Efforts Continue Across Lake County to Build Sense of Shared Fate in Response to Suburban Poverty

When asked about what the most inspirational part of the day, 14-year-old Adonias Clark said, "Realizing that in life there are going to be obstacles, but if I keep the right attitude I can be successful."

Clark is part of Zion Township's Summer Work Program along with 32 other soon-to-be high school students who took part in the June 26 Poverty Awareness Day event.

The day was designed to give them a chance to reflect on the realities of poverty in everyday life and realize that they can write their own story. The event was inspired by The Lake County Community Foundation's poverty awareness symposium in January, where government officials, civic leaders and philanthropists gathered to raise awareness for community needs. Leaders were asked to bring this effort to their own communities by creating their own Poverty Awareness Day.

Cheri Neal, Zion Township supervisor, heeded this call.

"We are thrilled that Cheri and her team used the Lake County Poverty Awareness Day as a jumping-off point for further dialogue and action in both Zion and Lake Forest. Building bridges of understanding across communities is a critical piece in educating our neighbors about the needs in their own backyard," said Maggie Morales,

The Lake County Community Foundation's director of community leadership and investment. "By beginning these conversations at an earlier age, we believe there is greater opportunity to foster connections that can ultimately effect positive change."

During a lunch presentation at Gorton Community Center in Lake Forest, Sedrik Newbern told the group of teens, "Your past is not your future."

The best-selling author, life coach and entrepreneur has roots in poverty, coming from a family that struggled to put food on the table.

The day consisted of a variety of activities, including a tour of the Abiding Love Food Pantry in Zion, where office manager Connie Eklund described how for 28 years they have been a church that helps the community.

For this reason, the church has used its resources to provide hot meals, give away clothing and shoes and serve as a PADS shelter during the winter time.

One of the overarching themes throughout the day was the link between poverty and hunger.

"Food is the last thing you spend your money on," said Sue Suhling, executive director of Mother's Trust Foundation, a recent foundation grant recipient. "If you don't pay your rent and bills, you have no roof over your head. So getting adequate nutrition is often the last priority."

The event focused on developing the youth of Lake County.

"The caterpillar spends its whole life looking at the dirt, but the whole time it had everything inside of it that it needed to become a butterfly," Newbern told the group. "A caterpillar sheds layers. Those layers might be friends, they might be your attitude towards education or even the community you grow up in. If you want to grow, you have to shed those layers."

"The road to success requires perseverance." This is the message Newbern left with the group before they convened at Feed My Starving Children in Libertyville, where the teens got a chance to pack food for malnourished children across the world.

"What inspired me the most about today was getting the chance to help other people," said 14-year-old Khalil Harden-Smith. "Like Sedrik Newbern said earlier, mindset is everything."

It was this mindset that inspired Adriana Ortiz to focus her career on helping others in her community. Starting as a receptionist for Zion Township, she has worked in case management for the past seven years after getting her degree in human services. She also serves as the coordinator of the Summer Work Program.

"It's in my heart to help people" said Ortiz, who was the person her friends and family turned to for help long before she got in to case management.

"What I hope is that these kids know they can make their own choices and be who they want to be. Instead of being there for the food, maybe they want to be the volunteer instead."

To learn more or contribute to efforts to address poverty locally or nationally, visit www.lakecountycf.org or call (847) 377-0520.