Supervisor's Message

This week, as we marked fifteen years since the mass shooting at Northern Illinois University and five years since that in Parkland, we were horrified by yet another mass shooting at Michigan State University, one of 77 mass shootings just 45 days into the new year. With the July 4th mass shooting in neighboring Highland Park still fresh in our minds and about 2 in 10 U.S. adults personally impacted by gun violence, many in our community are hurting. Accordingly, we are re-running an article from agency partner Family Service Center (FSC) about trauma and triggers. For those in our community who are affected by recent news events, FSC and our other mental health agency partners can be a resource and are listed on our webpage here.

Meanwhile, the Board of Trustees spent our Valentine’s Day approving FY24 funding for 36 community non-profit agency partners through which the Township provides valuable social, mental health counseling and crisis intervention, youth, senior, and disability services. A very special thanks to our amazing citizen advisory committees who carefully reviewed agency funding applications, participated in funding hearings, and evaluated proposals. Throughout the year, these dedicated volunteers monitor our agency partners to ensure each is providing the quality and quantity of services our residents deserve. 

Valentine’s Day also reminds us that not every relationship is healthy. February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month and agency partner North Suburban Legal Aid was featured in the news on the topic. I encourage you to read and share the informative piece in today’s issue as we increase awareness to decrease incidence of violence. The Township offers specialized domestic violence services through agency partners YWCA Evanston/North Shore, the Zacharias Sexual Abuse Center, and North Suburban Legal Aid Clinic, including through our virtual legal clinic on the 3rd Wednesday of the month.

In addition, this week I had the privilege of approving 241 Community Support Grant to residents with or caring for family members with disabilities in our Township, which allows neighbors to remain in the least restrictive Our Board approved an increased allocation this year, allowing us to increase our grant from $1,200 to $1,400 per qualified applicant in this time of high inflation. 

For the same reason, our Food Pantry continues to see unprecedented usage, and we are most in need of cleaning supplies at this time. And with federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits returning to pre-pandemic levels beginning in March 2023, we expect to see need only increase in our community. SNAP participants will see benefits reduced anywhere from $95 to $25o per person per month. The IDHS recommends SNAP customers visit www.abe.illinois.gov and update their account to ensure they receive the maximum benefit for which they are eligible. Similarly, Medicaid redetermination resumes with the expiration of the public health emergency May 11th. All Medicaid recipients should make sure that their mailing address is up-to-date with the State of Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) to ensure that they receive the necessary redetermination paperwork. 

I am also pleased to report that we have received approval from CEDA to host application assistance appointments at the Township for residents who qualify for Low Income Housing Energy Assistance (LIHEAP) with Agency partner North Shore Senior Center on March 15th. If you need help paying gas, electric, or water bills, call 847-784-6040 for an appointment.

As we near the end of our 4th quarter and begin a new fiscal year in March, I hope you will join me with renewed faith in the value of our mission and openness to new ideas for the betterment of our Township. I welcome your feedback and suggestions at GSEisenberg@newtriertownship.com and hope to see you all at the Annual Town Meeting on April 11, 2023. 

Gail Schnitzer Eisenberg

Township Supervisor

CALENDAR

February

20 YWCA Culinary Training This 10-week program is a popular part of the YWCA economic advancement program for good reason. Take this opportunity to receive free training that provides expert training in a field with strong job prospects. Learn more and register here.

21 Virtual: Recruiters Roundtable Noon - 1PM Join Career Resource Center online via Zoom for our first ever Recruiters Roundtable. CRC advisor Ruth Miller will be moderating a panel of corporate and executive search professionals to give the recruiter’s point of view on the job search. Register here

23 Attachment and Your Young Child’s Mental Health: How You Can Make a Difference with Kate Blaker and Sarah Eastburg in conversation with Carly Andrews 7PM From the moment children are born, they seek a secure attachment with caregivers, and this attachment becomes the secure base for their future development. Learn how parents can support secure attachments with their children, and the effects of secure attachment on the family’s mental wellness. Facilitated by Kate Blaker, M.A.T, NBCC, LPC, and Sarah Eastburg, LSW. Register here (flyer below)

23 Caring 4 Happy Hearts @ CWC 5-6:30PM An evening of self-care where children who are experiencing cancer in the household will connect with peers and community members. Children will participate in activities such as a Scavenger Hunt and Jenga while learning healthy coping strategies to apply at school and home! Call Cancer Wellness Intake Line at 847.562.4981 or register online here.

