Walking the Walk and Compassion for Campers Update for June 12 2026

Look for new opportunities for action, education, community, and solidarity in and around McHenry County here every week.  

                                                            Walking the Walk  

So much to do this June!

Woodstock Pride Fest--June 13-14 Annual family-friendly events celebrating the LGBTQIA+ Community. Multiple special events.  Pride Parade and the Festival on the Square 11 am to 4 pm.

June 14th: Happy Birthday NoKings--Sunday June 14, 2026 is the anniversary of the first NoKings nationwide protest against the Trump regime! We will gather again to continue our efforts to save democracy and show our patriotism in a joyful, peaceful demonstration. Our rally will be from 3-5 pm at the intersection of Rt. 31 and McCullom Lake Rd. in McHenry. Bring your signs, wear your creative costumes, and spread the message of love for freedom of speech and the right for all who want a fair and just America for everyone! As always, this is a peaceful, non-violent rally; respect the rights of all! Please make sure you park in areas not blocking any businesses, and remember to station yourselves only on public property! After the rally (or if you cannot attend), join the "RISE UP-SIGN OUT" Concert for the First Amendment at 6:30 pm, CT--a national broadcast to counter the fiasco earlier in the day on the front lawn of our White House.  Sponsored localy by Indivisible McHenry County.

The new Northern Illinois Indivisible is promoting Rise Up, Sing Out: A Concert for the First Amendment on Sunday, June 14 at 6:30 p.m. CT, the Committee for the First Amendment will be hosting It will be an uplifting evening of song, solidarity, and action featuring Bette Midler, Rufus Wainwright, Patti Smith, Sasha Allen, Wilson Cruz, Jane Fonda, Julia Roberts, Joy Reid, Lily Gladstone, Jen Colella, Alex Joseph Grayson, Kayla Davion, Rev. Adriene Thorne, Peppermint, Singing Resistance, Broadway Inspirational Voices, and Rude Mechanical Orchestra. Watch it at home alone or with family members, or host a watch party and invite your friends, or join someone else's watch party. Find all of the options here: https://riseupsingout.com/

                    

Ride/Walk to Leave a Light On--On and around Woodstock Square, Friday, June 19 7 pm.  Benefiting Break Crystal Lake Teen Center, Compassion for Campers, Community Connection for Youth, IMC--employment, education, health, and housing services, Jail Breakers, Lemonade & Advocate, Live4Lali, and Woodstock Pride.

Two Juneteenth celebrations:

Honoring Legacy, Empowering the Future presented by McHenry County Now.  Thursday, June 18 at 5:30 pm at the Cary Public Library.  Register here.

The McHenry County Juneteenth Festival will be held on Saturday, June 20, from 3 to 5:30 pm on Woodstock Square Woodstock.

Compassion for Campers

Guests stocked up on gear and supplies at C4C's special distribution in Woodstock's Emrickson Park.

Compassion for Campers is back!  C4C was able to distribute our gear and supplies Friday, May 30 at a special Stop Gap Day at the Hilltop Pavillion in Woocstock's Emrickson Park in cooperation with Stephen's Ministries. Warp Corps provided bus service from encampments in the Woodstock area and other providers like Live4Laly were also at hand. C4C was able to share and serve 16 guests.

The McHenry County Mental Health Board is providing space for a renewed Community Resource Days and Compassion for Campers distribution in its Crystal Lake facility.

Better news yet. We have secured a new base of operations and will resume regular distributions on Friday, June 19! We will be joining a new Community Resource Day, renamed  McHenry County Resource Center (MCHC) coordinated by many of the former Willow Creek organizers and volunteers. Debora Anderson reported, "The McHenry County Mental Health Board has generously given us a temporary place in their offices, 620 Dakota Street, Crystal Lake, to host the events going forward while we continue to look for a permanent space to continue to host the event.  The facility has a welcoming intake area, wonderful office spaces, a dining area, and a shower!  There are a couple of things that cannot be provided in the space.  There is no way to do laundry and food must be prepared in a commercial kitchen." 

Many of the agencies and services from the Willow Creek events have already signed on to participate.  C4C is fortunate that we will have on-site storage for our supplies.  C4C's first distribution there will be this Friday, ,June 19, We will resume our regular schedule of distributions on the First and Third Fridays of each month.

On the downside, Sue Rekenthaler reports C4C has been turned down again for a grant, this time by the McHenry County Community Foundation.  We remain critically dependent on donations.

Financial support is critical to fulfilling our mission. The best thing you can do is offer your critically needed financial support to get us through this emergency.  Money donations are always welcome at     https://tinyurl.com/3bz96axe.   Look for updates here.  Email compassionforcampers@treeoflifeuu.org .

