More than 340 people gathered at the Doubletree Hotel on Sunday, Sept. 29, to honor a group of volunteers selected as “Vision Keepers” by their faith communities and also raise money for the work of Interfaith Action of Evanston.
The evening was notable for the 21 Vision Keepers, and for a strong message from the Evanston Interfaith Clergy and Leaders on their work to heal, restore and maintain strong relationships during difficult times.
Twenty-one faith communities that are members of Interfaith Action chose Vision Keepers for the 2024 version of the annual awards dinner. The Vision Keepers chosen were selected for their work within their faith communities and the broader community, including sponsoring immigrants, running soup kitchens, creating music and theater programs, introducing sustainability and environmental awareness, teaching values classes for young kids, and working against racism and violence.
With a $7,000 anonymous matching donation, sponsorships and the portion of the ticket price that is a donation, attendees donated more than $41,000 to support IAE’s work on behalf of those experiencing homelessness and hunger. Sponsors included Gold Level, Hagerty Consulting and Nature's Perspective Landscaping, and Silver Level, Porte Brown and Northwestern University.
The 2024 Vision Keepers and their faith communities are:
Michael Rogers, Bethany Baptist Church of Christ
Sharon Smaller, Chris Wynn, Eli Coustan, Beth Emet The Free Synagogue.
Aidan Kopke, Fazal Mato, Amalee and Nala Taherzadeh, Evanston Bahá’í Community
Judith Jager, Evanston Friends Meeting
Beth Babbitt Borst, First Congregational Church
John Powell and Karen McLeod, First Presbyterian Church
Mark and Alli Henry, First United Methodist Church
New Neighbors Team, Grace Lutheran Church
This nine-member team consists of Dorothy Nagelbach, Evelyn Soto Straw, Casey Tkacz, Kaari Reierson, Liz Laughlin, Nancy Mathyer, Soraida Berrios Guccione, Pr. Luke Harris-Ferree, and Taína Rodríguez Encarnacion.
Dana Barron, Immanuel Lutheran Church
Jonathan Nieuwsma, Interfaith Action of Evanston
Terry and Nancy Kim Phillips, Northminster Presbyterian Church
Dr. Gina Robinson, Second Baptist Church
Aurelia Clunie, Sherman United Methodist Church
Helen Madden, Newman Parish
Fr. Robert Oldershaw and Theresa Infante, St. John XXIII Parish
Judy Herbert, St. Luke’s Episcopal Church
Allison Ashley, St. Mark’s Episcopal Church
Marilyn Starenko, St. Paul’s Lutheran Church
Jes and Leesa Sherborne, Trinity Lutheran Church
Ellie Feddersen, Unitarian Church of Evanston
Mike Nash, Unity on the North Shore