League of Women Voters of Naperville

Friday Book Club: The Joy of Politics: Surviving Cancer, a Campaign, a Pandemic, an Insurrection, and Life's Other Unexpected Curveballs
2024-10-18 12:30 - 13:30 (America/New_York) | IL
by Amy Klobuchar
Register for our October Book Club meeting!
From Goodreads:
An intimate and revelatory memoir—on personal challenges, political turmoil, and the state of American democracy—from one of the most effective voices in politics, Amy Klobuchar.
During the past few years, as our country has faced unprecedented challenges, Senator Klobuchar has been in the room where it happens—on the Senate floor for critical votes during the pandemic, at the debate podium during one of the most critical presidential elections in US history, and in the Capitol on January 6, 2021, when insurrectionists stormed the building, interrupting the certification of the electoral college. It was well past midnight when Klobuchar stood beside then-Vice President Pence to officially certify President Biden’s victory.
In her candid, honest, and at times bitingly funny memoir, the pragmatic senator shares insider stories from these historic moments, while also inviting readers into her personal life. An underdog in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary campaign, she built surprising early momentum–only to suspend her candidacy in order to support Joe Biden. Within weeks of returning to work in the Senate, the sudden onslaught of COVID-19 hit her family directly. Her husband got very sick and spent a week in the hospital on oxygen and a month in isolation. Klobuchar shares her experience facing a cancer diagnosis while watching her beloved father succumb to Alzheimer’s. She recounts the dramatic narrative of January 6 and how close we came to losing our democracy. And, with her signature humor, she reveals what it’s like to work with some of her more…well, interesting…colleagues.
At the crux of these stories is a narrative of resilience – of personal resilience and the resilience of a nation – and, improbably, joy.

Key Election Date: Online Voter Registration Deadline
2024-10-20 | IL
Important Voting Reminder: October 20th is the Last Day to Register Online!
October 20th marks the final day to register to vote online through the Illinois State Board of Elections website. If you haven’t registered yet, make sure to visit ova.elections.il.gov and complete your registration.
If you miss the online registration deadline, don’t worry! You can still register in person at your polling place when you go to vote. Make sure your voice is heard in this election—get registered today!

Key Election Date: First Day of Early Voting - More Locations Open
2024-10-21 | IL
Get Ready! Early Voting for the 2024 General Election Continues!
Starting October 21, additional early voting locations across your County will open, making it easy to participate in this election.
Find your most convenient early voting location in your county and its applicable operating hours by visiting the DuPage County Clerk’s website or the Will County Clerk’s website. Don’t miss this chance to shape the future—get out and vote!

Tuesday Book Club: The Joy of Politics: Surviving Cancer, a Campaign, a Pandemic, an Insurrection, and Life's Other Unexpected Curveballs
2024-10-22 19:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York) | IL

Key Election Date: Last Day of Early Voting
2024-11-04 | IL
Last Chance for Early Voting is November 4th!
November 4th is the final day to take advantage of early voting for the 2024 General Election. If you haven’t voted yet, this is your last opportunity to make sure your voice is heard before Election Day. Your vote counts, and early voting ensures it gets in on time.
You can find more information about voting by visiting the DuPage County Clerk’s website here or the Will County Clerk’s website here. Make sure your vote matters—vote early!

Key Election Date: General Election - November 5th
2024-11-05 | IL
Election Day is November 5th – Make Your Voice Heard!
November 5th is the big day—the 2024 General Election is here! It’s your chance to help shape the future by casting your vote. Voting in Illinois is straightforward, but there are a few important rules to keep in mind:

Polls are open from 6:00 AM to 7:00 PM. As long as you’re in line by 7:00 PM, you are legally allowed to vote.
Same-day voter registration is available. If you’re not registered yet, you can do so at your polling place and vote on the same day! Make sure to bring at least two forms of identification, with one showing your current address.
You have the right to vote. If you encounter any issues at the polls, election judges are there to help.
DuPage County Voters: You can vote at any valid polling place across the County.

