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Friday, November 7, 2025From Albany Park and our surrounding neighborhood communities, brought to you by the North River Commission! |
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Last week, the NRC team joined two neighborhood schools - Patrick Henry Elementary and Helge A. Haugan Public School - to support their community-led fall festivals. These events were organized in response to community concerns and aimed to provide families and students with a safe and joyful space for fall and Halloween festivities.
At Haugan, our staff helped at the check-in table, welcoming families and connecting with attendees. At Henry, we provided support to our local brunch restauranteurs: Perfect Brunch Bros and Luella's Southern Kitchen by helping them set up and hang out treats. Across both schools, NRC worked alongside volunteers and school staff to foster connection, celebrate the season, and help strengthen the sense of safety and togetherness within the community. |
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Standing Together for Our Community
Since October 17th, NRC’s Affected Families Fund has supported neighbors and families facing hardship, providing groceries, household supplies, and essential care.
How you can help: -Donate to the fund -Support local businesses with takeout, delivery, or gift cards -Share this campaign with your network
Together, we can keep our neighborhoods strong, caring, and united. |
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Donate to a Community Food Pantry!
SNAP cuts are affecting members of our community and put food security at risk. You can make an impact by donating non-perishable food to our Community Food Pantries across Albany Park
🌎 These pantries are located at: 📍Restoried Bookshop | 4613 N Kedzie 📍The Scent Queens | 3728 W Montrose 📍Nighthawk | 4744 N Kimball
Shop local of you can 🛒 Small and independent grocers rely heavily on SNAP funds, so lets support our neighbors and the small business community!
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Tell us your vision for Arts & Culture in Albany Park! November 13, 6pm - 8:30pm 2951 W Montrose Ave
Let’s celebrate our community’s deep diversity, come together in joy and support, and create collective visions for the future.
Take our SURVEY on your experience of neighborhood arts and culture!
Then join us for a TOWN HALL on November 13th to share ideas and help shape the future of arts and culture in our neighborhood. |
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Community Resource Fair November 8, 12pm - 4pm 3100 W Wilson Ave
Spend the afternoon learning how you can show up for your neighbors in Albany Park and Mayfair! Meet representatives from local organizations and learn how to get involved, as well as hear from Humanitarian Relief Now on cross-cultural coalition building and advocacy. |
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| Fall Family Food Walk November 15, 10am Horner Park Field House
Walking Amigas is hosting a Fall Family Food Walk in Albany Park! This walk is about showing up for our neighborhoods by being present, supporting local businesses, and building community together.
The walk starts outside of Horner Park Field House then will go west on Montrose, up Kedzie and end near Lawrence — stopping to support local restaurants along the away.
Bring your kiddos y la familia, your stroller, your comfy shoes, and a warm layer.
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Night Market November 13, 7pm - 10pm 4342 N Elston Ave
Join Marisela Gutierrez with Realty of America and Katherine Tapiero of Comparion Insurance Agency to Sip & Shop, and help raise funds for the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights |
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| Roosevelt High School Holiday Help Drive 3436 W Wilson Ave
As Chicago prepares to brave the winter season, Roosevelt is looking to support our families in need. They are collecting donations of food, hygiene products, and winter gear. Students will receive Help Bags for Thanksgiving and Winter Break to provide support during these breaks.
If you are interested in donating, scan the QR codes. |
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Winter Clothing Drive 3737 W Lawrence Ave
Trilogy Behavioral Healthcare is accepting donations at their Winter Clothing Drive now through February 2026! |
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Free Wellness Day Saturday, 10am - 4:30pm InTouch & Motion 4028 W Irving Park Rd, Loft B
Join InTouch & Motion for a free community wellness event featuring yoga, sound baths, acupuncture, massage, tarot readings, and creative arts experiences throughout the day. |
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Your Holiday Wellness Blueprint! November 19, 11am - 12 pm
The holidays should lift your spirits- not drain your energy.
Join Endeavor Health providers for a practical, whole-person approach to staying healthy this season. |
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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! |
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Economic Development + Business Resources |
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Representing the North River Commission at the State of the Region event was an inspiring experience! This event was hosted by CMAP (Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning) at the magnificent old Post Office, a structure that perfectly embodies successful urban renewal. This event was a celebration of their 20th anniversary and the official launch of The Century Plan.
This ambitious plan sets a vision for northeastern Illinois for 2060 and beyond. It was a wonderful opportunity to connect with government, civic, and business partners, as well as a passionate community of free-thinkers and dedicated individuals who commit their lives to planning for a resilient future. We ended the day energized by our conversations, and with a collective hope for the decades ahead. |
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| Legal Basics Workshop November 12, 10am - 11am 3403 W Lawrence Ave Suite 301 (ring bell to enter)
If you're a business owner or entrepreneur, this is your chance to learn: 🔑 How to safeguard your business from common legal pitfalls. 🤝 When and how to effectively utilize a lawyer to your advantage. This is highly valuable information that could save you time, money, and stress down the road!