Walking the Walk and Compassion for Campers Update for May 15 2026

 

Signs like this are popping up around McHenry County.  Someone in Cary added a comment.

Look for new opportunities for action, education, community, and solidarity in and around McHenry County here every week.  

 Walking the Walk  

Now two Pride Events!

Crystal Lake Pride Walk & Social  now sponsored by Crystal Lake Pride on Sunday, June 7 from 11 am-6 pm at Brink Street Market in Downtown Crystal Lakee.

Woodstock Pride Fest--June 13-14 Annual family-friendly events celebrating the LGBTQIA+ Community. Multiple special events.  Pride Parade and the Festival on the Square 11 am to 4 pm.

Ride/Walk to Leave a Light On--On and around Woodstock Square, Friday, June 19 7 pm.  Benefiting Break Crystal Lake Teen Center, Compassion for Campers, Community Connection for Youth, IMC--employment, education, health, and housing services, Jail Breakers, Lemonade & Advocate, Live4Lali, and Woodstock Pride.

Two Juneteenth celebrations:.

Honoring Legacy, Empowering the Future presented by McHenry County Now.  Thursday, June 18 at 5:30 pm at the Cary Public Library.  Register here.

The McHenry County Juneteenth Festival will be held on Saturday, June 20, from 3 to 5:30 pm on Woodstock Square Woodstock.

The Rally of the Silent Majority--The local MAGA loyalists in various guises and McHenry County Republicans are feeling overshadowed by the No Kings Rallies and other roadside protests organized by Indivisible McHenry County.  They are claiming the same turf along Route 31 in McHenry for a National Day of Prayer event for Donald Trump and his various disastrous projects like his losing War With Iran, massive ICE abuse of immigrants and asylum seekers, and attacks on honest and fair elections.  Expect pomp and bluster.  No official counter protests have been announced, but likely some people will want to respond.  Caution and safety are urged.  Indivisible McHenry County denied that they ever called for counter demonstrators and urged activist to avoid the protest.

Friday, May 1 turned out to be the last C4C distribution at Community Resource Days at Willow Crystal Lake.  New leadership at Willow's home church announced a suspension of services at least until the Fall on May 24.  Our own resources are exhausted and we could not afford another on May 14.  

Sue Rekenthaler and Chaplain Dave Becker of Tree of Life UU Congregation are leading discussion on how to move forward Compassion for Campers's mission. Talks on Monday explore possible new collaboration with Warp Corps in Woodstock. Nada Lunsford, Executive Director of Steven's Home circulated a letter to organizations and agencies who participated in Community Resource Days asking for help in finding possible locations for distributions and continuing comprehensive services.  So far more than a dozen organizations have enthusiastically agreed to help with the search and many want deeper on-going cooperation

C4C hopes to continue our service to the unhoused.  Until we find a new venue, we will not be able to accept material donations due to lack of storage space.  The best thing you can do is offer your critically needed financial support to get us through this emergency.  Money donations are always welcome at     https://tinyurl.com/3bz96axe.   Look for updates here.  Email compassionforcampers@treeoflifeuu.org .

Walking the Walk and Compassion for Campers Update for May 8 2026

 May Day in McHenry.

Look for new opportunities for action, education, community, and solidarity in and around McHenry County here every week.  

 Walking the Walk  

Woodstock Pride Fest--June 13-14 Annual family-friendly events celebrating the LGBTQIA+ Community. Multiple special events.  Pride Parade and the Festival on the Square 11 am to 4 pm.

Ride/Walk to Leave a Light On--On and around Woodstock Square, Friday, June 19 7 pm.  Benefiting Break Crystal Lake Teen Center, Compassion for Campers, Community Connection for Youth, IMC--employment, education, health, and housing services, Jail Breakers, Lemonade & Advocate, Live4Lali, and Woodstock Pride.

The McHenry County Juneteenth Festival will be held on Saturday, June 20, from 3 to 5:30 pm on Woodstock Square Woodstock.

Compassion for Campers 

Friday, May 1 turned out to be the last C4C distribution at Community Resource Days at Willow Crystal Lake.  New leadership at Willow's home church announced a suspension of services at least until the Fall on May 24.  Our own resources are exhausted and we could not afford another on May 14.  

