Holiday - Chamber office closed

Impermanence: The Art of Letting Go - Guided Meditation Retreat

Although it's common to feel stuck, we are not fixed or defined by our past experiences; we all have an extraordinary potential for positive change and good qualities. As we approach the dawn of a new year, learn how to let go of the past and tap into your innate cap......More

Although it's common to feel stuck, we are not fixed or defined by our past experiences; we all have an extraordinary potential for positive change and good qualities. As we approach the dawn of a new year, learn how to let go of the past and tap into your innate capacity to thrive by living fully in the present. Suitable for both beginners and experienced meditators, each session will include practical instruction and guided meditation. Join us at the end for an informal Q&A and light refreshments if you wish. No previous experience is needed, and absolutely everyone is welcome!   SCHEDULE Session 1, 10:00 - 11:00am Session 2, 11:30am - 12:30pm lunch (provided) Session 3, 2:00 - 3:00pm Session 4, 3:30 - 4:30pm optional, informal Q&A with light refreshments TEACHER Guest teacher Gen Kelsang Dorje is the resident teacher at Kadampa Meditation Center Madison, and the former Resident Teacher here at KMC Chicago. Gen Dorje is known for his warmth and humor in making Buddha’s teachings relevant to our modern life. He is an inspiring example of how to integrate these teachings into a joyful life and is committed to helping people improve their daily lives through meditation and mindfulness.

Kadampa Meditation Center Chicago - Oak Park, 13 Harrison St, Oak Park, IL 60304, USA

America's Cemetery: Arlington National Cemetery

Arlington National Cemetery began as a Civil War cemetery and has evolved into a national cemetery. This is the story of some of the great Americans who served this country and who are buried there. A retired anthropologist, Paula Fenzi has always been fascinated w......More

Arlington National Cemetery began as a Civil War cemetery and has evolved into a national cemetery. This is the story of some of the great Americans who served this country and who are buried there. A retired anthropologist, Paula Fenzi has always been fascinated with cemeteries. She wrote her graduate thesis on the social organization of midwestern American cemeteries. She has published articles in the Journal of the Association for Gravestone Studies and made presentations at their annual conferences. She has also presented on cemeteries for several Chicago area organizations. She is a actor at the OPRF Historical Society's annual Tales of the Tombstones cemetery walk at Forest Home Cemetery, portraying several local historic figures, including 2 founders of the Nineteenth, May Estelle Cook and Elizabeth Ball.  Free and open to the public. Donations are welcome! To live stream this program, visit our website.  A recording will also be available from the website one week later. https://ncca.memberclicks.net  

Nineteenth Century Charitable Association 178 Forest Avenue Oak Park

Nonprofit Affinity Group / Making the Most of your NPO's Chamber Membership

The Chamber's Nonprofit Affinity Group gathers the first Thursday of most months (this month, second Tuesday!) to connect with each other and benefit from some professional development.  We start at 12:30 with time to network, then have our presenter begin at 1 pm.  We......More

The Chamber's Nonprofit Affinity Group gathers the first Thursday of most months (this month, second Tuesday!) to connect with each other and benefit from some professional development.  We start at 12:30 with time to network, then have our presenter begin at 1 pm.  We welcome you to join us!     This month: Making the Most of Your NPO's Chamber Membership Joining the Chamber is a great first step in using it to benefit your organization; showing up at events to tell people about what you do is a great second step.  But how else can you use the Chamber to help your NPO?   Chamber Program Manager Mark Walden will share the strategies that other organizations are using through the Chamber, whether online, in print, in person, or through collaborations.  It'll be an interactive conversation, so bring your own experiences, ideas and questions!   Please join us to learn about using the Chamber to strengthen your nonprofit! WHO IS OUR PRESENTER?   Mark Walden has been Program Manager at the OPRF Chamber of Commerce since 2016.  He was previously Development Director at the Seminary Consortium for Urban Pastoral Education (SCUPE) and Executive Director at Local First Chicago, the South Chicago Chamber of Commerce, and the West Lawn Chamber of Commerce.  He is a social entrepreneur through his business Jubilee Affordable Housing, and has earned degrees at Macalester College, North Park University, and Eastern University.  But he mostly just likes to be the greeter at the door welcoming dear Chamber members to our events!   Location and Parking: Location: Art Studio 928, 451 South Boulevard, Oak Park Parking: Street parking is available on South Blvd. and adjoining side streets.      

Art Studio 928 451 South Boulevard Oak Park, IL Street parking is available on South Blvd. and adjoining side streets.

