Hundreds attend Waukegan resource fair; ‘We want people to know what we can do for them'

Chicago Tribune

21-07-2025

Of the 38 service providers participating in the second-annual Hope and Opportunity Community Resource Fair & Block Party, Commonwealth Edison utilized eight of the allotted spaces to help a large percentage of the people there.
Operating out of a series of tents on Genesee Street in Waukegan, ComEd representatives helped more than 100 people make payment arrangements on their bills, and the same number of individuals began working with the company's workforce development program.
Kimberly Hobson, ComEd's external affairs manager, said opportunities like the resource fair give the company the opportunity to bring its services directly to customers rather than using telephone communication for assistance.
'We're helping people with job and bill assistance,' Hobson said. 'We're right here, and they're not waiting a long time on the phone. We're bringing our services to them. We're (also) making them aware of financial assistance and workforce development to find a permanent job.'
More than 300 people visited with representatives of service organizations, businesses and government offices at the second-annual Hope and Opportunity Community Resource Fair & Block Party Friday in downtown Waukegan, learning ways to improve their lives.
Waukegan Township Supervisor Marc Jones was one of the primary organizers of the event, along with Mary Roberson, the CEO of Northern Illinois Community Recovery Organization. He said the number of people receiving help from ComEd is a testament to the need for the event.
'It's tremendous that such a need for an essential service was met for more than 100 members of our community,' he said. 'This is a barometer of the success and importance of this event. We will do it each year.'
Hobson said the effort in Waukegan is the third such event this year for the company. She said, 'We are going to do this in every corner of our territory.' ComEd serves people throughout Illinois.
While ComEd was helping people with their electric bills and finding jobs, the Digital Navigators of Lake County, part of the county's digital growth initiative, offered an opportunity to earn a free laptop computer by taking a 12-hour basic computer course. There is no cost.
Rashaun Lewis, one of the digital navigators, said anyone taking the 12-hour, six-session course would receive the free laptop upon completion. Students will learn the basic operation of the machine, as well as how to use it in their everyday lives.
'Technology is an important part of people's lives in 2025,' Lewis said. 'Computers are used in most jobs today.'
A year ago, the fair was held in the parking lot of Jesus Name Apostolic Church at the corner of Genesee and Lake streets. With the township office, the church and NIRCO, nearby, as well as other services within a few blocks, Jones dubbed the area the 'Corner of Hope and Opportunity.'
With the help of the city of Waukegan — one of the 38 participants — Genesee was closed for the afternoon south of the Waukegan River bridge to enable organizations to have their booths in the area and allow people to walk around freely. There was music and free food.
'We want people to know about the variety of resources available,' Jones said. 'Life is unpredictable. You never know when something is going to happen, and someone is going to need a hand up.'
Roberson and other people from NIRCO were educating visitors about the value of Narcan and giving a package of the medicine to those interested. She said it is a drug which reverses the effects of an opioid overdose.
'This is phenomenal,' Roberson said, referring to the growth of the event in one year. 'ComEd is here helping people. We are educating people about Narcan. We want people to know what we can do for them.'
State Sen. Adriane Johnson, D-Buffalo Grove, has an office inside the township building. She said though services represented at the event are well-established, people are not necessarily aware of them. The fair made access easier. She spent most of the four hours helping constituents with needs.
'This timely community event removed barriers from accessing key resources and demonstrated the importance of cooperation and partnership with local organizations, with the shared goal of amplifying resources to ensure that everyone thrives,' Johnson said.
Waukegan Mayor Sam Cunningham was walking through the crowd, stopping to answer questions. He said it is important for residents to know what is available when they or a loved one needs it.
'This shows people the agencies which partner with each other to offer wraparound services to help the underserved and working-class residents of Waukegan,' Cunningham said. 'This shows the spirit of our community.'
Located a few tables from each other, Community Partners for Affordable Housing (CPAH) and the Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) are examples of the partnerships that can form to help people.
Janina Hall sat at her table telling people about CPAH. She said the organization counsels individuals and gets them ready for home ownership by educating them on what they need to do to qualify for a mortgage. They also help people find affordable housing.
Bill Foltz, the outreach coordinator for YCC, said the group's mission is to help people between 16 and 24 years of age complete their education and develop the skills to earn a good living. They get skills to become plumbers, electricians, HVAC technicians and more.
Foltz said youths in their program also build homes allowing young people to ply the skills they are learning under appropriate supervision. Jayden Ragin, who is part of YCC, said the group is building a house in Zion. He did now know the future owner.
'CPAH will find the owner of the home,' Ragin said.