Donated Space Gives 'Together We Cope' Room to Grow

Together We Cope will be expanding in the near future, after a supporter donated 3,100 square feet of space. Together We Cope could move into the new space as early as March.

It's a far cry from the garage in which Together We Cope started 31 years ago.  The Tinley Park-based nonprofit recently received a generous gift and soon will expand into an additional 3,100 square feet of space, donated by Tinley Park CPA Ray Busch. The new space, located at 17728 Oak Park Avenue, includes office space, a small kitchen area and a large central room that the organization hopes to utilize as administrative offices and client meeting space. Busch chose Together We Cope, he said, because he knew the organization would actually use the space, instead of selling it. The organization's role in the community was also a factor in his decision. “They're doing something worthwhile,” Busch said. “They're feeding the hungry and …

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Village Videos: Kids Get a Bit of Christmas Early Thanks to Nonprofit Group

Patch spotlights videos that give you a different look at the community, past and present. This week, we feature employees and volunteers from Together We Cope sharing the holiday spirit.

Village Videos features videos from Patch, from around the web and from readers that showcase Tinley Park. Want your video featured? Upload it to our Neighborhood Gallery and email me at joev@patch.com to say you want to see it in Village Videos. Employees and volunteers from Together We Cope got to play the role of Santa early this year, handing out donated Christmas gifts last week to families in need as part of the nonprofit's Adopt a Child program. READ: Together We Cope Provides Christmas for Needy Kids This year, the program had 1,800 children from needy families, up from last year's 1,300. People and organizations have "adopted" these kids, donating gifts that Together We Cope gathered together in gift bags. Although the program is …

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Together We Cope Provides Christmas for Local Kids in Need

The Tinley Park-based organization, which serves families across the southwest suburbs, says need is increasing.

Together We Cope and its Adopt a Child program hopes to create Christmas smiles for nearly 1,800 south suburban children this holiday season. Instead of empty stockings, these children will be able to unwrap gifts given to them by strangers who care. READ: Ways to Give Back for the Holidays In these ongoing difficult economic times, Together We Cope turns to the communities it serves and asks for help. In turn, the organization help individuals and families in need in four townships: Bremen, Orland,  Palos and Worth. The communities they serve include Tinley Park, Orland Park, Oak Forest and 24 other nearby towns. When it comes to the annual gift drive, the sponsors have been generous, according to Margaret Seltzner, communications manager…

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Forgiving Fines: What's the Most an Overdue Library Book Has Cost You?

The Tinley Park Public Library is forgiving $1 off outstanding late fines in exchange for a canned good through Nov. 18. Tell us how you racked up your most expensive late fee and you could win a Patch tote bag.

At a dime a day, the fine for an overdue book at the Tinley Park Public Library isn't an exorbitant fee for cardholders. Unless you're a horrible procrastinator (or a really slow reader). If that's the case, then you know those charges can add up after a while. Thankfully, the library has a heart when it comes to these matters. In more ways than one. For every non-perishable, non-expired food item a person brings in between now and Sunday, Nov. 18, the library will waive a $1 from any of that patron's outstanding fines. And what will the library do with all those canned goods? Donate them to the Together We Cope food pantry, of course. This "amnesty" program got me thinking about the library habits of Patch readers: What's the most an …

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Ways to Give Back for the Holidays

Patch has compiled a short list of different charitable efforts around Orland Park, Tinley Park and Oak Forest.

As the holiday spirit settles over the Southland, several annual food, toy and monetary charitable efforts are kicking into high gear to help the less fortunate this holiday season. We've rounded up several holiday drives in Oak Forest, Orland Park and Tinley Park that could use your help this season.  The Marley Project The Marley Project, an Illinois nonprofit effort headed by Oak Forest High School freshman Marley Majetic, is holding its annual holiday food drive from now though Dec. 15. The Marley Project accepts non-perishable food items at various locations around the Oak Forest community. Every item collected will be donated directly to local food pantries. Drop boxes are located at: Monetary donations may also be sent directly to …

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Editor's Notebook

Tinley Wins Spirit Challenge; 200 Canned Goods to Go to Help Hungry

Before last week's football playoff game, we told Tinley Park High School fans Patch would donate a canned good to Together We Cope for each photo they shared. The support for the team—and charity—was impressive.

