The latest news at OTR

OTR news & updates

Holiday Season 2021 Wishing you a happy & healthy holiday from our OTR family to yours!

OTR's Holiday Fund: Kindness Tag

The point is not to pay back kindness, but to pass it on.” — Julia Alvarez

This holiday season we invite you to an OTR wide game of Kindness Tag!

First we “tag” a resident by surprising them with an impactful "Kindness Gift" and then they are “it”.

Next, they work with their Resident Service Coordinator to decide on a thoughtful and creative act of kindness that they will complete to “tag” their neighbor. This can be anything from them making a nice card or a poem for their neighbor to requesting that OTR fund a specific gift for their neighbor on their behalf.

After their act of kindness is complete, the receiving neighbor is now “it” and the game continues…

We are excited for OTR’s residents to experience the unique joy of giving. We hope you will join us in empowering our residents to make OTR an even more loving, kind, and connected community than ever before.

If you would like to participate in Kindness Tag, buy a #OTRKindnessTag long sleeve t-shirt today and donate to fund Kindness Gifts for our residents.

Click Here to purchase your #OTRKindnessTag t-shirts and to donate today!

New Partnership:

Glencoe Junior High Project

We are so happy to share our partnership with the Glencoe Junior High Project! The Glencoe Junior High Project (GJHP) is a parent-led, non-profit organization that has sought to engage Glencoe middle school students into the community since 1973. In order to carry out their mission of fostering socially aware, civic-minded and community-oriented individuals, they offer Glencoe 5th-8th grade students opportunities to volunteer in their community, attend social activities and events, perform on stage, as well as access to a youth drop-in center in Glencoe's Central School.

This year many of the GJHP students and families participated in our OTR Challenge Tour to benefit our Resident Services program. We have also connected their students with our residents to do fun activities such as carving pumpkins for each other for fall, writing letters to each other as long-term pen pals, and making each other holiday cards. It has been so rewarding for the residents and students to help school children better understand the challenges that people with disabilities face while celebrating the abilities and interests they share.

Real Estate: Powerhouse 30 Days

Closing on Kirwan Apartments in less than 30 days

Finishing construction on Mustacchi Manor in less than 30 days

The Hill Arboretum rehabilitation and LakeView Landing applications for tax credits have been submitted. We find out if we will receive the tax credits in the next 30 days.

Event Spotlights

Resident Services Event:

Summer Party at Hill Arboretum

This August Resident Services decided to bring the fun by throwing a summer party at Hill Arboretum for the residents and staff to enjoy. We had food trucks, snow cones, music, and socializing in the beautiful weather. We have really enjoyed bringing back outdoor programming this year so our residents can gather and have fun as a community in the safest way possible. We can't wait to continue making fun memories with the residents in 2022!

OTR Challenge Tour

On September 19, 2021, our OTR community joined together to ‘take the challenge’ and ride Evanston Bicycle Club’s North Shore Century. Riders, family, and friends celebrated the end of the ride at Canal Shores with a BBQ for all to enjoy. $120,000 was raised for OTR’s Resident Service Program!

Thank you to all of our 2021 riders, donors, sponsors, and supporters!

Save the Date for the 2022 OTR Challenge Tour - Sunday, September 18, 2022

The 32nd Annual Celebration Concert

On November 6, 2021 OTR hosted our 32nd Annual Celebration Concert as a hybrid virtual and in person event. This gorgeous concert celebrates OTR's mission, residents, staff, board, and continuing future. This year we welcomed two time Tony Award winner Brian Stokes Mitchell to our Celebration stage.

Thank you to all of our 2021 in person and virtual audience, donors, sponsors, and supporters!

2021 Celebration Video

Brian Stokes Mitchell

Click Here to donate to Celebration

Thank you for all of your support in 2021. We wish you a very happy, healthy, and peaceful holiday season. We look forward to reconnecting in the new year, and continuing our work together. Cheers!