Hope Community Foundation

Today's title is a phrase that weighed on my mind. Mulled for over an hour or two in the middle of the night – say 2 am! Over and over again words unassociated floated about and danced with one another, associating a bit here and a bit there; finally two words came together and stayed paired. But the phrase was not complete; more was needed.

Finally, the concept of community, coupled with the concept of hope, were placed in a framework that might accomplish something – foundation. And there is was – Hope Community Foundation.

It’s purpose? To work with communities needing and wanting more in their lives. Something they could do for themselves with the assets and tools at hand. Maybe a key partnership or two to help make good things happen, but just the same, something local focused on the community and expanding the quality of life there.

What started this thought process? The other day I passed an empty church property that is for sale. I don’t know the story about the congregation and why it is no longer there. But I have been impressed with the property for its modular design and purposefulness.

It struck me the facility could easily be re-purposed as a ‘community center’ but the question was which community? And for what purposes? A couple of programs or more? How expansive would this ‘center’ be in the life of the community?

So I began thinking of the programs needed in that specific area: day care for the usual group of young children; day care for special needs kids; day care for adults with special needs. That’s when I realized the facility was well designed for these programs. Others could just as easily be assigned to the spaces depending on community needs.

Then the thought swerved to licensing and professionalism required to provide the programs under state supervision. That would require specialized management and operations. But those exist elsewhere, how could we attract them to this space and serve our local populations?

So I added professional organizations to the mix and came up with local park districts and church organizations. These have the interest and the professional training to take on the management of specialized programs. Even contracting for some of those programs from established organizations would work in partnership.

What is the attraction for each? Well, the population in need, of course; the facility with so much promise and adaptive fit; and professional mission and vision of course!

Expensive? To some degree, yes; but think about this; the facility is on the market for $1.5 million and includes acreage. Some of the latter can be sold off to soften the purchase price; but professional operations of the program will include daily/monthly attendance fees well established in the market; some of these fees are covered by insurance; others are subsidized by government programs. In all there will be revenue streams available to pay expenses and a mortgage for the facilities.

Also, the holder of the current mortgage may be willing to work with the professional partnerships involved. This would secure their mortgage investment. I would think they would be interested in this!

Now to some specifics. The location is on the border of West Chicago and Warrenville, Illinois. It is on a major commuter route and accessible to passing traffic – ideal for drop off and pick up of kids and adults enrolled in the programs. The communities have solid working populations with family members in need of the programs mentioned. Who might have the talent and organization to provide the services in the facility? Several organizations do this type of work and hopefully would be available to supply contract work to the local site. Other programs can be explored for offering at the community center as well. Also, both communities have professional park districts that could join forces to share the management of this project going forward.

Putting several ideas together to produce a larger program and operational entity is not hard to do. Mostly we let problems expand in our mind’s eye and lament the inability to do something about them. Well something can be done about such problems. All it takes is imagination and belief that individuals can make a difference.

Would anyone like to take on this project? For the good of Warrenville and West Chicago communities? How about building an umbrella organization as use it as a template to replicate community centers all over the nation?

This is an argument for people to take control of their own issues and fix them; not alone, but in collaboration with others who can help. This is not an argument for larger governments, either. In fact, this is an argument for shared responsibilities that keeps government growth in check.

Now who might  be interested in this type of project?

October 10, 2017