In The News

Beacon Place programs are always in the news! Read the latest coverage….

Waukegan agencies offer children a variety of spring break options

LAKE COUNTY NEWS-SUN |

MAR 18, 2022 AT 4:40 PM

While Waukegan youngsters are getting the upcoming week off from school for spring break, they can participate in a variety of activities ranging from carnival games, to building a tower, to a trip to the zoo, to getting a chance to win a prize as a spy.

The Waukegan Park District, Waukegan Public Library, Boys & Girls Club of Lake County and Beacon Place are all offering activities for children Monday through Friday at their locations in Waukegan giving youngsters a variety of options.

The charge for the park district’s main program is $33 for residents, and $39 for non-residents. The family events are free. The library activities are also free. At the Boys & Girls Clubs, the participants must be members. Participants in the Beacon Place activities must be community members.

All four organizations will offer activities with fewer restrictions than the past two years, when events were modified or canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic. Javi Martinez, a recreation supervisor with the Park District, said masks are recommended, but not required.

“There were a lot more restrictions last year,” Martinez said. “We’re still watching social distancing, but we’re able to do more things than we did last year.”

Spring Break Adventures is the theme for the Park District’s spring break program for children between the ages of 6 and 12. Martinez said parents can bring their children to Belvidere Park as early as 7 a.m., and get them as late as 6 p.m. The themed activity takes place between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Martinez said the early morning and late afternoon activities will be “low-key.” The children will solve some puzzles and do some coloring in between the day’s main activity.

When the children gather Monday on the second day of spring, Martinez said they will have the opportunity to plant flower seeds in a pot, decorate them and take them home. There will also be a nature walk, weather permitting.

Activities for the week also include watching a video about life under the ocean, and then making a starfish out of yarn Tuesday. Martinez said the children will enjoy a carnival atmosphere Wednesday, work with colors Thursday and do some magic Friday…

Beacon Place will welcome members of its community back to the center for full-time activities for the first time in more than two years after going virtual and hybrid because of the pandemic since March, 2020.Rosa Vara, Beacon Place’s parent and community outreach manager, said kindergartners through third graders will have an academic session Monday learning about animals with “fun” activities in small groups. Tuesday they get to see a variety of animals with a trip to the Racine zoo.

Fourth through seventh graders will learn about safety Wednesday in an academic session, and on Thursday they head to Launch Trampoline Park in Gurnee.

Vara said Friday will be a family field day for kindergartners through seventh graders, with eighth grade students through high schoolers helping the younger children with kite flying and other activities.

“The frog lady will visit us,” Vara said. “She will bring spiders, snakes and, of course, frogs. The kids will get to see them and touch them.”

Along with helping the younger children, the eighth grade and high school teens will go ice skating Wednesday. Vara said it is the firs time in nearly three years they could hold that annual activity at the Centennial Ice Arena in Highland Park.

Photos from Spring ‘Break-Away’ activities at Beacon Place in 2021.

Cooking with Ernie a ‘feast’ for the Beacon Place community!

Shortly after the nation shut down nearly two years because of the coronavirus pandemic, members of the staff at Beacon Place tried to find ways to keep the families availing themselves of its life skills enrichment programs engaged.

Ernie Sadera, the organization’s finance manager, was talking with his colleagues and suggested a cooking show. Joining Beacon Place after retiring from a career trading derivatives on Chicago’s exchanges, his cooking skills were established long before that, after college.

“I started cooking after college when I got tired of eating frozen pizza and fish sticks,” he said. “My mom was a good cook. I asked her for recipes, and started to build a repertoire. I’m the cook for my family.”

Along with preparing meals for his family, one Thursday a month Sadera conducts a virtual cooking class, “Cooking With Ernie,” with as many as 20 teens from Beacon Place, showing them how to prepare that night’s dinner for their family. It started in May, 2020.

When Sadera and other members of the Beacon Place staff discussed the potential kinks in the program, it evolved into a way to feed a family monthly. After he develops the menu for the evening, everything needed is purchased and delivered to the participants.