Can't make it in person? A virtual attendance option is available! Don't miss out on this essential session with experts from Rudolph Kaplan LLC. |
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Be a part of our Holiday Coupon Book! Now until November 13
Do you have a discount, deal, or special product you would like to promote in December?
You can be a part of our Holiday Coupon Book and draw in shoppers this holiday season!
Don't wait, submit your deals before it's too late! If you're curious what can see our previous year's book here. |
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| The Catalyst Grant: Fueling what’s next Deadline: November 14
Whether you're hiring new staff, modernizing equipment or expanding your facilities, this opportunity is designed to move your business forward and fuel what’s next.
Through the Catalyst Grant, as many as 88 established and growing businesses in select industries will have the opportunity to advance to their next stage of development. |
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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! |
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On Monday one of our staff members joined students from the University of Illinois Chicago’s Master of Urban Planning & Policy program in their class room to discuss the Albany Park Arts and Culture Plan. This meeting was a great opportunity for NRC staff to hear directly from the students on what they were seeing, observing, and hearing not only from the community as a whole but also from the organizations and folks they had connected with.
Our staff is super excited to continue working on this project alongside the UIC students and the 33rd Ward Office. And while this partnership is just a jumping off point, we look forward to finding out what more we can do to support Albany Park.
If you haven’t already, mark your calendars for our final town hall on November 13th from 6pm to 8:30pm at 2951 W. Montrose Ave. |
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Call for AAPINH Artists and Vendors Apply be December 31
Asian American Arts Chicago is seeking artists, performers, vendors, and makers across all mediums and disciplines to participate in Evolutions: Asian American Arts Festival. |
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| Opportunity for Chicagoland Artists! Deadline: November 28th at 5pm
The Harold Washington Library is seeking visual artists for 8th floor exhibits running April 2026 - March 2027.
Selected artists will display their work for 11 weeks and lead one art or craft workshop for adults (honorarium and materials covered).
Interested? Email entries to art@chipublib.org. Decisions will be announced by December 15. |
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30th Chicago Asian American Jazz Festival This weekend! 3429 W. Diversey Ave, #208
The critically acclaimed annual Chicago Asian American Jazz Festival (CAAJF) is an essential cornerstone for highlighting and documenting the significant role that Asian Americans and their collaborators have in contributing to the city’s historic and vibrant musical landscape since 1995.
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| Power Trip Film Screening November 16 at 1:30pm 2951 W Montrose Ave
Join Movement on Montrose for a film screening and Q&A with the filmmaker behind Power Trip, a film focused on the media culture around high-risk driving.
This event is free and open to the public, but pre-registration is required. Light refreshments will be provided. |
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North River Commission, in partnership with Wintrust Mortgage, hosted a First-Time Homebuyers Workshop. Led by Johnny Jozwiak, a loan originator and mortgage expert with Wintrust, prospective homeowners learned the ins and outs of the home buying process. Johnny did a great job of demystifying the topic and participants left empowered with a new knowledge of the topic. Plus, we had delicious catering from Tamales Mi Chula 😉 Thanks Johnny and the Wintrust Mortgage team! |
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| 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. |
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Do you have housing assistance needs or have housing-related questions?
Contact our housing specialist, Caelin at caelin@northrivercommission.org or call (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. |
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IEC Environmental Townhalls November 5th-20th
The Illinois Environmental Council wants you to be involved in determining what their state legislative priorities for 2026 should be!
They’ll dive into the policy that will help keep Illinois a national leader in environmental priorities. Local leaders and technical experts will highlight the top issues they can expect our decision-makers to consider in Springfield next year.
This is your chance to tell us which topics matter most to you and why. |
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| Get your planting toolkit!
Are you involved in or know of a community garden, school, club, or other community organization that needs equipment to plant or care for trees and greenery in the Chicago region?
The Morton Arboretum’s Chicago Region Trees Initiative is offering FREE Planting Toolkits that include shovels, pickaxes, pruners, loppers, gloves, and additional supplies and instructions.
Apply using this form, and they will see if your organization qualifies. |
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North River Commission Staff For more info, visit the North River Commission staff page: Kay Villamin / Executive Director (nagsasalita ako ng tagalog) Alexia Limas / FORGE Project Director (hablo español) Eve Miller / Community Development Specialist 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 / Parent Mentor Organizer (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 / Jennifer Aguilera (hablo español)
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)
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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 |
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