Make sure you know your polling place and plan ahead. Your vote is your voice, and every vote counts. Get out and vote on November 5th!
DuPage County Voters: Find your polling place here.
Will County Voters: Find your polling place here.

Friday Book Club: There Is Nothing For You Here: Finding Opportunity in the Twenty-First Century
2024-11-15 12:30 - 13:30 (America/New_York) | IL
by Fiona Hill
Register for our November Book Club meeting!
From Goodreads:
A celebrated foreign policy expert and key impeachment witness reveals how declining opportunity has set America on the grim path of modern Russia—and draws on her personal journey out of poverty, as well as her unique perspectives as an historian and policy maker, to show how we can return hope to our forgotten places.
Fiona Hill grew up in a world of terminal decay. The last of the local mines had closed, businesses were shuttering, and despair was etched in the faces around her. Her father urged her to get out of their blighted corner of northern England: “There is nothing for you here, pet,” he said.
The coal-miner’s daughter managed to go further than he ever could have dreamed. She studied in Moscow and at Harvard, became an American citizen, and served three U.S. Presidents. But in the heartlands of both Russia and the United States, she saw troubling reflections of her hometown and similar populist impulses. By the time she offered her brave testimony in the first impeachment inquiry of President Trump, Hill knew that the desperation of forgotten people was driving American politics over the brink—and that we were running out of time to save ourselves from Russia’s fate. In this powerful, deeply personal account, she shares what she has learned, and shows why expanding opportunity is the only long-term hope for our democracy.

Tuesday Book Club: There Is Nothing For You Here: Finding Opportunity in the Twenty-First Century
2024-11-19 19:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York) | IL

Gaining Perspective on Our Personal Response to Politics
2025-01-06 08:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York) | IL
Join us on January 8th at 7 pm via Zoom for our monthly Ideas Forum!
After our November election, were you relieved or depressed?
Regardless of your political leanings or response to the election, you may be struggling personally with the current political climate and vitriol. Can you have the civil conversations with family and friends you would like? For many of us, the answer is not always.

Family therapist Christina Maki will discuss how to manage these struggles at our first Ideas Forum of 2025. Use the button below to register for this important event.

Maki is a licensed marriage and family therapist with over a decade of experience. Her primary aim is to help clients build resilience, find internal strengths, and create healthy relationships. Christina’s style of therapy is relational, strength-based, evidence-based, and integrative.

As a marriage and family therapist, Christina focuses heavily on relationships. These relationships start with ourselves and include friends, family, significant others, schools, and communities. When individuals learn how to be successful in relationships, they can learn how to get their needs met no matter the situation.

Christina’s clients describe her as intelligent, humorous, and straightforward. She also creates a safe, welcoming, and loving environment that is free from judgment and imposed expectations. Christina received her master’s degree from Friends University. Her ongoing training focuses on family, relationships, anxiety, and trauma.
This event is free, but please register here.

When Naperville Was a Sundown Town
2025-02-19 19:00 - 20:00 (America/Chicago) | IL
Join us on Zoom for our February Ideas Forum featuring Dr. Raleigh Blasdell, North Central College Associate Professor of Criminology and Sociology; Chairperson Department of Sociology Criminology and Anthropology.
In 2022, a group of North Central College students, mentored by Dr. Raleigh Blasdell, researched and compiled a report on the history of Naperville’s ‘sundown policy’.
They investigated the role of churches in the city’s racial history and current practices, the impact of laws and policies, how zoning impacts sociodemographic populations, the challenges for Black business owners, and how Naperville’s public schools are addressing educational issues regarding racism and inequality.
Dr. Blasdell will discuss the findings, implications, and future directions for the research the students began in 2022. She will also engage with the audience, hearing their experiences and thoughts about the project.
Raleigh Blasdell (she/her) is a Criminologist who has taught at the collegiate level since 2008. She joined NCC’s Sociology, Criminology, and Anthropology faculty in 2019 and teaches criminology and criminal justice courses. Dr. Blasdell was instrumental in establishing the Criminology major, which launched in Fall 2022, and the Cardinal Destination Course Abroad, which explored Criminal Justice in England (May 2023).
Dr. Blasdell earned her Ph.D. in Criminology from The University of South Florida. She received her Bachelor of Arts and Master of Science in Criminal Justice from Illinois State University. She graduated from the Tokiwa International Victimology Institute’s (Tokiwa, Japan) Asian Postgraduate Course on Victimology and Victim Assistance. Before academia, she worked as a victim advocate (working with women and children who had been abused) and as a terrorism intelligence analyst.
Dr. Blasdell enjoys working with her students (who affectionately call her “Prof. B.”) to maintain an active research agenda that studies minoritized populations, victims of crime, and restorative justice. She has presented original research both independently and with students at over two dozen academic conferences across the United States and abroad.
This event is free, but please register.

