Members of the ad hoc Palos Park Welcoming Committee are asking for it to be a permanent committee.
It started in August 2023 and the idea was to let it run for a few years. But members believe the success of the committee warrants it to stay around,
Committee member Kristen Bauer stopped by the Palos Park Village Council meeting on Oct. 26 to request an official nine-member committee that meets on the third Tuesday in January, April, July and October and receives a $500 budget yearly.
“These last years have been so fulfilling meeting people who lived in Palos Park their whole lives and also being an ambassador for the village by welcoming people who just moved here” she said. “Being a relatively new resident of Palos Park, I’m honored to be on the team.”
Currently, Leslie Wade is the committee chair, Adrienne Jackiw is vice chair and committee members are Bauer, Liz Galvin, Emily Hampston, Karry Nicorata, Kelly Oliven, Meg Poore and Larry Wisowaty.
The group has welcomed 184 new families in three years. Some have been via events the new residents are invited to. Some are from the committee showing up to established village events and setting up a table.
And there are many times committee members knock on doors to meet their new neighbors and bring gifts.
“I moved to Palos Park seven years ago, just before everything was shut down because of COVID,” Bauer said. “I knew right away Palos Park was a very special place filled with folks who care about the community and their neighbors.
“I wanted to be involved to meet people and to give back to this wonderful village.”
She said it’s even more special because she grew up in southern Indiana and her family was a part of a Welcome Wagon group.
“Those memories always stuck with me and when the mayor created the ad-hoc committee, welcoming newcomers to Palos Park, I was excited to apply and even more excited to be asked to be one of the nine residents to participate,” Bauer said.
The board will vote on a decision to make it a permanent committee at a future meeting.
“This idea really took off and it’s so exciting,” Mayor Nicole Milovich-Walters said. “I’m excited and I hope the village council will agree that we will create this as a permanent committee.”
