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.
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 …
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The drive goes until Jan. 7 and will benefit Hesed House in Aurora.
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. …
9:15 pm on Monday, October 31, 2011
Thanks so much for coming out to cover the story! This was a great experience for us as students, and it is just as important to get the word out about the need in the community. more ›
Rotary Club of Oswego hosts local event to help causes near and far.
On Saturday, the Rotary Club of Oswego invites you to a one-of-a-kind event featuring a polo match, live music, dinner, dancing, beverages and a silent auction. The event occurs at Arranmore Farm and benefits charities supported by the Rotary Club. Dean Kleronomos has been a member of Oswego’s Rotary Club for eight years and he will play in the Chukkers for Charity polo match. “Chicago used to be the polo capital of the U.S., and the sport remains popular in the area,” said Kleronomos, who has played for 20 years. “Chukkers for Charity is a great day out, and you will have a very different experience. “This is definitely an adult event. Polo is a violent sport with speed and contact — it is basically hockey on horseback,” Kleronomos said. …
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37 students were nominated for the Oswego Family YMCA of Metro Chicago’s first Teen Character Awards ceremony.
Ryan Dowd has never started a company as successful as Facebook. He has never climbed Mt. Everest. He has never won a Grammy award. “I’m not particularly successful by some people’s definition of success,” the executive director of Aurora’s Hesed House told a group of students and their families Thursday night at Oswego East High School. “I’m just an adult who still hasn’t figured out he can’t save the world.” But Dowd, the keynote speaker of the Oswego Family YMCA of Metro Chicago’s first Teen Character Awards ceremony, told the 37 students who were nominated they don’t have to grow up. “Not if growing up means giving up on trying to save the world,” he said. The Teen Character Awards were designed to honor those teens between the ages of…
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End of election season brings good news from head of Character Counts!
As the Election Monster settles back down for a much needed break, life has, generally speaking, done the same for us around here. The election notices and window paint have been put away and lawns can be seeded without big signs in the way. As many of you remember, at the beginning of all of this the Character Counts! Coalition issued its press release stating that we would be watching the candidates and how ethically they were running their campaigns; we invited the community to do the same. Now that all is said and done, I am extremely proud of the way our candidates handled themselves, their words, and their overall campaigns all the way through. From the initial filings to the final results, you treated the community's issues and the …
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Group with members from Oswego, Yorkville, Montgomery, Plainfield, Plano and Aurora also committed to giving back to the community.
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 …
3:28 pm on Monday, February 21, 2011
I love Mother's and More. I have never met a better group of ladies working so hard for their children and community. I am truly blessed to be amongst these women! more ›
c.
9:24 pm on Friday, February 1, 2013
Awesome job, Chelsea! Your generosity and spirit are inspirational! I'm proud to know you! more ›