Naperville Community Unit School District 203 Board Candidate Forum
2025-03-04 19:00 - 20:00 (America/Chicago) | Zoom Meeting
Investing in Education—Meet the Candidates!
Get to know the candidates vying for a seat on the Naperville Community Unit School District 203 Board! This is your chance to hear directly from them, understand their perspectives, and learn how they plan to shape the future of our schools.
Join us on March 4th at 7 pm via Zoom, when candidates will answer community-submitted questions* and share their visions in a fair, nonpartisan forum. Whether you’re a parent, educator, or engaged community member, this event is your opportunity to stay informed before heading to the polls!
This event is free, but you must register at https://rebrand.ly/district203-forum.
Candidates Participating:

Charles Cush
Holly Joy Blastic
Jillian Langer
Amanda McMillen
Marc Willensky

** All candidates have been invited **
This event is sponsored by The League of Women Voters of Naperville and Naperville General Home & School.
If registration for the event exceeds the Zoom capacity, you can watch it live on our Facebook page. After the event, a video will be available on our YouTube channel.
How a Candidate Forum Works
All candidate forums are run by trained, nonpartisan, and out-of-district moderators. Candidates are given equal time to answer each question.
Each candidate will have one minute to present an opening statement alphabetically.
Questions will be chosen in advance by the League for appropriateness and relevance from those solicited from League members and community members. Questions are not shared with the candidates before the forum.
The moderator will ask questions in rotation so that a different candidate will have the opportunity to be the first to answer. Candidates will each have one minute to answer each question.
After the questions are completed, each candidate will have one minute to provide a closing statement.
No surrogates are permitted to participate. An uncontested forum, that is, one with only one candidate, is not permitted.

Indian Prairie School District 204 Candidate Forum
2025-03-06 17:00 - 18:00 (America/Chicago) | Zoom Meeting
Education Matters—Meet the Candidates!
Get to know the candidates running for a seat on the Indian Prairie School District 204 Board during our Candidate Forum on March 6 at 5 PM via Zoom! This is your opportunity to hear directly from them, gain insight into their perspectives, and learn how they plan to shape the future of our schools. Candidates will answer community-submitted questions and share their visions in a fair, nonpartisan forum. Whether you’re a parent, educator, or engaged community member, this event will help you make an informed decision before heading to the polls!
This event is free, but you must register at https://rebrand.ly/district204-forum.
Candidates Participating:

Allison Albert
Laurie Donahue
Allison Fosdick
Supna Jain
Susan Taylor-Demming

** All candidates have been invited **
This event is sponsored by The League of Women Voters of Naperville and the Indian Prairie Parents’ Council.
If registration for the event exceeds the Zoom capacity, you can watch it live on our Facebook page. After the event, a video will be available on our YouTube channel.
How a Candidate Forum Works
All candidate forums are run by trained, nonpartisan, and out-of-district moderators. Candidates are given equal time to answer each question.
Each candidate will have one minute to present an opening statement alphabetically.
Questions will be chosen in advance by the League for appropriateness and relevance from those solicited from League members and community members. Questions are not shared with the candidates before the forum.
The moderator will ask questions in rotation so that a different candidate will have the opportunity to be the first to answer. Candidates will each have up to one minute to answer each question.
After the questions are completed, each candidate will have one minute to provide a closing statement.
No surrogates are permitted to participate. An uncontested forum, that is, one with only one candidate, is not permitted.