More disappointing news--Sue Rekenthaler reported: " McHenry County denied our request because our compassion seemed to just be making our homeless friends more comfortable! That was the point exactly! Give someone shelter from the rain, a warm sleeping bag, a stove to heat up a can of soup. County funds were low, so I guess don't help the most vulnerable in our community. Am I angry? Somewhat. Am I surprised? No. In a republican county like this-not surprised. Am I defeated? No way. Our Compassion for Campers program will explore over sources. For now, I am very sad and disappointed. The video of the committee's comments can be seen online on the meeting portal."  Sue is grateful for an outpouring of support and offers to help as the news spread

C4C hopes to continue our service to the unhoused.  Sue, Chaplain Dave Becker of Tree of Life UU Congregation, and existing and potential church partners are considering options going forward.  Meanwhile, your continued support is critical. Until we find a new venue, we will not be able to accept material donations due to lack of storage space.  The best thing you can do is offer your critically needed financial support to get us through this emergency.  Money donations are always welcome at     https://tinyurl.com/3bz96axe.   Look for updates here.  Email compassionforcampers@treeoflifeuu.org .

Walking the Walk and Compassion for Campers Update for May 1, 2026

Communities, Not Cages roadside rally in McHenry. Part of a nationwide day of action to oppose the expansion of ICE warehouse detention centers and the attack on the due process rights of immigrants and all Americans.

Look for new opportunities for action, education, community, and solidarity in and around McHenry County here every week.  

 Walking the Walk  

Friday, May 1, May Day roadside rally from 3 pm to 5 pm. on Route 31 at McCullom Lake Road in McHenry. May Day is a national day of action that includes a national strike, boycotts, and protest rallies--a virtual General Strike. No shopping! No work! No school!  Here is the registration link:  https://www.mobilize.us/mobilize/event/931824/.

May Day 2026 Friday, May 1 at 12pm at 1919 W. Maypole Avenue in Chicago. Join the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR) members and the immigrant rights contingent on to commemorate May Day and say: abolish ICE, free them all, and fund ALL of our communities, NOT war!

Born in Chicago, May Day, also known as International Worker’s Day, has been a historic day of action across the country and across the globe. With the attacks against our communities by ICE, CBP, and the Trump administration, May Day is a moment to show the strength of our full movement to make clear that we will not be silenced or intimidated.

RSVP at the link below to let us know you’ll be joining our March to May Day Immigrant Rights rally After our rally, we’ll march to Union Park together to join the full program and march through the streets of Chicago to make the immigrant rights movement’s presence known. See you on May 1st! https://icirr.quorum.us/campaign/160977/

Briefly looking ahead to a busy June:

Woodstock Pride Fest--June 13-14 Annual family-friendly events celebrating the LGBTQIA+ Community. Multiple special events.  Pride Parade and the Festival on the Square 11 am to 4 pm.

Ride/Walk to Leave a Light On--On and around  Woodstock Square, Friday, June 19 7 pm.  Benefiting Break Crystal Lake Teen Center,  Compassion for Campers, Community Connection for Youth, IMC--employment, education, health, and housing services, Jail Breakers, Lemonade & Advocate, Live4Lali, and Woodstock Pride.

The McHenry County Juneteenth Festival will be held on Saturday, June 20, from 3 to 5:30 pm on Woodstock Square Woodstock.

After our last Compassion for Campers (C4C) distribution at Community Resource Day 9CRD) at Willow Crystal Lake, we received an email from leadership newly appointed by top Willow Creek Church officials announcing, "We've made the decision to pause Community Resource Days for the summer."  It is unclear if and how it may return in the fall.  This is devastating news for the un-housed and housing at risk in our community.  This is no reflection on the former local Crystal Lake leadership team or all of their dedicated volunteers.  The last date will be this Friday, May 1 and our last on Friday, May 15.  

More disappointing news--Sue Rekenthaler reported: " McHenry County denied our request because our compassion seemed to just be making our homeless friends more comfortable! That was the point exactly! Give someone shelter from the rain, a warm sleeping bag, a stove to heat up a can of soup. County funds were low, so I guess don't help the most vulnerable in our community. Am I angry? Somewhat. Am I surprised? No. In a republican county like this-not surprised. Am I defeated? No way. Our Compassion for Campers program will explore over sources. For now, I am very sad and disappointed. The video of the committee's comments can be seen online on the meeting portal."  Sue is gratgeful for an outpouring of support and offers to help as the news sread

C4C hopes to continue our service to the unhoused.  Sue , Chaplain Dave Becker of Tree of Life, and existing and potential church partners are consulting to consider options going forward and potential church partners will be meeting to consider options going forward.  Meanwhile, your continued support is critical. Until we find a new venue, we will not be able to accept material donations due to lack of storage space.  The best thing you can do is offer your critically need financial support to get us through this emergency.  Money donations are always welcome at     https://tinyurl.com/3bz96axe.   Look for updates here.  Email compassionforcampers@treeoflifeuu.org .

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