Women in Business | Make Your Mark in 2026 - At Schoolhouse Kitchen & Studio

    Make Your Mark in 2026 Join your fellow Women in Business for an energizing gathering and discussion about making our mark in the New Year.  Activate your inner creator with a fun block-printing activity, and learn more about the art of linocutting with our ......More

    Make Your Mark in 2026 Join your fellow Women in Business for an energizing gathering and discussion about making our mark in the New Year.  Activate your inner creator with a fun block-printing activity, and learn more about the art of linocutting with our expert session leaders at Schoolhouse Kitchen + Studio. **Please note our special meeting location for January.  We will return to our hosts at the Sunrise of River Forest in February. Meet our Speakers:  Cheryl Knecht Cheryl Knecht is the Founder and Owner of Schoolhouse Kitchen + Studio. It’s her dream job. To experience more meaningful connections to her local farmers and neighbors, she opened (along with hundreds of others) a cooperative grocery store in the Village of Oak Park, IL in July 2015 called Sugar Beet Food Co-op. The Co-op celebrates community and good food by providing a full-service marketplace for local vendors and producers and greater access to local, organic food. Her passion for education and skill-sharing motivated her to establish an educational organization which became Sugar Beet Schoolhouse. In 2016 Cheryl found a home for the Schoolhouse (we just call it Schoolhouse now) in a sweet little building in River Forest that includes a commercial kitchen for community chefs that she also manages (River Forest Kitchen) and a greenhouse. Cheryl received the Golden Beet Award from the Illinois Stewardship Alliance for Community Food Development in 2015 and has been named to New City Chicago’s “Big Heat” list of Chicago’s “movers and shakers” in the Chicago food scene three times. Cheryl enjoys hiking and biking, listening to audiobooks and LOVES sharing her passion with others. Cheryl lives in Oak Park, IL with her loveable teenagers, Cedar and Ren, and their majestic black cat, MO. Sarah Edgar  Sarah has worked at The Schoolhouse since 2021. She loves tackling new recipes and techniques, and her favorite things to bake are mirror glaze mousse cakes, macarons and cute Kawaii treats. Sarah is delighted to share her love of baking and cooking with children! She loves to encourage kids to keep trying, even if it doesn’t come out perfectly the first time. She lives with her husband, two children, cats and chickens in Oak Park. Judy Seals / Founder & Nurse Practitioner, Synergy Integrative Health & Wellness Jocelyn Calles / Co-Owner, Las Flores Laundromat Where is it? Schoolhouse Kitchen + Studio 1011 Madison St. Oak Park, IL Street parking is available on Madison or adjoining side streets     What To Expect... Please come as you are.  Coffee, tea and light refreshments will be served.  9-9:15 am - network, socialize, gather refreshments, and find your seat.  9:15-10:30 - program If you need to arrive a few minutes late or leave a few minutes early, please still join us! We get it, we all have things to do.      Want more information on Women In Business? Contact Melissa Mallinson at [email protected] to learn more about the OPRF Chamber Women in Business Affinity Group.  

Schoolhouse Kitchen + Studio 1011 Madison St., Oak Park, IL Street parking available on Madison

Monday Enrichment - Threading Community

The presentation will explore how fiber arts  uniquely position practitioners at the intersection of material culture, ancestral knowledge, and social change. Carina Yepez will share pivotal moments from their creative evolution, discuss how personal narrative has inf......More

The presentation will explore how fiber arts  uniquely position practitioners at the intersection of material culture, ancestral knowledge, and social change. Carina Yepez will share pivotal moments from their creative evolution, discuss how personal narrative has informed their studio practice while simultaneously opening pathways to broader community dialogue.  Carina Yepez is a Chicago-based artist and educator with roots in Guanajuato, Mexico, whose work explores matriarchy, immigration, and ancestral healing through quilting and textile-based practices. As a program supervisor at Firebird Community Arts and a lecturer at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, she merges craft and fine art to honor cultural traditions and lived experiences. Free and open to the public. Donations are welcome! To live stream this program, visit our website.  A recording will also be available from the website one week later. https://ncca.memberclicks.net  

Nineteenth Century Charitable Association 178 Forest Avenue Oak Park

Business After Hours - Animal Care League January 2026

Join us at our regular monthly networking event, Business After Hours (BAH), on the second Tuesday of every month. All members and non-members are welcome. (Members are free.) Connecting business to business, business to community.   Where Are We Meeting This Month......More

