Expanded Love Elgin Day is back Saturday
Love Elgin Day is back this weekend after a yearlong hiatus during which organizers worked on making it bigger than ever.
The Christian-based initiative is a partnership among more than 30 churches of various denominations and about 50 groups and organizations that volunteer to offer free food and clothing, and medical and professional services, such as bike repair, car maintenance, family portraits, manicures, legal assistance, haircuts and chiropractic adjustments.
Love Elgin Day is "a fun-filled, freebie-filled, faith-filled event" open to everyone, not just Elgin residents, said its founder and coordinator Rev. Jeorge Holmes of Elgin.
The event Saturday will be staged at five downtown locations and six other sites throughout Elgin. Events begin and end at various times between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.
On Sunday, it will offer a health clinic with physicians, dentists and eye doctors from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Elgin Adventist Church, 1141 Bode Road.
People also get flyers about resources in the Fox Valley, along with prayers, sharing of the Gospel and free Bibles.
The event was launched in 2011 and took place twice a year. Now, it's going to be once a year at the beginning of summer, Holmes said.
It will offer an event called "Unmasked," focusing on high school seniors from 3 to 5 p.m. Saturday at Love Family Christian Foundation, known as "Love Centre," 310 E. Chicago St. There will be counselors and inspirational speakers, he said.
"We are reaching out to young adults that may be dealing with loneliness, anxiety and depression, homelessness, or struggle in their lives with satisfaction in some way," he said.
Holmes estimated the event will feature close to 500 volunteers who hope to serve at least 1,000 people, whose families will in turn benefit. "That's a lot of people," he said.
Groups involved include the Downtown Neighborhood Association of Elgin, Elgin Greater Family Care Center and Administer Justice, the Elgin Police Department and the Elgin Fire Department, he said.
"It's a spiritual way, economic way and practical way that really does and has helped people find hope."
For more information visit loveelginday.org or facebook.com/LoveElginDay.