Naperville City Council Candidate Forum
2025-03-11 19:00 - 20:00 (America/Chicago) | Zoom Meeting
Your Voice, Your City—Meet the Candidates!

The future of Naperville is in your hands! Get to know the candidates running for Naperville City Council and hear their thoughts on the issues that matter most to our community. Join us on March 11th at 7 pm via Zoom for a nonpartisan forum that offers a chance to learn about their priorities, leadership styles, and responses to questions from the community.* This is your opportunity to make an informed decision before Election Day!
This event is free, but you must register at https://rebrand.ly/citycouncil-forum.
Candidates Participating:

Meghna Bansal
Jennifer Bruzan Taylor
Mary Gibson
Ian Holzhauer
Nag Jaiswal
Derek McDaniel
Ashfaq Syed
Benny White

** All candidates have been invited **
This event is sponsored by The League of Women Voters of Naperville.
If registration for the event exceeds the Zoom capacity, you can watch it live on our Facebook page. After the event, a video will be available on our YouTube channel.
How a Candidate Forum Works
All candidate forums are run by trained, nonpartisan, and out-of-district moderators. Candidates are given equal time to answer each question.
Each candidate will have one minute to present an opening statement alphabetically.
Questions will be chosen in advance by the League for appropriateness and relevance from those solicited from League members and community members. Questions are not shared with the candidates before the forum.
The moderator will ask questions in rotation so that a different candidate will have the opportunity to be the first to answer. Candidates will each have one minute to answer each question.
After the questions are completed, each candidate will have one minute to provide a closing statement.
No surrogates are permitted to participate. An uncontested forum, that is, one with only one candidate, is not permitted.

Park District Candidate Forum
2025-03-12 19:00 - 20:00 (America/Chicago) | Zoom Meeting
Shaping Our Parks, Enriching Our Community!
Naperville’s parks, recreation programs, and green spaces impact all of us—now it’s time to hear from the candidates who want to lead them!
Join us for our Naperville Park District Board Candidate Forum on March 12th at 7 p.m. You’ll learn about each candidate’s vision and answer questions from the community.* From maintaining open spaces to enhancing programs, this event will give you the insight you need to vote with confidence!
This event is free, but you must register at https://rebrand.ly/parkdistrict-forum.
Candidates Participating:

Rhonda Ansier
Aishwarya Balakrishna
Natalia Dagenhart
Zachary Jarrell
Leslie Ruffing
Alison Thompson

** All candidates have been invited **
If registration for the event exceeds the Zoom capacity, you can watch it live on our Facebook page. After the event, a video will be available on our YouTube channel.
How a Candidate Forum Works
All candidate forums are run by trained, nonpartisan, and out-of-district moderators. Candidates are given equal time to answer each question.
Each candidate will have one minute to present an opening statement alphabetically.
Questions will be chosen in advance by the League for appropriateness and relevance from those solicited from League members and community members. Questions are not shared with the candidates before the forum.
The moderator will ask questions in rotation so that a different candidate will have the opportunity to be the first to answer. Candidates will each have one minute to answer each question.
After the questions are completed, each candidate will have one minute to provide a closing statement.
No surrogates are permitted to participate. An uncontested forum, that is, one with only one candidate, is not permitted.

