Anti-Racism & Equity Ministry

COMMITTEE ON ANTI-RACISM & EQUITY (CARE)

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We're so glad you're here! We are a Matthew 25 church, which means we are committed to dismantling structural racism by advocating and acting to break down the systems, practices and thinking that underlie discrimination, bias, prejudice and oppression of people of color.

Summer Book Read

Readers aged 14 and up are invited to participate in the First Pres Summer Book Read. Join us and read the bestselling novel “James" by Percival Everett, and graphic novel "Big Jim and the White Boy” by David F. Walker and Marcus Kwame Anderson. Both books retell the story of the American classic Huckleberry Finn from a new vantage point. Discussions will take place in person on Sunday, Aug. 30 from 11:30 - 12:45 PM and over Zoom on Tuesday, Sept. 1 from 7 - 8:15 PM. We hope you’ll join us!

BELOVED COMMUNITY NEWS

Join us as we explore new ways to deepen our capacity to live out love and justice in a complex world.

ISSUE 14 MARCH/APRIL 2026

NEWSLETTER ARCHIVES

THE WORK

We strive to provide opportunities for members of our congregation and wider community to learn and grow in their understanding of anti-racism; establish and grow deeper partnerships that foster racial reconciliation with accountability to people of color, and communicate about this work both within our congregation and in the wider world.

CONNECT

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• Ask a Question

• Share a story or personal experience

COMMITTEE MEETINGS

CARE generally meets on the fourth Wednesday of the month, most often via Zoom and occasionally in person.
Contact the CARE Team for a Zoom invitation to the meeting.

BRIDGE PARTNERS

These vetted organizations accomplish critical community support work in Lake County and beyond. We invite and encourage all whose hearts are open to the work of uprooting racism and growing Beloved Community to choose one way to build relationships and cross boundaries with a spirit of love and repair.

JOIN A CARE BRIDGE WORK GROUP

LAKE COUNTY UNITED

Lake County United is a consortium of people from Lake County churches and houses of worship that unite to advocate for policy changes that will improve quality of life for Lake County residents. Volunteer to help with a variety of community organizing projects related to advocating for attainable housing, common sense gun laws and much more.

Contact: lakecountyunitedil@gmail.com

MOSAIC HOUSE MINISTRIES + MOSAIC HUB

MOSAIC HOUSE MINISTRIES

Mosaic House Ministries is a discipleship community on God’s mission together, practicing prayer, hospitality, fellowship, and discipleship, rooted in North Chicago.

MOSAIC HUB

Formerly the historic North Chicago Library and home to the award winning Angel Drill Team, the Mosaic HUB is a transformational gathering place to share life and fellowship together. The Mosaic HUB honors the building's significant legacy through a series of interactive displays, artistic expressions, and historic materials.

Day to day, this building serves as place where all members of our community can gather together and take part in activities such as youth development, creative arts, worship, and prayer. It is also home to the CHILL lounge (Creating Higher Intelligent Learning Lifestyles).

Volunteer opportunities include working in their new gardens.

Contact: mosaic@mosaichouseministries.org

For more information about this partnership or to get involved, email our CARE Team here.

Find out more about Mosaic House Ministries here.

Find out more about Mosaic Hub here.

ROBERTI COMMUNITY HOUSE

Roberti Community House is a community center in Waukegan that provides free lunches and a food pantry as well as classes in English, sewing, and cooking. They also host after-school activities and summer camps. Their culinary program trains people to work in the food service industry through their catering program and cafe. Volunteer opportunities include working with children and youth and making food pickups and deliveries.

Contact: Pam Fisher at volunteerrch@gmail.com

THE CENTER FOR IMMIGRANT PROGRESS

Center for Immigrant Progress (CIP) is an immigrant-led organization in Lake County, IL, dedicated to dismantling barriers that immigrant families face in health, education, legal access, and civic life. CIP’s mission is to build communities that provide advocacy, education, social and economic opportunity for immigrant children and families. Contact: info@ciplakecounty.org

THE LEGACY REENTRY FOUNDATION

The Legacy Reentry Foundation in Waukegan is a faith-based not-for-profit organization that helps people who are formerly incarcerated reintegrate into society. They assist with employment and therapeutic services, social service applications, home furnishings, clothing, and life skills. Additionally, they mentor at-risk youth and provide them with experiences in the arts. Volunteer opportunities include sorting clothes at the Community Closet, staffing the front desk, and tutoring at the youth center.

Contact: Pastor George and Regina Moore at legacyreentryfoundation@gmail.com

YOUTH CONSERVATION CORPS

Youth Conservation Corps in Waukegan mentors young people, ages 16-24, who have left high school without a diploma and are unemployed. Participants earn their GED and participate in training for jobs in construction, IT, and conservation while they also learn career and life skills to get back on track.

Volunteer with beautification projects at their location, help with a community garden, and much more.

Contact: Jennifer Yonan at info@youthconservationcorps.org

WAUKEGAN TO COLLEGE

Waukegan to College fills a crucial gap in the Waukegan school system by preparing first-generation college students and their families for university admissions and beyond. They provide tutoring and mentoring for middle and high school students, assistance with college and aid applications, and resources for students and parents. Volunteer opportunities include tutoring, mentoring, and reading assistance.

Contact: Laura Rios at office@waukegantocollege.org

"But the end is reconciliation; the end is redemption; the end is the creation of the beloved community. It is this type of spirit and this type of love that can transform opposers into friends. The type of love that I stress here is not eros, a sort of esthetic or romantic love; not philia, a sort of reciprocal love between personal friends; but it is agape which is understanding goodwill for all men. It is an overflowing love which seeks nothing in return. It is the love of God working in the lives of men. This is the love that may well be the salvation of our civilization."

MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. "The Role of the Church in Facing the Nation's Chief Moral Dilemma," 1957

Additional information can be located on these pages

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