25 10th Annual Pack Food for Hungry with The Volunteer Center & Friends Various shifts from 8:30AM - 4PM at Community House Winnetka's Matz Hall. Participant Fee: $25 Volunteers will be packing a total of 60,000 meals for an international service project. Volunteers may sign up for 2 hour shifts, starting at 8:30AM, 11AM, 2PM. For information and to register, click here.

Work side by side with the Volunteer Center to help people in need.

26 Virtual: Nutrition Toolkit 101 6-7PM A cancer diagnosis brings a lot of questions about nutrition and diet. A dietitian will offer tips about what to eat when you don’t feel well and emphasize choices that offer cancer fighting nutrition. Register by phone via the Cancer Resource Center (CWC) Intake Line at 847-562-4981 or here. Deadline to register is 2PM on February 21st!

26 Talent Showcase for CJE Senior Center 2PM-4PM Take this opportunity to share your talents with Seniors and give the gift of your time and company with an appreciative audience. Performers of all ages are welcome. Individual or group acts. Sets can be up to 15 minutes and there is a piano on site. For more information or to sign-up, contact Michelle via email here

28 Virtual: Job Search in the Tech Industry 1-2PM Join Career Resource Center for this timely program as Lorena Blonsky, an executive recruiter specializing in the tech industry, gives her perspective on what's happening in the tech industry. Register here

March

3 Virtual: Ask the Dietician 1-3:30PM Do you have questions about diet, nutrition, or other food-related concerns? Join Cancer Wellness Center for a quick session and an opportunity to learn from our Board-Certified Specialist in Oncology Nutrition. Register here.

4&5Special Gifts Theatre Seussical Performance 2PM at Loyola Academy's McGrath Family Performing Arts Center, Wilmette. Come see an inclusive theatre performance of Seussical put on by Special Gifts Theatre actors. Seussical weaves a story of friendship, loyalty, and love to teach us the power of being unique and the importance of fighting for your beliefs. Tickets are available for purchase here and are $18 online and $20 at the door. 

4 The NAMI Family-To-Family Education Program 10AM-Noon This free 8-week course is for families and close friends of adults with mental illness. This course is taught by trained teachers who are also family members and know what it is like to have a loved one living with mental illness, such as major depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, and other disorders.Registration required: 847-716-2252 or via email here. St. Peter's United Church of Christ 8013 Laramie Avenue, Skokie (March 4 - April 29, 2023)

5 Youth Services' 5th Annual Trans Youth & Family Summit 9AM-5PM The Trans Youth and Family Summit is an opportunity for trans and gender expansive youth and their family members to learn, connect, and hear from speakers on a variety of topics including transition-related health care. Register here. (flyer below)

9 Free Virtual Cooking Demonstration Connects Domestic Violence Survivors and Allies with Free Legal Help 1-2PM NSLAC invites anyone with questions about domestic violence to join a free cooking demonstration that provides an opportunity to ask questions to NSLAC attorneys anonymously in the chat. No registration required. Learn more on the website here. (flyer below)

11 Food Drive with Glencoe Youth Services 10AM-4PM at Grand Foods, Winnetka New Trier Township Food Pantry priority list is updated regularly here

13 Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) Appointments on-site from 10AM-2PM at New Trier Township, 739 Elm Street. Representatives from North Shore Senior Center will be available to assist with applying for benefits. Schedule your appointment at 847-784-6040.

14 Township Board of Trustees Meeting 7:30PM at New Trier Township, 2nd Floor. Attend via Zoom on in-person. Agenda will be available the week prior to the meeting on the website calendar.

15 Virtual Free Legal Aid Clinic* 10AM - Noon Legal help with Domestic Violence, Immigration, and Tenant-side Housing matters by appointment. Provided by the North Suburban Legal Aid Clinic. Third Wednesday of each month. Appointments strongly recommended here or by phone 847-737-4042.

 * Note: For NSLA Clinics, be advised that for immigration and housing matters, clients using the services should fall at 250% of the federal poverty income guidelines (there are no income limits for domestic violence).