Casting a Historic Vote: Suffrage for Women in Illinois
2025-03-19 19:00 - 20:00 (America/Chicago) | Zoom Meeting
Join us via Zoom on March 19th at 7 pm for our monthly Ideas Forum, “Casting a Historic Vote: Suffrage for Women in Illinois.” This event is free, but please register.
This event is co-sponsored by AAUW Naperville Area Branch and NCJW North Shore.
Prior to 1920, women were denied the vote in the majority of elections in the United States. The struggle for enfranchisement began with the birth of our nation and was strategized differently in our local, state, and federal elections. Despite what people today believe to be a straightforward goal, the path to women’s suffrage was infused with sexism and racism and triggered a fear of feminism, whose roots are still seen today.
While wealthy women advocates played a vital role in the suffrage movement, they were not the only ones seeking enfranchisement. From attorney Ellen Martin, the first woman to vote in Illinois, to Ida B. Wells, a woman who did not let racism silence her voice, women’s suffrage has been a battle hard fought by a diverse group of activists in Illinois.
Presented by Jeanne Schultz Angel
Jeanne is the Director of Learning Experiences and historical Resources for Naper Settlement. She is a nonprofit administrator and museum professional with more than 24 years of experience in cultural institutions. She holds a BA in Anthropology and an MA in History from Illinois State University.
She has been the executive director of three Chicagoland historical organizations: St. Charles Heritage Center, Lombard Historical Society/Sheldon Peck Homestead, and the Nineteenth Century Club in Oak Park.
In addition, she served as the executive director of the Illinois Association of Museums. Most recently, she was the lead historian in Seeking Charlie: Connecting the Dots Left by a Freedom Seeker in Illinois, a grant funded by the Association of African American Life & History and the National Park Service.

March Book Club - Friday: We Need to Talk About Antisemitism
2025-03-21 12:30 - 13:30 (America/New_York) | Zoom Meeting
Join us for our March Book Club meeting on Friday 21st, at 12:30 pm.
Author: Rabbi Diana Fersko
From Goodreads:
Millennial rabbi, Rabbi Diana Fersko, explores why we’re reluctant to discuss antisemitism—and empowers us to fight against it. Exploring topics like vile myths about Jewish people and the intersection of antisemitism with other forms of discrimination, the book gives readers the tools they need to understand the state of antisemitism today. Fersko shows Jews and non-Jews alike how to speak up and come together, spreading a message of solidarity and hope.

March Book Club - Tuesday: We Need to Talk About Antisemitism
2025-03-25 19:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York) | Zoom Meeting
Join us for our March Book Club Meeting on Tuesday, March 25th, at 7:00 pm.
Author: Rabbi Diana Fersko
From Goodreads:
Millennial rabbi, Rabbi Diana Fersko, explores why we’re reluctant to discuss antisemitism—and empowers us to fight against it. Exploring topics like vile myths about Jewish people and the intersection of antisemitism with other forms of discrimination, the book gives readers the tools they need to understand the state of antisemitism today. Fersko shows Jews and non-Jews alike how to speak up and come together, spreading a message of solidarity and hope.

April 5 Protest Rallies for the Nationwide Day of Action
2025-04-05 11:30 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | IL
A host of organizations supporting Democracy are planning peaceful rallies on April 5 in multiple locations around the region.
Our sister League in Kane County is sponsoring the Geneva gathering. Bring signs, flags, and a friend!
Here are the details:
Saturday, April 5

Rally Option: 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m., Route 38 Bridge, Geneva, IL
Rally Option: Noon, Daley Plaza, Chicago

Please register for the Geneva rally!

How Area Teens View Our Government
2025-04-09 19:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York) | Zoom Meeting
Join us for the April Ideas Forum on April 9th at 7 pm via Zoom.
We will have an insightful conversation with Waubonsie Valley High School social studies and government teacher Chris Wolak. Wolak will draw on his experience to discuss students’ perspectives on government and their expectations of post-high school voter participation.
Chris Wolak also sponsors the Youth & Government Club at WVHS and formerly worked for the Naperville Sun.
He has degrees in journalism from Illinois State University, secondary education/history from DePaul University, and a Master of Arts in education from Concordia University Chicago.
This event is free, but please register!

