Patrons bid farewell to neighborhood haunts, chain eateries, mom-and-pop operations, longtime community staples and shuttered shopping malls that were among a slew of business closures in the suburbs this year. Here, we mark the demise of a sampling of those ventures, some of which left lingering memories in the hearts of their loyal customers.

Dundee Township's 21st annual Shop With a Cop event at Walmart in Carpentersville provided underprivileged children the opportunity to have presents, food and warm clothing this Christmas.

With the days until Christmas dwindling, the Salvation Army Elgin Corps is well behind pace in collecting enough toys for more than 1,700 needy kids for the holidays. And their situation is not unique.

Ask Melissa Luken of Loaves & Fishes if it has been a demanding year for the largest food pantry in the state of Illinois. Serving DuPage, Will, Kane and Kendall counties, the nonprofit has indeed seen a record number of visitors this past year.

Mark your calendar for Dickens in Dundee, tree lightings, parades and festivals throughout the suburbs, Breakfast with Santa, Highwood’s Elf Invasion Pub Crawl, “Nutcrackers” and more happening this week.

Kick off the Christmas season with Dickens in Dundee, now in its 37th year. The annual festival begins on Friday, Dec. 6, with tree lighting ceremonies in both villages.

Help when you can. If Julia Perez’s family had a motto, that would be it. That family value led the bilingual Perez to volunteer at Elgin’s Centro de Informacion, where she taught English as a second language during the mid-1980s. An organization th...

For Sewa Diwali 2024 in Schaumburg, Hoffman Estates, Bartlett, and Carpentersville, kids in kindergarten to high school organized food collection in neighborhoods and at grocery stores with Sewa Diwali posters and flyers.