Friends for Bonnie

Term Highlights

Niles Township respite Center

community garden/certified monarch waystation

Recognizing a need for a dignified space for community members experiencing homelessness, Bonnie successfully advocated for a daytime Respite Center. The Niles Township Respite Center, located in a former school building of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Skokie, provides a safe and welcoming space to use storage lockers, wash clothing, take showers, get a meal, relax and work with social workers. The Respite Center opened in the fall of 2022 and has provided another avenue to uplifting and giving dignity to those in need and to the broader community by expanding an ethos of care and fellowship.

community garden/certified monarch waystation

Bonnie designed and organized volunteers to help plant a certified Monarch Waystation on the grounds of Niles Township Government to help protect endangered Monarch butterflies. Additionally, she leads a community grown, organic, vegetable garden to provide fresh produce for the Niles Township Food Pantry. She also started a composting program to turn unused food from the food pantry into garden soil.

Highlights

iga partnerships with d219, d68 & D73.5

She spearheaded an intergovernmental agreement with numerous school districts to ensure that families with school children facing eviction would receive financial assistance to help them keep their homes and allow their children to stay in school, without interrupting their education. This IGA also helps to pay for mental and behavioral health services, summer camp, and child care for area students in an effort to provide all children with equal opportunities and chances of success in their educational careers.

started holiday gift card program

iga partnerships with d219, d68 & D73.5

She made the gift card drive our permanent annual holiday initiative because clients feel more empowered doing their own shopping – picking out just the gifts their family members desire.

increased amount of backpacks given

iga partnerships with d219, d68 & D73.5

started a food pantry pop up during covid

Through her increased efforts to fundraise, the township delivers thousands of fully supplied, high quality backpacks to students receiving free and reduced lunch.

started a food pantry pop up during covid

With the support of our village governments and school districts, Bonnie and Niles Township Food Pantry Manager Tony Araque devised a contactless, drive-up system to deliver necessary food, masks, and toiletries to hundreds of residents weekly.

Kindness Count Campaign

started a food pantry pop up during covid

Niles Township Food Pantry Fun run

She initiated a Kindness Counts campaign that runs in multiple Niles Township schools to encourage upstanding and anti-bullying behavior.

Niles Township Food Pantry Fun run

started a food pantry pop up during covid

Niles Township Food Pantry Fun run

An event to bring the

community together and raise funds to make sure our students from families in need were adequately prepared for the school

year ahead.

We supplied some 2,000 children

from our Township with backpacks

loaded up with essential new supplies

last year.

Our Fun Run has become an ideal

way to support this effort while also

serving up a festive party

for reconnecting with

neighbors.