April Book Club - Friday: By the Fire We Carry: The Generations-Long Fight for Justice on Native Land
2025-04-18 12:30 - 13:30 (America/New_York) | Zoom Meeting
Join us for our Friday book club meeting on April 18th, at 12:30 PM
Author: Rebecca Nagle
From GoodReads:
A powerful work of reportage and American history that braids the story of the forced removal of Native Americans onto treaty lands in the nation’s earliest days, and a small-town murder in the 1990s that led to a Supreme Court ruling reaffirming Native rights to that land more than a century later. Here Rebecca Nagle recounts the generations-long fight for tribal land and sovereignty in eastern Oklahoma. By chronicling both the contemporary legal battle and historic acts of Indigenous resistance, By the Fire We Carry stands as a landmark work of American history. The story it tells exposes both the wrongs that our nation has committed and the Native-led battle for justice that has shaped our country.

April Book Club – Tuesday: By the Fire We Carry: The Generations-Long Fight for Justice on Native Land
2025-04-22 19:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York) | Zoom Meeting
Join us for our April Book Club meeting on Tuesday 22nd, at 7 pm.
Author: Rebecca Nagle
From GoodReads:
A powerful work of reportage and American history that braids the story of the forced removal of Native Americans onto treaty lands in the nation’s earliest days, and a small-town murder in the 1990s that led to a Supreme Court ruling reaffirming Native rights to that land more than a century later. Here Rebecca Nagle recounts the generations-long fight for tribal land and sovereignty in eastern Oklahoma. By chronicling both the contemporary legal battle and historic acts of Indigenous resistance, By the Fire We Carry stands as a landmark work of American history. The story it tells exposes both the wrongs that our nation has committed and the Native-led battle for justice that has shaped our country.

Sips, Sweets, and Shop Spring Fundraiser
2025-05-09 13:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York) | J. McLaughlin, 216 S. Main Street, Naperville, IL, 60540, United States
Celebrate Mother’s Day with Style — and Give Back!
Join us at J. McLaughlin in downtown Naperville for a special afternoon of shopping, sips, and sweets!
Hosted by Donna Cheesebrough, this festive event offers the perfect opportunity to find something beautiful for Mom — and support a wonderful cause at the same time.
On Friday, May 9ᵗʰ, from 1–5 PM, stop by J. McLaughlin at 216 S Main Street to enjoy refreshments and a relaxed shopping experience.
Whether looking for the perfect Mother’s Day gift or a little something for yourself, you’ll find plenty of stylish inspiration.
Plus, 10% of all sales during the event will benefit the League of Women Voters of Naperville, supporting our vital work in empowering voters and strengthening our community.
Bring your friends, treat yourself, and shop with purpose — we can’t wait to see you there!

Under Attack: The State of Democracy Around the World
2025-05-14 19:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York) | Zoom Meeting
Join us for the May Ideas Forum on May 14 at 7 pm (CST) via Zoom.
This event is free, but please register.
Is the world’s democratic moment coming to an end? What does the future of democracy hold? Join us for our May Ideas Forum featuring Dr. William Muck, Professor of Political Science at North Central College.
Professor Muck will explore global trends in democracy, highlighting data showing that in every region of the world, democracy finds itself under attack. He will explore the implications of this democratic decline and focus specifically on the case of American democracy. How do you know when your democracy is in danger, and how should you respond? He will also reflect on the dramatic actions taken by the Trump administration and offer thoughts on how they fit within this broader anti-democratic moment.

William Muck is the chair of the Political Science Department and the coordinator for the College’s Global Studies program. He teaches a variety of courses on international politics and foreign policy. His scholarship focuses on international security, the practice of military intervention, and the pedagogy of promoting civic engagement.
He has been active in presenting research at various international studies conferences around the world. In 2018, Bill was named a Ruge Fellow by North Central College for his contributions to teaching and learning on campus. He is co-author of the book Technology and Civic Engagement in the College Classroom and other articles on international security and higher education pedagogy.

If you are in the Chicago area, you may have seen Bill offering political analysis on ABC 7, CBS Chicago, Fox 32 Chicago, or WGN Evening News. He is also a regular guest host for WCPT 820am radio and his weekly podcast, The Politics Lab.