“We buy all the groceries and ingredients, and deliver it to the home free of charge,” Sadera said. “We let the kids cook dinner for the family. It’s not like a cooking show where the food comes out of the oven in a few minutes. We cook in real time. They’re cooking while I’m cooking.”

Since there is only so long the class can last per session, Sadera said he makes sure the entire meal can be prepared in no more than two hours, limiting the time everyone is online.

Knowing the family may not have all the kitchen utensils to make the meals on Sadera’s menu, when he deems it necessary, cooking equipment is delivered with the groceries. Those have included things from a cast iron skillet to measuring cups and spoons.

“We’re building their kitchen arsenal,” he said. “We’re providing what they need to cook the meals.”

Along with offering a variety of dishes, Sadera said he is trying to teach multiple cultures through food. Selections have included shrimp and grits, lasagna, eggplant Parmesan, risotto, peanut butter noodles and bibimbap, a Korean rice dish which can include meat and vegetables.

One of the students in the class is Stephanie Lamas, a Waukegan resident and now a College of Lake County freshman. She started when she was still in high school. From a Hispanic family, she said she has not only enjoyed the class, but also the cultural education, particularly the bibimbap.

“It was just oozing with vegetables on the side,” Lamas said of the bibimbap. “I’ve always liked fettuccini Alfredo, and we learned how to make it from scratch. It was really good. It does taste different from the bottled sauce. I liked it very much.”

Andres Vara, a Waukegan resident and sophomore at Carmel Catholic High School in Mundelein, is another student who likes “visiting different countries through food.” Peanut butter noodles, an Asian recipe, was the most unique meal he prepared.

“Making something with peanut butter and noodles was really different,” he said, describing the dish of noodles in a peanut butter sauce with garlic, soy, sesame seeds and green onions. “It was really different.”

Lamas said she also likes cooking the meal for her family consisting of her, her mother and father. It provides a variety of benefits for them.

“It felt good making dinner for my family,” she said. “It gives my mom a break from the kitchen. It’s nice to have my family try something different as well.”

While Lamas gives her mother a night off once a month, Vara said he is already the cook at home for his mother and two sisters. He likes giving them the chance to try something new and different.

“My sisters are pretty picky eaters,” he said. “My mom is pretty open to trying new things. They all liked the peanut butter noodles.”

Desserts are part of the program too. Lamas said before she started taking the class, she was more into baking than cooking. She now knows how to make apple pie and peach cobbler from scratch.

“Apple pie is one of my favorites,” Lamas said. “I’d never heard of peach cobbler before. It’s really good.”

“Carrie Onward! A feature on Beacon Place Board Chair, Carrie Buchwald (click here to read more)

A recent conversation with the Daily North Shore writer Bill McLean shares perspective from Carrie Buchwald, senior vice president of the Lake Forest Center for Leadership at Lake Forest Graduate School of Management (LFGSM), and Beacon Place Board Chair.

“We are all in this together!” (click here to read more…)

The City of Waukegan, The Chicago Tribune and the Lake County News S

un recognize Beacon Place for their efforts to light up the community and show support. Read more about how 250 volunteers placed more than 7,000 luminaria around southeast Waukegan to show support!

Beacon Place lights up the community Sharing Light Sharing Hope (click here to read more…)

Beacon Place shown brightly on Sunday December 6th sharing light in the community, spreading good will and hope in these challenging times. See the coverage from CBS News of this amazing event!

WBEZ recognizes Beacon Place is doing what needs to be done to support students with the challenges of remote learning (click here to listen or read more from the interview…)

Joshua Fulcher chatted with Susie An, education reporter at WBEZ about the challenges of remote learning in low income, underserved communities and how Beacon Place has been responding with virtual and on-site support.

Beacon Place welcomes new Executive Director, Joshua Fulcher (click here to read more…)

Beacon Place welcomed Joshua Fulcher as it’s new Executive Director on September 15. Fulcher joins with extensive experience in youth and family programs, most recently at Erie Community House in Chicago. The Chicago Tribune, Lake County News Sun announced his new role as Beacon Place implements a plan of strategic growth, development and outreach, building on the successes of the past eight years.

