm

2951 W Montrose Ave

Come together to support local street vendors and small businesses at the 33rd Ward's market at Movement on Montrose! Listen to live music by Arma Blanca, Mundo Alterado, and Jugaar while you shop artisanal goods, food, books, and more. You won't want to miss this!

Arts & Culture Night

February 12 from 4:30-6:30pm

3436 W Wilson

Join in on the festivities at Roosevelt High School and celebrate the diverse cultures of the community! There will be food, activities, and performances. Don't miss out!

Economic Development + Business Resources

Workforce Solutions Program

Webinars: First Tuesdays of the Month @ 10am

Be a part of the City of Chicago's active funding opportunity for local businesses businesses: the Workforce Solutions Program!

This program provides reimbursement grants to help employers train their permanent employees and new hires, including support for on-the-job training and industry-recognized certifications.

Greencorps is Recruiting!

Greencorps Chicago - the City of Chicago’s green industry job training program for individuals with barriers to employment - is currently recruiting potential candidates for this year’s Employment & Training Program!

During the nine-month program, Greencorps Chicago trainees earn a starting wage of $18.50, and receive practical experience, professional development, and classroom & field training in a variety of environmentally-related jobs with skills that are easily transferable to other industries. Trainees are offered several professional certifications. and are supported with wrap-around social services, a stable income, and assistance finding full time employment upon completion of the program.

Apply for a Community Development Grant

Until Februrary 13 or Ongoing

The City of Chicago helps support business and neighborhood vitality through Small, Medium and Large Community Development Grant (CDG) awards. CDGs use proceeds from the 2024 Housing and Development Bond and other funding sources to support a variety of eligible, business-related investments that create and maintain jobs and quality-of-life improvements for local residents.  

Applications are open to business owners, property owners, non-profit organizations, community developers and entrepreneurs.

City Inspections: Ask Questions, Get Answers

February 4 from 3-4:30pm

The Chicago Department of Business Affairs & Consumer Protection, Department of Public Health, and the Department of Buildings will provide insight on how operate a compliant business in the City of Chicago. Topics covered will include how to prepare for inspections, building permits and sign display requirements, food inspection overview and necessary certificates, and zoning review procedures. Learn how to operate safely and avoid common setbacks.

Presented by the City of Chicago.

Financial Management for Small Businesses

February 6 from 9:30-11am

In this webinar you will learn the concept of financial management and why it is important to a small business. You will learn to identify financial management practices, rules and tools that are commonly available. You also learn how financial management practices, rules and tools work along with the basics of start-up financing and growing a business. The webinar will also cover the basics of working capital and financing fixed assets.

Presented by Wintrust Bank.

Visit the Chicago Business Center (CBC) at NRC!

The CBC helps provide business licensing assistance and other resources to small businesses at a local level. To learn more, visit our website!

Arts + Culture

For the Love of Local: Sip and Shop

February 14 from 4-8pm

4432 N Kedzie Ave

💘 Valentine’s Day is quickly approaching. 💘

a. favorite design is hosting a market where they’ll have everything you need to make your Valentine’s or Galentine's Day perfect!

• Handcrafted Jewelry by Michelle Starbuck Designs


• Dried Florals and Spell Jars by The Floriography Fellows

• Confections by Katherine Anne Confections


• Bespoke Tea by Him + Her Vintage


• Letterpress printed Valentines by a. favorite design

Galentine's Workshop

February 7 from 3-5pm

3806 W Montrose Ave

Join The Jade Vine Flower Shop & Ten|4 Candle Co. for an afternoon of fun, curated to celebrate your cherished friendships!

Your ticket includes:

• A candle making class where you’ll be taking home a 9.5oz candle with a custom scent

• A floral design workshop where you’ll create a bud vase cluster to accent your home or gift to loved ones

• A portion of all ticket sales benefit local animal rescues.

Dance Jam

February 14 at 3:30pm

Rhythm of the Street

4301 N Kedzie Ave

Dance Jam is an improv circle for dancers who want to experience creativity on the fly. We dance with music for half of the hour and without music for the second half of the hour. This is a sharing, fun, community based activity for ages 3+. All kids under 10 must be accompanied by an adult. Come join us as we explore sound, music and movement.

Education

Parent Mentor Program Info Session

February 11 and 12 from 9am-12pm

Join the Parent Mentor Program and make a difference in the lives of students and teachers! Parent Mentors provide individual or small-group support to students in the classroom, closing equity gaps in our schools.