Join us at our regular monthly networking event, Business After Hours (BAH), on the second Tuesday of every month. All members and non-members are welcome. (Members are free.) Connecting business to business, business to community.   Where Are We Meeting This Month? Our January Business After Hours (BAH) will be hosted by the Animal Care League.  Join us for a night of networking and hors d'oeuvres in this newly-renovated setting, to kick off the new year in great company!     Tell Me About This Month's Host The Animal Care League is a safe, welcoming place for pets in need of homes!  The ACL sets up foster and adoption placements for dogs, cats, and rabbits, and takes great care of them until those placements happen.  They're a welcoming place for people too!  They've got a spacious, newly-rehabbed headquarters we're invited to come check out - and they'll provide tasty people-food and a warm welcome for us too.  Come have a fun evening with great connections to be made for your business or organization! Where Should I Park? Parking is available on Garfield and on adjoining side streets.   

Animal Care League 1011 Garfield Oak Park, IL Parking is available on Garfield and on adjoining side streets.

L’Institut français d’Oak Park Winter Open House

Visit l'Institut français d’Oak Park in the Oak Park Arts District on Tuesday, January 13 for our Winter Open House! Drop in any time between 6-8pm to learn about our classes and programs for adults ......More

Visit l'Institut français d’Oak Park in the Oak Park Arts District on Tuesday, January 13 for our Winter Open House! Drop in any time between 6-8pm to learn about our classes and programs for adults and mature teens while enjoying wine, cheese and conversation. Registration is currently open for our Winter French Classes that will take place from January 19 through March 26.  Visit www.frenchinstitute.net for more information and to learn about winter class offerings, French-language Conversation Cafés, and more.

11 Harrison Street, Oak Park

Meet Me For Lunch at Breakfast House - January 2026

Join us for the Chamber's monthly sit-down luncheon!  This is a business lunch in a casual setting, providing the opportunity for relaxed small group networking.  Come enjoy the food while you connect and get to know Chamber members. Lunch is a flat $25 including tax an......More

Join us for the Chamber's monthly sit-down luncheon!  This is a business lunch in a casual setting, providing the opportunity for relaxed small group networking.  Come enjoy the food while you connect and get to know Chamber members. Lunch is a flat $25 including tax and tip ($30 non-members). Celebrate the new year with the Chamber community for a tasty lunch with your choice of any entree of the menu.  Kick off 2026 with a hot meal and the warm welcome of your Chamber colleagues at Breakfast House Oak Park!   Come join us for a break from work, and to build connections and sample the Latin and American breakfast and lunch choices from the Breakfast House kitchen!  See you soon!  Metered parking is available on adjoining streets, or parking is available in the Village garage at Holley Court one block west of the restaurant. 

Breakfast House 138 N. Marion Oak Park, IL Metered parking is available on adjoining streets or in the Village lot one block south; there is also the Village-owned garage at Holley Court one block west.

Monday Enrichment - Chicago's Japanese-American History: Resettlement Stories

The Japanese American Service Committee (JASC), founded in 1946 as the Chicago Resettlers Committee, invites you to explore the remarkable story of Chicago's Japanese American community. Community historian and writer Erik Matsunaga will share the little-known history......More

The Japanese American Service Committee (JASC), founded in 1946 as the Chicago Resettlers Committee, invites you to explore the remarkable story of Chicago's Japanese American community. Community historian and writer Erik Matsunaga will share the little-known history of post-World War II resettlement, followed by moving, firsthand accounts from participants in JASC's Oral History Project. Through these personal stories of resilience and change, you'll gain a deeper understanding of the political and socioeconomic shifts that shaped Chicago in the decades after the war-culminating in an open discussion and Q&A with the audience. Mike Tanimura joined the Japanese American Service Committee (JASC) board in 2004 and served as president from 2008 to 2012. He chairs the Japanese Community Picnic, a major annual gathering for "new lssei," "new Nisei," and Japanese residents. A lifelong advocate for judo, he has served on the board of Tohkon Judo Academy since 1995. Erik Matsunaga is a Chicago-born community scholar and descendant of WWII-era Nikkei resettlers from California. He curates @windycitynikkei on Instagram and has shared his research on Japanese American Chicago through national and local cultural institutions. Linda Suzu Kawano is a lifelong Chicagoan whose American-born parents resettled in the city after WWII. Founder of Group Optima, she holds a doctorate in Biological Science and Experimental Pathology from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Free and open to the public. Donations are welcome! To live stream this program, visit our website.  A recording will also be available from the website one week later. https://ncca.memberclicks.net  

Nineteenth Century Charitable Association 178 Forest Avenue Oak Park