Contact us:

info@livewelllakecountyil.org

Website:

http://www.livewelllakecountyil.org

Lake County, IL's largest collective impact initiative to advance health equity

Tuesday, October 28 | 12:00 – 1:00 PM | Virtual

Burnout isn’t just feeling tired—it’s the result of chronic, unmanaged workplace stress that can lead to emotional exhaustion, disconnection from one’s work, and decreased ability to meet daily demands.

Join us for a powerful session where we will:

• Explore how structural inequities contribute to burnout
• Understand its impact on social and health outcomes for clients, students, patients, and staff
• Learn trauma-informed strategies to prevent and address burnout at both individual and organizational levels

Email angela.baran@hfnlc.org to register!

Thursday, October 30 | 10 AM - 12 PM | Virtual and in-person

(Erie Evanston/Skokie Health Center - 1285 Hartrey Ave, Evanston, IL, 60202)

Join us for an educational briefing and discussion on upcoming Medicaid policy changes, their anticipated impact on community health centers and safety net institutions, and how organizations and funders can prepare and respond.

RSVP by October 27 by clicking the button below!

We’re excited to introduce the newest leaders of the Peers with Lived Expertise/Experience, who bring diverse skills, passions, and lived experiences to this work. Each was asked to share a little about themselves—along with a few fun reflections to help us get to know them better.

Makiya Turman is the founder of IADMT LLC, where she creates essential oil body care products inspired by ancestral healing and plant medicine. As an urban farmer in North Chicago, she grows food for her community and shares holistic wellness education with people of all ages. Makiya is also a published author and educator who promotes creativity, wellness, and self-sufficiency in everyday life.

• Leadership lesson: Nathaniel Hamilton creating the Angel Drill Team—a legacy that continues to inspire her.
• Random skill wish: Acrobatics (“though flips make me dizzy!”).
• Theme song: Golden by Jill Scott.

Bruce Wright is the owner of Nature’s Emporium LLC Wellness Store in Waukegan and the founder of Nature’s Emporium Community Outreach, which provides programs on child literacy, nutrition, and well-being. A Lake County resident for 16 years and passionate gardener, he helps establish community gardens and teaches youth about the benefits of natural plants.

• Leadership lesson: The biggest impact often comes from leaders who simply lead by example.

• Random skill wish: Master tailor, to design and sew his own clothes.
• Theme song: Get Up, Stand Up by Bob Marley & The Wailers.

Frank Pettis is an educator, organizer, and proud Waukeganite committed to reducing the health effects of environmental degradation and climate change through education, advocacy, and action. He is the founder of GreenLit Solutions, which advances grassroots environmental justice projects across Illinois and the Great Lakes Region. Frank holds a B.A. from Roosevelt University and an M.P.A. from NYU Wagner School of Public Service.

• Leadership lesson: “If you want to learn how to lead, learn how to listen”—advice from a college mentor that he still lives by.
• Random skill wish: To be a multi-linguist fluent in languages spoken across all five continents.
• Theme song: Places and Spaces by Donald Byrd.

Together, Makiya, Bruce, and Frank bring vision, creativity, and deep commitment to community health, wellness, and justice. Their leadership will help guide and strengthen the work of Peers with Lived Expertise/Experience as we continue to grow

We’re making great progress on our community health assessments! The Community Partner Assessment is finished, and we're excited to share the report with you all. See the graph below for top strengths identified by community partners and read the full report by clicking the button below.

The Community Status Assessment is underway, and we’ve just started planning the Community Context Assessment. By bringing all three assessments together, we’ll get a clearer picture of what’s working well in our community, where there are gaps, and the health challenges people are facing. Most importantly, this information will help shape the next Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP)—a roadmap for building a healthier community, together. 

LWLC Network Begins Strategic Planning Process

The Live Well Lake County Network leadership team has launched a strategic planning process to help guide the network’s future direction and strengthen its collective impact. So far, the team has completed a planning worksheet, gathered and synthesized input, and engaged in thoughtful conversation and review of the findings.

Through this work, the team has identified four overarching goals:

1. Strengthen Governance, Structure, and Sustainability – by evaluating the long-term structure of the Network, establishing clear leadership roles, and aligning fundraising and budgeting efforts to ensure stability and growth.
2. Build Transparency and Accountability – by creating accessible tools such as a decision-making infographic and central digital hub, and sharing regular updates so members can clearly see how decisions are made and progress is tracked.
3. Deepen Member Engagement and Value – by offering orientation resources, defining clear aims for action teams and committees, and creating meaningful opportunities for members to connect, collaborate, and remain actively engaged.
4. Enhance Operations and Infrastructure – by strengthening internal systems, identifying areas for paid staff support, ensuring leadership positions are filled, and providing training to sustain effective operations over time.

The next step in this process will be to build a detailed operational plan that outlines when specific activities will occur and who will be responsible for moving them forward. This plan will serve as a roadmap for the Network as it continues working to improve health and well-being in Lake County.

Read this month's informational leaflet on how to communicate with unaccompanied children whose languages we may not speak. It also addresses common questions and misconceptions about language, identity, and culture in connection to this important topic.

Click the button below to see more resources!

Quarterly Network Meeting

Friday, October 10

11:45 AM - 1:30 PM

City of Hope in Zion, IL (2520 Elisha Ave, Zion, IL 60099)

Housing Action Team

Housing Action Team meetings are held on the fourth Monday of each month from 10:00 - 11:30 a.m.

Please contact Liz Nelson or Joel Williams  for any questions and a link to join the meeting.



Peers with Lived Expertise (PLE)

Peers with Lived Expertise (PLE) meetings are held every other Thursday from 6:00 -7:00 p.m. These meetings are held via Google Meets.

Please contact Makiya, Bruce or Frank for any questions and a link to join the meeting.

Storytelling Working Group Storytelling Working Group meetings are held on the last Friday of each month at 2:00 p.m. via Zoom.

Please contact Shonta Coleman or Idriss Joseph for any questions or a link to join the meeting.