To learn more, contact Fatima at fatima@northrivercommission.org or 773-654-0989.

Resource Fair: Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month

February 10 from 4-6pm

3436 W Wilson Ave

Please join us at Roosevelt High School for our monthly public meeting that will feature a resource fair and presentation in support of Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month. The Resource Fair will be followed by the DC17 meeting and presentation at 6:30 PM.

Circular Economy Start-Up Simulator for High School Students

February start

Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago is launching a free, multi-activity, noncredit certificate program for high school students interested in sustainability, innovation, and technologies. Through this program, students will explore Circular Economy concepts and develop their own ideas for Circular startups using AI, AR and VR tools.

What Do You Want Your Library to Be?

February 5th-7th

Chicago Public Library is hosting community workshops at their regional libraries to hear directly from you. Whether you're a regular visitor or just getting to know us, your voice matters! These open-house style events are designed to gather your ideas, priorities and hopes for the future of CPL.

Workshop: Young People Co-creating STEM Engagement Projects

Tuesday, Feb 3rd at 1pm

Join the NISE Network for an online workshop on strategies for working with young people, including how to build their confidence to engage the public in science exploration and how to create a sense of ownership and belonging in STEM.

Free Tutoring

Mondays, 4-5:30pm

5250 N. Christiana Ave

North Park Covenant Church is offering free tutoring to students in K-8th grade! If you are interested in having your child participate in this opportunity, please complete the form below. You can also reach out to Christine Olfelt at North Park with any questions.

Book Reading: Mania and Other Stories

February 15 from 3-4pm

3401 W Foster Ave

Attend a book reading at Albany Park Branch Public Library by local resident Gail M. Glotzer!

Parks + Environment

Sell vegetables with Global Gardens!

For the first time in 5 years since Global Gardens started their Market Farmer Program, they are now recruiting new refugee families who want to make supplemental income selling their produce through this program. Do you know folks who might be interested?

They also have garden plots available for refugees to grow for only for home consumption.

Contact Haley for more details: haley@globalgardenschicago.org or 219-381-9347.

Park Voyagers

February 2nd - March 6th

5100 N Francisco Ave

Join the Chicago Park District this winter to discover the fun of Chicago's World-Class Museums through engaging hands-on activities and projects run by museum educators! This program is free but registration is required!

Park Roots Community Survey

Friends of the Parks is excited to announce the launch of Park Roots, a new initiative to engage our community of park users, understand how well Chicago’s parks are serving our neighborhoods, and identify priorities to guide the future for our 600-plus park system.

NRC Releases Tree Planting & Management RFP

The North River Commission (NRC) has released a Request for Proposal (RFP) for tree planting and management services in the Albany Park community. The selected contractor will acquire, install, and maintain approximately 250 high-quality trees across private and institutional sites within NRC’s service area from Fall 2026 through Spring 2028.

Proposals are due by 5:00 p.m. CDT on February 28, 2026, with the contract award announced on March 20, 2026. The full RFP—including scope, qualifications, and requirements—is available on the NRC website under Requests for Proposals.

Questions may be directed to Eve Miller at eve@northrivercommission.org or (312) 860-2144.

Want more trees in your neighborhood?

We’re growing a healthier, greener community - and we’re looking for private property owners who want a free tree!

Own a home, business, school, or place of worship? If you’ve got space, we’ve got trees.

Fill out our Tree Interest Form to help us bring more green to Albany Park - right on your property.

Housing

Is Your Roof Really Covered? Understanding Insurance Gaps Before Storm Season

February 11 from 6-7pm

Do you know if your roof is really covered by your insurance policy?

In this interactive session presented by Shawn Liu and Mickey Muldoon, creators of Roofcoveragereport.com, you'll learn what might be hidden in your home insurance policy, see a live demo of the free tool that helps you analyze your policy, and get a chance to use the tool to get instant insights on your coverage.

Bring your home insurance policy PDF! You'll get the chance during the webinar to upload it in the RoofCoverageReport.com tool for free, and get insights on your roof coverage before storm season hits.

Five-Year Blueprint on Homelessness

The Chicago City Council Committee on Housing and Real Estate met to receive a presentation by our Chief Homelessness Officer regarding the city’s new “Five-year Blueprint on Homelessness.” This plan envisions a future for Chicago in which homelessness is rare, brief, and nonrecurring, and in which responses are rooted in compassion and dignity.