Beacon Place hosts a virtual 5K WALK WITH YOUR NEIGHBOR to connect the community to supporters around Chicagoland, and around the country (click here to read more…)

More than 800 Beacon Place families, staff, volunteers and supporters from Chicagoland and around the country ‘walked for their neighbors’ to show support for each other.The event far surpassed its goal, raising $21,000, which was double the hoped-for $10,000. With a message of “neighbors helping neighbors,” the virtual walkathon encouraged people to walk around their neighborhood and take a picture showcasing why the children and families served by Beacon Place are important to them. The Chicago Tribune, Lake County News Sun capture the impact of the event.

Beacon Place salutes its 2020 graduates with a drive by, COVID safe celebration! (click here to read more…)

It may have lacked the pomp and circumstance of a traditional graduation, but Beacon Place gave three Lake County high school seniors a sendoff they likely will never forget! The college-bound seniors all participated in our LAUNCH program for eighth-graders and above, and are setting on their paths to the future in three unique ways. We celebrated their success and the commitment of their families to build a brighter future. Read more about this amazing event in an article from the Lake County News Sun!

Beacon Place recognized for immediate, emergency support provided in the early days of the COVID pandemic (click here to read more…)

The State of Illinois went into emergency shut down on March 19, 2020, but Beacon Place never shut its doors. Instead, the staff immediately pivoted their normal support into weekly distributions of food, household cleaning and PPE supplies, academic support for students, and information, activities, crafts and games to help famillies navigate uncertain times and life in isolation. Recognized for their quick response in this Chicago Tribune Lake County News Sun article.

Beacon Place co-Founder and former Executive Director, Barbara LaFasto recognized for her amazing contributions and commitment (click here to read more…)

Barbara LaFasto has been inspiring children and families in the Beacon Place neighborhood from day one. Part of a team of individuals who founded the organization back in December of 2012, she has lead the group in a variety of roles, but it is her personal connection to each of the individuals and families who have walked through the gate, that has created the culture of ‘family’ that is so strong at Beacon Place. Read more about Barbara’s amazing contributions over the years.

WBEZ Chicago interviewed staff and students about the Beacon Place LAUNCH Program and why it is important to recognize college may not be the right answer for all (click here to listen or read more about the interview…)

Anne Durot, LAUNCH Program Manager, along with middle, high and college students from Beacon Place, spent time talking to WBEZ education reporter Susie An about how they are each finding their own post secondary path. Listen to their perspectives in this recent interview.

Beacon Place celebrates grand opening of the new Annex learning center (click here to read more…)

Beacon Place celebrated the grand opening of their new Annex Learning Center in early June 2018. The new facility doubles the space the community center has to support their growing programs. Enthusiastic support for the amazing work of the agency led to more 75% of the cost of the building being donated labor and materials from the Lake County building and trades community. The Chicago Tribune, Lake County News Sun covered the grand opening.

Help Them to Hope campaign ends with $67,855.27 in donations (Lake County News Sun)

The annual Help Them to Hope campaign benefits local service agencies that provide direct financial support and services to Lake County residents in need.

Agencies that benefit from donations this year are Beacon Place, Catholic Charities of Lake County, Christian Outreach of Lutherans, Community Social Services, Mothers Trust Foundation and Open Arms Mission.

On December 10, 2015, members of The Community Purse awarded $14,150 to the Beacon Place Community Center in Waukegan.

“We are so grateful for this donation,” said Beacon Place Executive Director Barb Karacic of Lake Forest. “These funds will help us expand cooking classes for our neighborhood families, obtain technology to support our afterschool tutoring programs, and obtain fresh produce for our children during the summer months. The need is great in Lake County. We’ve been able to help more than 700 individuals in the area.”

HIGHLAND PARK – Shri Yoga Center is hosting a donation class to benefit Beacon Place on Friday, Jan. 15 at 6:30 p.m. This is a great opportunity to support the non-profit…

Fifty disadvantaged children and parents were treated to a performance of the play “Oliver!” at the Citadel Theatre Nov. 27.

The group was brought by Beacon Place, a neighborhood community center in Waukegan that offers roughly 700 children and family members resources and support in the areas of nutrition, overall health, academic support and life skills development.

