Previous community partner spotlights

Preservation Foundation of the Lake County Forest Preserves

North Shore Gas is proud to fund the Outdoor Classroom at the new net-zero-energy Environmental Education Facility at Edward L. Ryerson Conservation Area. Expected to open in summer 2023, the Outdoor Classroom will deliver school field trip and public programming to around 25,000 students each year. The classroom is part of a new education center at the Ryerson Woods. The building will produce enough renewable energy to meet its own annual energy consumption requirements, reducing the use of nonrenewable energy. It is on track to be the first public building in Lake County to gain net-zero certification through the Passive House Institute and only the third such facility in Illinois. The building and classroom will inspire the 250,000 who visit Ryerson Woods each year, and it will raise the sights of all Lake County residents by demonstrating the viability of sustainable building technologies in our region.

Preservation Foundation of the Lake County Forest Preserves >

Angel Tree — A Safe Place and United Way of Lake County

Each year, North Shore Gas employees donate hundreds of gifts for children associated with local community agencies. This year, North Shore Gas chose A Safe Place and United Way of Lake County, as Angel Tree partners.

In addition to Angel Tree, North Shore Gas supports A Safe Place, the leading advocate for eliminating domestic violence and human trafficking in northern Illinois. A Safe Place provides comprehensive support and services to help victims and their families break the cycle of violence and flourish in safe, healthy environments.

Additionally, North Shore Gas supports United Way of Lake County’s Better Together early childhood development program. Better Together was developed to increase the services available for North Chicago families with children from birth to 3 years old. The program builds a community where parents can learn how to become their child’s first teacher and provide a safe place where children can develop the readiness, physical and cognitive skills crucial to their education.

A Safe Place >
United Way of Lake County >

211 of Lake County

211 connects people to critical services and North Shore Gas was one of the founding partners.

Available 24/7/365 and administered by United Way of Lake County, 211 helps individuals, families, and providers navigate and connect with a wide range of local health and human services, including mental health services, addiction support and rehabilitation, crisis counseling, supplemental food programs, shelter and affordable housing options, employment and education support, financial help, disaster information and relief, and much more.

North Shore Gas service technicians carry 211 cards and have encountered customers in need of social services. Having the cards to hand out to customers has empowered our employees to help our customers in need.

If you or someone you know is in need of a critical service, dial 211 or visit 211lakecounty.org.

211 of Lake County >

Beacon Place

Beacon Place supports children and families in the southeastern portion of Waukegan through a community center and programs that focus on health, nutrition, fitness, academic support for grades K-12, and the development of life skills that allow each individual to achieve their goals and dreams.
North Shore Gas provides a grant to support the following programs and services:

• Education and Enrichment, which provides academic support to help children achieve grade level in reading and math and provides the enrichment activities that higher-income households take for granted.
• LAUNCH, which provides students in eighth through 12th grades with academic tutoring and opportunities to identify their interests, learn life skills, and prepare for high school and post-high school education and work.
• Summer programming that provides children with a day camp experience and access to healthy nutrition.
• Mom's Group, which provides mothers access to support, fitness and nutrition classes, and other topics of interest.
• Parent University, which meets monthly to address parent needs and interests.

Beacon Place >

Erie HealthReach Waukegan/Healthy Start for Lake County Families Project

North Shore Gas supports Erie HealthReach Waukegan’s Healthy Start for Lake County Families Project, which provides pregnant women with high quality prenatal, labor and delivery and postpartum care. The project seeks to help children facing health inequities get a healthy start to life. In addition to prenatal, delivery and postpartum care, mothers and children receive oral healthcare, case management, vaccinations, back-to-school checkups, developmental screenings and a range of other patient support services. This year, about 3,000 patients will be served through the program. Erie HealthReach opened in 2014 to meet the need for comprehensive primary care in Lake County. More than 64% of patients receive Medicaid and 26% are uninsured.
Erie HealthReach Waukegan >

The Lake County Community Foundation

The Lake County Community Foundation (LCCF) seeks to improve the quality of life in Lake County by providing civic leadership, promoting collective philanthropy and partnering with its grant recipients. North Shore Gas supports the foundation’s small business growth initiative to nurture small businesses owned by people of color in priority ZIP codes. The program provides a combination of financial, relational and human capital to help small-business owners meet their growth goals, while enriching the surrounding economic ecosystem. With support from North Shore Gas and other funders, LCCF is currently completing a pilot with Drip and Culture Co., a coffee shop in Waukegan.
The Lake County Community Foundation >