May Book Club - Friday: Rough Sleepers
2025-05-16 12:30 - 13:30 (America/New_York) | Zoom Meeting
Join us for our May book club meeting on Friday 16th, at 12:30pm.
Author: Tracy Kidder
From GoodReads:
When Jim O’Connell graduated from Harvard Medical School and was nearing the end of his residency at Massachusetts General Hospital, the chief of medicine made a proposal: Would he defer a prestigious fellowship and spend a year helping to create an organization to bring health care to homeless citizens? Jim took the job because he felt he couldn’t refuse. But that year turned into his life’s calling. Tracy Kidder spent five years following Dr. O’Connell and his colleagues as they served their thousands of homeless patients. In this book, we travel with O’Connell as he navigates the city, offering medical care, socks, soup, empathy, humor, and friendship to some of the city’s most vulnerable citizens. He emphasizes a style of medicine in which patients come first, joined with their providers in what he calls “a system of friends.”

May Book Club - Tuesday: Rough Sleepers
2025-05-20 19:00 - 19:30 (America/New_York) | Zoom Meeting
Join us for our May book club meeting on Tuesday 20th, at 7pm.
Author: Tracy Kidder
From GoodReads:
When Jim O’Connell graduated from Harvard Medical School and was nearing the end of his residency at Massachusetts General Hospital, the chief of medicine made a proposal: Would he defer a prestigious fellowship and spend a year helping to create an organization to bring health care to homeless citizens? Jim took the job because he felt he couldn’t refuse. But that year turned into his life’s calling. Tracy Kidder spent five years following Dr. O’Connell and his colleagues as they served their thousands of homeless patients. In this book, we travel with O’Connell as he navigates the city, offering medical care, socks, soup, empathy, humor, and friendship to some of the city’s most vulnerable citizens. He emphasizes a style of medicine in which patients come first, joined with their providers in what he calls “a system of friends.”

June Book Club - Friday: Road Home
2025-06-20 12:30 - 13:30 (America/New_York) | Zoom Meeting
Join us for our June book club meeting on Friday 20th, at 12:3opm.
Author: Rex Ogle
From GoodReads:
This final, essential chapter in Rex Ogle’s memoir trilogy recounts being forced from his home and living on the streets after his conservative father discovered he was gay. When Rex was outed the summer after he graduated high school, his father gave him a choice: he could stay at home, find a girlfriend, and attend church twice a week, or he could be gay―and leave. Rex left, driving toward the only other gay man he knew and a toxic relationship that would ultimately leave him homeless and desperate on the streets of New Orleans. Road Home is a devastating and incandescent reflection on Rex’s hunger―for food, for love, and for a place to call home―completing the trilogy of memoirs that began with the award-winning Free Lunch.

June Book Club - Tuesday: Road Home
2025-06-24 08:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York) | Zoom Meeting
Join us for our June book club meeting on Tuesday 24th, at 7pm.
Author: Rex Ogle
From GoodReads:
This final, essential chapter in Rex Ogle’s memoir trilogy recounts being forced from his home and living on the streets after his conservative father discovered he was gay. When Rex was outed the summer after he graduated high school, his father gave him a choice: he could stay at home, find a girlfriend, and attend church twice a week, or he could be gay―and leave. Rex left, driving toward the only other gay man he knew and a toxic relationship that would ultimately leave him homeless and desperate on the streets of New Orleans. Road Home is a devastating and incandescent reflection on Rex’s hunger―for food, for love, and for a place to call home―completing the trilogy of memoirs that began with the award-winning Free Lunch.