Coping with Traumatic Events

Courtesy of Family Service Center Renee Dominquez, PhD, co-executive director and Clinician Robin Lake, LCSW

Regardless of how close we are to a traumatic event, the aftereffects can show up in our lives at various points for weeks, months, even years. It is important to remember that our responses to traumatic events are variable and can resurface when least expected.

Aspects of the traumatic experience are coded

in our memories in ways we may not even be aware, such as images, sounds, smells, and, of course, feelings. Reminders of the event, even those outside our conscious awareness, can reactivate our traumatic response and really “catch us off guard.”

According to Co-executive Director of FSC Renee Dominguez, PhD “When we experience a traumatic reaction,we may have a variety of physiological, emotional, behavioral, and cognitive reactions. Our bodies are on high alert and tense, our emotions are stronger and quicker to come to the surface, we may act more impulsively, be more irritable, protective, and grumpy, and we may have difficulty thinking clearly.”

Typical reactions may also include reluctance to attend events or participate in large gatherings, difficulty falling asleep, difficulty trusting other people, and feeling overwhelmed. Frequently, what you are experiencing is a trauma reaction, not necessarily a permanent change. “Creating safe spaces to express our feelings is really important and can provide an avenue for healing.”

Recognizing that painful or uncomfortable thoughts, feelings, and behaviors

are a trauma response, rather than a personality trait (i.e., who we are)

helps remind us this is likely temporary and outside of us.

By definition, trauma is unpredictable and out of our control. Regular routines communicate safety to our brain and we are able to calm/stabilize more easily. In addition to returning to regular routines, other self-care recommendations include:

• Treat yourself gently, with compassion (the way you would treat a dear friend.)

• Limit media exposure (especially graphic images)

• Take care of your body. Emotional bandwidth becomes more narrow without nutrition, sleep, and exercise.

• Stay connected with friends, family, and neighbors for social support

• Give yourself permission to have fun every day.

Consider a walk, writing/journaling, creating art, listening to music, being with family or friends, spending time with your pets, or engaging in other relaxing activities you enjoy.

Trauma affects all of us, not just those who witnessed the event. Try to avoid judging your reactions and feelings as “wrong” because you weren’t there or because your life did not dramatically change. If your reactions persist and/or interfere with functioning, consider seeking professional counseling support from a therapist who specializes in working with trauma survivors. ##

Find work and internship opportunities with Agency Partners!

JOBS & CAREERS

Clearbrook www.clearbrook.org/hiring

North Shore Senior Center https://www.nssc.org/career-opportunities

North Suburban Legal Aid https://nslegalaid.org/get-involved/job-opportunities/

Center for Enriched Living (CEL) Email below for descriptions and applications:

Executive Assistant   

DSP/Recreation Assistant

Activity / Recreation Instructor

Employment Specialist / Job Coach

Summer Camp Counselors

INTERNSHIPS

Family Service of Glencoe Clinical Intern

* Looking for help in your job search? Look for Career Resource events in our calendar section below and online here. Agency partner opening to post? Send your link for future issues here.

February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month and it’s important to educate teens and parents about what is and is not a healthy relationship, what signs to look out for, how to talk to your teen, and how to get help.

Warning signs of teen violence include: changes observed in physical posture, some type of alteration or change in relationship, and an escalating sense of power and control.

For more, see the WGN TV Chicago Daytime Chicago topical episode featureing NSLAC and Director of Domestic Violence Law Practice Rebecca Weininger, linked here.

 #TDVAM #NoMoreDomesticViolence #TheMoreYourKnow #SignsToLookOutFor

Video Series from Erika's Lighthouse

REAL teens and REAL stories help inspire youth around the nation to help end the stigma of mental health so that no teen feels alone in their depression.

7th-12th grade Latinx, Indigenous, and LGBTQ+ students who wish to share their experiences with depression as part of the national program, are invited to learn more for upcoming program videos here. The existing video series is available here,

Learn more about agency partner Erika's Lighthouse and its programs to address adolescent depression here.

*No registration required; click the flyer or here to learn more.

Residents of New Trier Township are welcomed and encouraged to contact your representatives about the things that matter to you as we work alongside one another with the motto Caring in Action.

Township Board of Trustees meetings are held the second Tuesday of the month. The next meeting is March 14th. Residents are invited to attend the meetings at the 2nd Floor Alan Goldberg Conference & Community Room.