Mission Statement
The Skinner Park Advisory Council is a non-profit all volunteer group dedicated to enhancing the community use of Skinner Park and Loomis St. Gardens. Working with the Chicago Park District and the City of Chicago, the advisory council represents the community interest in the following main areas:
• Improving and maintaining all areas of Skinner Park and Loomis St. Gardens
• Creating new areas within Skinner Park and Loomis St. Gardens that meet the community’s needs
• Improving and creating new Chicago Park District programs for children and adults
• Creating and producing Free Special Events at Skinner Park and Loomis St. Gardens to benefit the community
Our goal is to make Skinner Park and the Loomis St. Gardens beautiful urban spaces that benefits and supports the community. Balancing aesthetic landscaping with athletic fields to provide a safe beautiful place for leisure and recreation.
As an independent organization representing the community, we do not receive funding support from the Chicago Park District or the City of Chicago. The Skinner Park Advisory Council is comprised of neighbors, fellow park users, and supporters. We serve in three main and equally important functions for Skinner Park and the facilities that the Park District uses at Whitney Young High School: Advisory and Advocacy, Philanthropic, Volunteerism.
Advisory and Advocacy
The Skinner Park Advisory Council is the official advisory partner to the Chicago Park District for Skinner Park. We solicit input from the community and park users through a wide base of forums from community meetings, opinion surveys, and advisory council meetings. Broad-based community input based on research and analysis is the foundation of our advisory positions. We serve as the independent voice of the community and our primary goal is to advocate for the community.
Philanthropic
The Skinner Park Advisory Council is the philanthropic partner to the Chicago Park District for Skinner Park. Through fund raising and other support events, the Skinner Park Advisory Council seeks funds from both public and private entities for capital improvement in Skinner Park and the Whitney Young facilities that the community uses, as well as new program development. special events like movies and concerts, and scholarships for children in need to attend day camp and other programs. Friends of the Parks serves as our fiscal agent and provides us with 501(c3) non-profit status.
Volunteerism
The Skinner Park Advisory Council is a service organization and we are the driving force in promoting volunteerism to beautify the physical landscape. During the past ten years, volunteers donated thousands of hours by coming out for clean up events like Earth Day, National Public Lands Day, and Fall planting sponsored by the Landscape Committee. In addition, the Landscape Committee volunteers maintains the flowerbeds from spring to fall. Volunteerism also extends to offering new programs and sports clinics. Volunteer instructors have offered free classes and clinics from knitting to golf skills.
Executive Board
The Executive committee is an elected governing board and is comprised of local residents who volunteer their time. Their diverse background and experience range from senior management positions in consulting, research and analysis, to marketing design, corporate organization, social service and public service. The current executive board includes: May Toy, President; Brian Ferber, Vice-President; Elese Dennard, Treasurer.
Bylaws
Make a donation!
Support the work we do at Skinner Park & Loomis St. Gardens by making a donation!