The result of Saturday afternoon's 5A second-round playoff game wasn't what fans of Tinley Park High School had hoped for their Titans. But not all the victories happen on the field. READ: Ivlow, JCA Run Over Tinley in 2nd Round of 5A Playoffs Thanks to incredible support of Titan fans—particularly Jennifer Fisher and her daughter, Caty Perakis; Titan Fan; and TP Fan—Tinley Park Patch will be donating one canned good to Together We Cope for every school spirit photo readers shared last week as part of our School Spirit Challenge. That means the village charitable organization will be receiving 192 canned goods from Patch. And how many photos did Joliet Catholic Academy fans share on the Joliet Patch site? Just 30, which means Tinley fans …

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Editor's Notebook

Volunteers Go Door-to-Door Saturday for Tinley Girl's Food Drive

The Fourth Annual Emiyah and Friends Food Drive will collect donations for Together We Cope by visiting homes Saturday. But that's just the start for the benefit's 10-year-old creator. Find out other ways you can help her effort.

Emiyah Twietmeyer might only be 10, but she has more charity food drives under her belt than most people twice her age. But this fifth-grader at Christa McAuliffe Elementary School doesn't get hung up on age, whether it's her own or other people's. She just wants to help the less fortunate by working with Together We Cope, a local nonprofit group that serves families and individuals in crisis. READ: Food Pantry Coordinators Hungry for Help, Donations "I have learned that age doesn’t matter," she wrote in a flyer this year for her Fourth Annual Emiyah and Friends Food Drive (you can view it in this article's media gallery). "You can help others whether you are 7 or 43 or 100. So, I started talking to other kids and adults about helping with…

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Food Pantry Coordinators Hungry for Help, Donations

With an increased number of families passing through the doors of Together We Cope's food pantry, the stock is flying off the shelves. In fact, last week's visitors left cabinets entirely devoid of groceries.

The shelves at Together We Cope's food pantry are painfully bare. That's what coordinators said Thursday, after spending about a week of, at times, servicing 90 families per day. The lack of enough food and donations has further emphasized the importance of an upcoming fundraiser—the Greater Chicago Food Depository Hunger Walk, which is set for June 23 at Soldier Field. The pantry will be shuttling participants to the event that morning. But before then, they'll need more walkers and more donations; especially if they want to keep up with the growing needs of the community, fundraising assistant Kerry Nolan said. Check out Together We Cope's blog on Tinley Park Patch. These days, the number of families visiting the pantry is inching closer…

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Photos: Editors on 'Tour de Patch' Bring Giveaways, Games to Tinley Park

Green-clad men and women were spotted all around Tinley Park on Wednesday afternoon as Patch editors roamed the streets to pass out gifts galore.

Our Patch fans never cease to amaze us. You are enthusiastic, passionate and kind—everything we hope we are to you. Villagers' friendly traits were more obvious than ever Wednesday afternoon when all the Southland Patch editors descended on Tinley Park, blanketing the village with free goodies and secret contests. We handed out five gift cards to those who knew the secret word, "Zabrocki," and gave away almost 250 free T-shirts. Many of you got water bottles, magnets, balloons, coloring sheets and other Patchy schwag. We ask that you wear it proudly and spread the Patch word to your friends. We're here for you! We live by a strict "more the merrier" policy. We're also taking this opportunity to give a hearty shoutout to the wonderful staff…

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Carrie Frillman

11:47 am on Thursday, May 31, 2012

Vicki, thank YOU for being so welcoming each and every week. We love going to PAWS and hope what we do makes a difference for our furry friends.   more ›

Together We Cope Needs YOU to 'Stamp Out Hunger'

Tinley Park mail carriers will join forces with residents this weekend to combat hunger. Simply leave nonperishables at your mailbox on Saturday for pick-up by mail carriers. They will deliver items to Together We Cope.