April 2025

Join Us on April 27 for the TotalLink Trot -

Take A Stride for Inclusion!

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Finding Her Thread: Veronica's Story at Sew on Central

When Veronica first connected with TotalLink to Community, she knew she wanted a job that would allow her to be creative, stay active, and make meaningful connections with others. With her eye for detail, love of organization, and being a "people-person,"

it was clear she had so much to offer. Our team worked closely with Veronica to find the right fit, and in December 2024, she officially joined the staff at Sew on Central as a Sewing Shop Assistant.


From day one, Veronica brought her unique spark to the sewing studio, where she organizes bundles of fabric patches, restocks thread by color, cuts fabric for classes, and keeps the "jellyroll" bins—practice fabric used by students—neatly arranged. She precisely labels items for sale and keeps the shop looking its best with light cleaning duties. Every job is done with care, and Veronica takes genuine pride in her work.


But her contributions go beyond the day-to-day work assignments. Veronica has a way of bringing joy to her job. Her coworkers noticed it right away. "She always comes in with a smile," said Liam, a Sew on Central employee. "She adds a fun aspect to our Thursdays with her singing along to songs and her willingness to take on any task."


Veronica has grown in an environment where she feels supported and valued. "I look forward to coming to work each week," she said. "I love all my tasks and my coworkers." Bridget, her TotalLink Employment Specialist, has seen this growth firsthand: "Veronica's positivity is infectious, and it's clear she loves what she does."


Veronica's story is a reminder of what can happen when people are given the chance to shine. We're so proud to be part of her journey - and can't wait to see what she'll do next.

A Taste of Teamwork: Cooking Class at

Dream Cakes Chicago


Over the last several years, TotalLink has received great feedback about teaching the valuable life skill of cooking in our programs. Last fall, we re-launched our Healthy Supper Club and have been cooking up all sorts of delicious meals ever since! Many of our other programs, like Girlfriends Group and Guys Night In, also focus on making snacks and baking. But this time, we tried something new, taking a professional cooking class in the community. And we had just the program for it!


Our Community Lifers donned their chef hats and aprons and hit the skillet at Dream Cakes Chicago in Northbrook! Mark and Veronica, the husband-and-wife duo behind the business, were the best hosts we could have asked for. They welcomed us with open arms, heartfelt life lessons, and incredible food. Step by step, we learned how to fry bacon, cook ground beef, make pasta sauce from scratch, and whip up a decadent chocolate mousse!


After all our hard work, we sat down in Mark and Veronica's cozy studio to enjoy lunch and learn more about the Dream Cakes story. Then came an exciting surprise. Mark led us on a tour of their commercial kitchen, where a whopping 6,000 cakes and 22,000 eclairs are baked and shipped out each week! Everyone agreed it was amazing to see such professional-level kitchen gadgets in action.


Dream Cakes Chicago is an incredible community partner who left us with a "you can do anything" mindset and empowered our group to feel more confident in the kitchen. Mark and Veronica were warm and welcoming, and officially our new favorite local celebrities. We can't wait to keep "cheffing it up" in the next session!

Levi and Sara (pictured above) are cooking up a feast. Brad (pictured left) enjoyed making the secrect sauce.

Click here to view a short reel from the day.

Meet Connor: TotalLink's Artist of the Month

Click Here to Register

Sponsorship Opportunities Available

Download Lazy Dog Flyer

Madame ZuZu's

1876 1st St.

Highland Park, IL


4:00 - 6:00 PM


May 15, 2025

June 12, 2025*



*Please note this is the Second Tuesday of the month to honor Juneteenth


Everyone is welcome to join us for this fun community event.

New to TotalLink Programs or Employment?

Check out our Getting Started with Services page.

Support Our 2025 Sponsors

TotalLink is proud to partner with many generous sponsors whose support helps make our mission possible. Visit our sponsor webpage to view all their logos and to learn more about the organizations that share our commitment to building inclusive communities. We encourage you to consider supporting these businesses, just as they’ve supported TotalLink and our work.


TotalLink offers a wide variety of sponsorship opportunities throughout the year. Interested in becoming a sponsor? Contact Alisa at amartorano@totallink.org or 224-412-4718.

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