Work Groups

Core Committee

The Core Committee of the Coalition meets monthly to discuss each work group’s progress and to set goals for the Coalition to make homelessness in Oak Park rare, brief and one time.

Members: Jonathan Burch, Laura Brookes, Cheryl Potts, Jeff Prior, Anita Pindiur, Nisha St. Louis, Robert Simmons, Vanessa Matheny, Lynda Schueler, Gail Shelton, Andrea Ramirez, John Harris

Affordable Housing

The Affordable Housing Work Group works to advance housing policies that address the expansion and inclusion of affordable housing units throughout Oak Park. The work group also identifies gaps in housing services that meet the imminent needs of households experiencing housing instability. Recent successes include promoting the Community Builders development on Oak Park Avenue, the creation of an Interim Housing program at the Sojourner House on Austin Boulevard and the development of a community-wide Flexible Rental Assistance Program (FRAP) intended to meet the rental assistance needs of high-risk doubled-up households threatened by homelessness.

Co-Chairs: John Harris, Lynda Schueler

Members: Jonathan Burch, Mike Fox, Jeff Prior, Bill Planek, Dena Bell, Nisha St. Louis, Vanessa Matheny, David Pope, Perry Vietti, Patricia Stokes, Athena Williams, Andrea Ramirez, Deborah Wess

Career Pathways

The Career Pathways Work Group is focused on helping those who are experiencing homelessness find and maintain employment in Oak Park. The goal of this group is to bring people who need jobs into contact with employers in the area, as well as get them involved in education training to gain employable skills that are useful in the workforce. By partnering with local businesses and organizations, this group is working hard to bring employment to those that are in need.

Co-Chairs: Gail Shelton, Andrea ramirez

Members: April Dugal, Mindy Dillon, Desiree Hines, Lenita Edgeworth, Evelyn Mensah, Louda Lee, Latesha Pike, Chuckita Smith, Rashmi Swain, Felicia Spencer, William Carroll

Community Integrations

The goal of the Community Integration Work Group is to facilitate coordination between front-line service providers in Oak Park in order to help identify individuals and families who are homeless or at risk of homelessness and make sure they are connected to wrap-around services in our community. The group has created a closed-loop referral process allowing agencies to make informed and effective referrals.

Co-Chairs: Anita Pindiur, Cheryl Potts, Gail Shelton.

Members: Jane Bolton, Sarah Bielecki, Jordyn Beck, Laura Brookes, Cristina Flores, Liz Figueroa-Serrano, Mayra Delgado, Sharae Corbin, Armando Smith, Carmen Lopez, Michaela Therattil, Molly J Luitjohan, Robert Simmons, Rosa Ordaz, Shannon Ellison, Elaine Phillips, Jasmine Johnson, John Harris, Leah Hatmaker, Nancy Schwartz, Nora Rodriguez, James Quandt, Jennifer Rook, Laua Crawford, Sue Warwik, Urquiza Raunel, Yazmin Morales, Megan Traficano, Mary Reynolds.

Communications & Advocacy

The Communications & Advoacy Work Group focuses primarily on communications and outreach work for the OPHC. This work group deals directly with community involvement and awareness through social media outreach, event planning and day-to-day communication.

Members: Libby Foster, Jayne Furlong, John Harris, Andrea Ramirez, Vanessa Matheny, Deborah Wess.

Street Outreach

The Street Outreach Work Group works on strengthening community touchpoints and mobilizes for advocacy. This group brings together community members working on the ground and supporting those experiencing homelessness.

Members: Jonathan Burch, Laura Brookes, Laura Fry, Ruben Gomez, Cristy Harris, John Harris, Dave Jacobson, Janet Hotch, Mike Kelly, Traci Kerzich, Cody Puch, Cheryl Potts, Jeff Prior, Armando Smith, Sonya E Smith, Elaine Phillips, Sharae Corbin, Yazmin Morales, Nisha St. Louis, Romiesha Tucker, Vanessa Matheny, Milina Wilson