Spring Into Action: Empowering

People, Changing Lives

April 2025 Newsletter

Parent Mentors: Reading

with a Purpose

One of POC's goals is to build Parent Mentor confidence in the classroom and use books as powerful tools for meaningful student interaction. Parent Mentors identify and practice reading with a purpose by selecting books aligned with specific objectives, such as understanding problem and solution, recognizing cause and effect, identifying colors, or making meaningful connections (text-to-self, text-to-text). They choose a book from the Palatine branch library at the Community Resource Center and read it aloud, then discuss how they would present it to students, focusing on the reading objective and how it connects to classroom learning.

POC Hanover Park Expands

Community Support This Spring!

POC Hanover Park actively serves the community by hosting weekly clinics with five partnering legal service providers. Low-income individuals and families receive free legal screenings and services. Thanks to Ascension’s generous support, POC provides access to essential healthcare, including a mammogram bus.

Edgebrook Community Center Gets a Fresh

Look for Spring!

The Edgebrook Community Center received a much-needed renovation with the help of the staff during spring break, who dedicated their time to painting, reorganizing, and preparing the space for youth activities in the upcoming months.

This site is vital to POC's efforts, serving many children and families living in the Green Lane apartment complex. The site also hosts weekly D15 registration and an after-school program sponsored by several community partners.

POC's Day of Giving

The POC Community Clothing Closet held a mini 'Day of Giving' on March 25th, free to community members, and served 53 families. Staff organized the gym, displaying shirts, pants, coats, and shoes. This success wouldn’t have been possible without our volunteers and our clothing closet and childcare teams! POC hopes to offer this twice per year in the future.