July Book Club - Friday: Stolen Pride: Loss, Shame, and the Rise of the Right
2025-07-18 12:30 - 13:30 (America/New_York) | Zoom Meeting
Join us for our July book club meeting on Friday 18th, at 12:3opm.
Author: Arlie Russell Hochschild
From GoodReads:
In her first book since the widely acclaimed Strangers in Their Own Land, the National Book Award finalist and bestselling author Arlie Russell Hochschild now ventures to Appalachia, uncovering the “pride paradox” that has given the right’s appeals such resonance. In Stolen Pride, Arlie Russell Hochschild argues that Donald Trump has turned lost pride into stolen pride and shame into blame, and that the result of his rhetorical alchemy has been to weaponize that shame and introduce a potent blend of anger and often violent rhetoric—undermining democracy and highlighting revenge. Hochschild’s great gift is to decode the emotional narratives that demagogues can speak to and lay bare the pain that lies beneath the rage. And in some of the voices she listens to, Hochschild hears an alternative to the inchoate anger, as she and her subjects imagine a way we might build bridges and move forward.

July Book Club - Tuesday: Stolen Pride: Loss, Shame, and the Rise of the Right
2025-07-22 19:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York) | Zoom Meeting
Join us for our July book club meeting on Tuesday 22nd, at 7pm.
Author: Arlie Russell Hochschild
From GoodReads:
In her first book since the widely acclaimed Strangers in Their Own Land, the National Book Award finalist and bestselling author Arlie Russell Hochschild now ventures to Appalachia, uncovering the “pride paradox” that has given the right’s appeals such resonance. In Stolen Pride, Arlie Russell Hochschild argues that Donald Trump has turned lost pride into stolen pride and shame into blame, and that the result of his rhetorical alchemy has been to weaponize that shame and introduce a potent blend of anger and often violent rhetoric—undermining democracy and highlighting revenge. Hochschild’s great gift is to decode the emotional narratives that demagogues can speak to and lay bare the pain that lies beneath the rage. And in some of the voices she listens to, Hochschild hears an alternative to the inchoate anger, as she and her subjects imagine a way we might build bridges and move forward.

Illinois Schools at a Glance: Issues, Progress, and Local Realities Amber Quirk, Regional Superintendent of Schools
2025-08-13 19:00 - 20:00 (America/Chicago) | Zoom Meeting
Join us on Wednesday, August 13, at 7:00 p.m. (via Zoom) for our monthly Ideas Forum. Regional Superintendent Amber Quirk will provide an insightful look into what’s happening inside Illinois schools today, both across the state and right here in Naperville.
In this one-hour virtual session, Amber will unpack the trends shaping our schools: how funding affects student opportunities, the growing impact of chronic absenteeism, evolving approaches to school safety, and the expansion of career pathways designed to prepare students for life beyond high school.
Expect a candid conversation about where we’re making progress, where we’re falling short, and what these realities mean for our community.
Whether you’re a parent, educator, or community member who cares about the future of education, this event will give you a clearer picture of the challenges and successes within our local districts.
You’ll walk away with a deeper understanding of how these issues influence classrooms in our county—and specifically Naperville schools.
This event is free, but please register.
Amber Quirk is the Regional Superintendent of Schools, supporting public and private schools in DuPage County. Ms. Quirk matriculated from Indiana, where she attended Purdue University.
She graduated with a BA in Secondary Education, majoring in Health and Safety and minoring in Biology. She obtained a Master’s Degree in Leadership and Administration from North Central College and will have her Superintendent License through Northern Illinois University in August 2025. Ms. Quirk taught her first year in Scituate, MA, and another eleven years in Lombard School District 44.
During her time in Lombard, she taught 6th graders reading and science, coached several sports teams, actively participated on the school improvement council, and supported colleagues as an instructional coach. She became an assistant principal, then principal, serving the families of Maercker School District 60 in the Southeast corner of DuPage County for eight years.
Ms. Quirk continued her administrative career at the Regional Office of Education, first as the Assistant Regional Superintendent, followed by her current elected position of Regional Superintendent.
She is a wife, mother of three wonderful teenage daughters, and two dogs. She enjoys spending free time with family, working out, and watching sports. She is passionate about supporting students, keeping them safe, and helping them gain access to helpful pathways for their futures.