Recent shifts in federal policy underscore how urgently Chicago needs a coordinated, locally anchored, solutions-oriented strategy to overcome homelessness. Funding threats place long-standing housing programs and the stability of thousands of residents at direct risk. Chicago must continue investing in what works like, permanent housing, proactive homelessness prevention, integrated health and behavioral health care, and strong coordination across support systems. You can read the full report, get involved, and offer commentary and feedback at the link below.

City of Chicago Emergency Heating Repair Program

Enrollment: 11/01 - 04/01

EHRP offers income-eligible Chicagoland owner-occupied properties with direct assistance to repair or replace their furnace or boiler heating system.

Qualified contractors perform the work at no cost to the homeowner with funding provided through the Department of Housing (DOH).

The assistance is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Do you have housing assistance needs or have housing-related questions?

Contact our housing lead, Caelin at caelin@northrivercommission.org or message (773) 919-3305 with your inquiries! She can help you access resources related to tenant/landlord rights, homebuyer assistance, financial education, finding a case manager, and accessing city, state, and federal programs.

Health + Safety

Apply to be in the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability

Open until February 7

The District Council Nominating Committee is seeking to fill three upcoming vacancies on the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability (CCPSA). These vacancies become effective in the summer of 2026 at the conclusion of the 2-year terms served by three current Commissioners. This nomination process opens up a unique opportunity for young people given that two of three vacancies must be filled by youth ages 18 to 24.

The Committee will be holding a series of virtual informational sessions for interested applicants. Any inquiries or comments can be directed to CommissionNomination@cityofchicago.org.

Upcoming immigration appointment?

Whether it’s a court appearance, an ICE check-in, a biometrics appointment, or something else — The Sanctuary Working Group is here to help.

The fear of what may happen when following the rules and showing up to where you’ve been asked to appear is keeping many families and individuals paralyzed and unsure how to proceed.

If you or someone you know needs accompaniment to an upcoming appointment related to immigration processes, please fill out the form as soon as possible. Interested in volunteering? Fill out this form!

Donate or get free food at a Community Food Pantry!

You can make a positive impact by donating non-perishable food to our Community Food Pantries across Albany Park today! Shop local and support our local grocers if you can! 🛒

🌎 These pantries are located at:

📍Restoried Bookshop | 4613 N Kedzie

📍Nighthawk | 4744 N Kimball

If you would like free food, visit these pantries and take what you need, no questions asked!

NRC STAFF

North River Commission Staff

For more info, visit the North River Commission staff page:

• Kay Villamin / Executive Director (nagsasalita ako ng tagalog)

• Alexia Limas / Education Director (hablo español)

• Eve Miller / Director of Community Impact

• Farah El-Nahal / Economic Development Specialist (أنا أتكلم العربية)

• Karen Milroy / Economic Development Specialist (mówię po polsku)

• Caelin Muniz / Economic Development Specialist (hablo español)

• Elisha Jurewicz / Accounts Manager

• Sonya Koffman / Community Programs Coordinator (Я говорю по-русски)

FORGE School Site Coordinators

• Haugan Forge Coordinator / Samantha Uribe (hablo español)

• Henry Forge Coordinator / Priscilla Train (hablo español)

• Peterson Forge Coordinator / Emily Berman

• Roosevelt Forge Coordinator / Miranda Whitaker

Parent Mentor Program School Site Coordinators

• Haugan PMP Coordinator / Lucila Esquivel (hablo español)

• Hibbard PMP Coordinator / Fatima Suarez (hablo español)

• Palmer PMP Coordinator / Maria Martinez (hablo español)

• Cleveland PMP Coordinator / Adriana Cervera (hablo español) 

North River Commission
The nonprofit community and economic development corporation for the Northwest Side of Chicago, from the Chicago River to Cicero and Addison to Devon, which unites 100s of civic associations, businesses, schools, institutions and places of worship to improve the quality of life for all constituents in our community by creating affordable housing, quality education, community safety and resilience, equitable access to health, arts & cultural endeavors, environmental responsibility, and thriving neighborhood businesses.

northrivercommission.org / facebook.com/northrivercommission / @northrivercommission

Copyright (C) 2026 North River Commission. All rights reserved.

Our mailing address is:

3403 W Lawrence Ave, Suite 301, Chicago, IL 60625

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