Can one house change a community? When it’s filled with local activists and volunteers, the answer is yes.

To call it a home would be generous. When Keith Wilson was growing up in Waukegan, across the street from the dilapidated blue house on the corner, it had already been abandoned for years. But that didn’t keep the adventurous away. Neighborhood kids used to play there, even though gangbangers were said to congregate inside every so often. But it overlooked a park with a baseball diamond and a swing set. How could you stay away?

Decked out in yellow Beacon Place T-shirts, a sea of children, parents, grandparents and dogs walked laps Monday on a makeshift trail in Waukegan.

During the Waukegan nonprofit’s second Walk-a-thon event, Beacon Place families stepped toward a goal of raising $10,000, which would double the efforts from last year’s inaugural event.

In recognition of contributions made to the county’s health and human service sectors, the Lake County Community Foundation has awarded 12 grants to organizations that are committed to continuing that critical work.

The organizations were selected for making an impact in the community and each received financial support toward a program or goal that supports the shared mission.

Beacon Place Executive Director Barb Karacic is proud to have participated in creating the 2014 Hunger Report. While great progress has been made, more still needs to be done.

Light for Beacon Place (Daily North Shore)

Members of the Alpha Nu Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma presented helped raise money to provide backpacks and school supplies for the children of Beacon Place in Waukegan.

A grant from DKG’s Lambda State Foundation for Educational Studies, along with a book sale at its chapter meeting, and a luncheon at Adler School in Libertyville netted nearly $1,000 for Beacon Place a facility that provides much-needed services to Waukegan-area families.

Beacon Place, a Lake Forest-based not-for-profit organization serving Waukegan and North Chicago, serves up summer meals, provides educational opportunities, and offers a safe haven for children and adults in need.

Food drives are often associated with the winter holiday season, when the weather is frigid and the thought of providing a warm meal for a family is prominent in many people’s minds.

With your help, the newly restored Beacon Place will serve as a safe haven for children and families ready to take a step up and a step forward. Donate today at www.beacon-place.org/donate.

Eating three meals a day may seem a daily task for many of us, but for many children in Waukegan and North Chicago, it is a daily challenge.

On Friday, Feb. 13, the Help Them To Hope Board of Directors presented seven organization leaders with the grant money that was collected through donations made by the community.

Serving the Lake County community since 1959, the Help Them To Hope Board of Directors met with this year’s grant recipients at Catholic Charities in Waukegan on Friday, Feb. 13.

Chris Kennedy, founder of Top Box Foods, meets with supporters of the the hunger-fighting organization following an appearance at the Park Place Senior Center in Waukegan.

Chris Kennedy told a gathering Tuesday at the Park Place Senior Center in Waukegan about his path to delivering produce to the food deserts often found in low-income neighborhoods.

Students affected by the ongoing Waukegan teachers strike head to the Beacon Place on Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2014, for a free meal and homework assignments.

Since teachers walked off the job Oct. 2, students in Waukegan Public School District 60 have missed 17 instructional days — more than twice as much absent time as Chicago students racked up during the city’s 2012 teacher strike.

This summer, the CQF is helping Beacon Place with their soccer program!

Beacon Place provides a summer lunch program and a safe haven for up to 200 Waukegan and North Chicago children twice a week! Many of the children enjoy playing soccer after lunch, and this summer the CQF was honored to provide all the soccer equipment.

On Saturday, August 23, the Lake Forest High School Boys Soccer team will host its annual alumni game/fundraiser, “The Christopher Quon Alumni Game” at LFHS, West Campus.

The game is named in honor of Chris, a LFHS 2005 graduate and varsity soccer and lacrosse player, who tragically lost his life from heart failure at the age of 22 in 2009. The Alumni Game will be held at 5pm.

The Foundation allocated its competitive grant making resources to support nonprofit organizations that are responding to current needs, have a track record of achieving objectives and have strong partnerships in place for projects that will advance the Foundation’s impact goals for its priorities. In 2012, the Foundation designated funds for projects that fall outside the traditional grant cycle but align with the organization’s grant guidelines and strategic priorities.