Ravinia Festival’s Reach Teach Play

North Shore Gas is a longtime partner of Ravinia Festival, the nation’s oldest outdoor festival. Our support for Ravinia’s Reach Teach Play initiative supports music education programs for 18,000 area public school students. The programs include: orchestral training and performance opportunities for elementary school students in Waukegan; access to summer concerts at Ravinia for area students through partnerships with 200 social service agencies; musician residencies and special classroom performances at area schools; tickets for students and their families to attend a Chicago Symphony Orchestra concert; an opportunity for thousands of students to perform on Ravinia’s stage; and KidsLawn, a fun, interactive musical play space at Ravinia. Each year, Reach Teach Play touches more than 75,000 community members through its programs and performances.
Ravinia Festival’s Reach Teach Play >

LGBTQ+ Center Lake County

Launched in 2020, North Shore Gas is proud to support the LGBTQ+ Center Lake County, whose mission is to “make Lake County a place for LGBTQ+ folx to thrive!” The Center has quickly become the central hub in Lake County for LGBTQ+ resources, supporting individuals, families and community partners with programming, social/cultural events and referrals to therapists, medical resources, legal support, STI/HIV testing, gender affirming care and more. The center’s SafeZone training curriculum helps employees of local organizations learn about LGBTQ+ identities, gender and sexuality as well as examine prejudice, assumptions and privilege. The center also holds weekly support groups to provide the chance for community members to connect over shared experience and hardship while supporting one another.
LGBTQ Center Lake County >

Plant Giveaway at Chicago Botanic Garden

North Shore Gas is a proud partner of the Chicago Botanic Garden and its mission to cultivate the power of plants to sustain and enrich life. This year, we will be once again sponsoring the Garden’s Plant Giveaway program located in the Regenstein Fruit & Vegetable Garden. Staff and volunteers share information about a featured plant and encourage visitors to take seeds or a seedling home to plant.
Chicago Botanic Garden >

Lake Forest Open Lands Association

North Shore Gas supports the Center for Conservation Leadership (CCL) at the Lake Forest Open Lands Association, a conservation and educational organization devoted to the acquisition and stewardship of natural landscapes. CCL is an outreach program that engages and empowers area young people from diverse underserved communities. The multi-year program begins each summer with a three-week experience where students acquire environmental literacy, learn scientific assessment methods, and develop teamwork and leadership skills, all in the context of a stewardship ethic. The students are paired with adult mentors who guide them in individual conservation stewardship projects to implement in their communities. A key element of the projects is educating the community about conservation and recruiting additional members of the larger community to participate in the projects. The students present detailed accounts of their projects at various occasions during the year.
Lake Forest Open Lands Association >

YWCA Metropolitan Chicago

North Shore Gas supports the Business and Entrepreneurship Services of YWCA Metropolitan Chicago, which serves Lake County and the rest of the Chicago region. The program fosters the growth and acceleration of businesses — especially those owned by women of color — by addressing the unique barriers faced by these businesses, such as discrimination, lack of access to funding, and a need for technical assistance and mentorship. Services include one-on-one business advising, coaching, a dedicated curriculum, and access to tools, resources and information to help clients conceptualize, launch, sustain and grow their businesses. North Shore Gas also provides employee volunteers to conduct mock interviews of students enrolled in the CONSTRUCT program, which prepares enrollees for careers in the construction industry.
YWCA Metropolitan Chicago >

A Safe Place

As the leading advocate for eliminating domestic violence and human trafficking in northern Illinois, A Safe Place provides comprehensive support and services to help victims and their families break the cycle of violence and flourish in safe, healthy environments. Services provided include: a 24-hour crisis line; emergency shelter with food, clothing and case management for families; abuser intervention; long-term and transitional housing and support services; individual and group counseling; court-ordered supervised visitations and monitored custody exchanges; legal assistance with orders of protection; and education programs for community groups and schools. In addition to providing general support, North Shore Gas partners with A Safe Place annually to provide holiday gifts to children from families in need.
A Safe Place website >