Dear Terra,

As a member of the House Committee on Mental Health and Addiction, I have been working hard to improve access to care and advocate for people who need help, in our district and throughout Illinois.

So I was deeply interested to hear the speakers at last weekend's Mental Health Summit and Expo, which was convened by the DuPage Council on Strengthening the System for Mental Health and Substance Use Care.

It was great to connect with our local mental health and substance abuse treatment providers. I also appreciated the opportunity to hear from former U.S. Representative Patrick J. Kennedy, who has been a stalwart advocate for strengthening our nation's mental health services.

Some of the most productive discussions at the event focused on what we can do to connect people with the support services they need. So I thought it would be useful to provide an overview of some of the services available in our area.

• The DuPage County Health Department offers comprehensive behavioral health treatment programs that focus on substance use treatment. For more information on evaluation and treatment services, please visit here.
• The County Health Department also offers highly trained crisis counselors who provide free, confidential support 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available by phone or text:

– DuPage County Crisis Line: 630-627-1700

– Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988

– Crisis Text Line: Text REACH to 741741

You can find more help at these websites:

• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
• National Alliance on Mental Illness DuPage (NAMI)
• Hope DuPage
• Prevention Leadership Team
• Impact DuPage

We're going to keep on talking about these crucial issues, and I want to make sure that we're focused on the community mental health needs that matter most to you. So if you have a minute or two, please click here for a short survey. Thank you!

Need assistance with a professional license? We're offering on-the-spot help on TUESDAY

If you're having trouble getting a professional license from the State of Illinois, help is on the way. We're bringing the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) to Lombard!

From 4 to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 17, we'll be at the Helen Plum Library, 411 S. Main St., to provide on-the-spot assistance with your professional license application. IDFPR staff will be on hand to help with new applications and renewals and to untangle delays with existing applications. 

To sign up for the event, you can click here. For more information, please reach out to my office at 630-812-9292 or Reptch42@gmail.com.

We're collecting toys and food for the DuKane A.B.A.T.E. Annual Food and Toy Run

From now through Friday, Oct. 11, our office is collecting new, unopened toys and non-perishable food items for DuKane A.B.A.T.E.'s 38th Annual Toy and Food Run, which will be on Sunday, Oct. 13, from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. starting at Knuckleheads Tavern, 108 E North St. in Elburn and ending at Sycamore Speedway, 50W086 IL-64 in Maple Park.

A.B.A.T.E.(A Brotherhood Aimed Towards Education) is dedicated to promoting and preserving the rights of motorcyclists, off-roaders, and ATV riders through education, safety, and awareness.



Please contact our office at Reptch42@gmail.com or 630-812-9292 to schedule a drop off or porch pick up. You can also donate through our Amazon Wishlist here.

Man alive! Everybody's invited to Family Bingo Night in Glen Ellyn TOMORROW

You're invited to drop in for family bingo night any time from 5 to 7 p.m. tomorrow (Friday) at Ackerman SFC, 800 St. Charles Road in Glen Ellyn.

Several rounds will be played, with candy, gift cards, and other prizes awarded at the end of each round.

All ages are welcome; kids under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. Bingo cards are $1 each.

For more information, you can click here.

Gute Zeiten! Oktober Fest offers German-themed fun in Downers Grove TOMORROW and SATURDAY

Get ready for the Downers Grove Oktober Fest from 4 to 11 p.m. tomorrow (Friday) and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 14, at the Forest and Library parking Lots on Burlington Ave. between Main Street and Forest Avenue.

The fest features award-winning beer, live entertainment, traditional German food, and a family-friendly atmosphere. All proceeds support the Downers Grove District 58 schools. You can click here to learn more.

Shred your confidential documents, donate paper goods to Outreach House on Sept. 28

If you have a filing cabinet overflowing with outdated personal records, we can help!

My office is joining forces with State Sen. Laura Ellman to host a Shred Event and Paper Products Drive on Saturday, Sept. 28, from 9 a.m. to noon at Lombard Village Hall, 255 E. Wilson Ave.

We're asking "shredders" to bring along donations of some essential household paper products, such as toilet paper and paper towels (new and in the original wrapping, of course.) Donations will benefit the Outreach House in Lombard.

For more information, you can contact my office at reptch42@gmail.com or 630-812-9292.

Spend a night under the stars at Glen Ellyn's Family Campout TOMORROW

Fingers crossed, but it looks like the weather will be just about perfect for the Family Campout, which starts at 6:30 p.m. tomorrow (Friday) and ends at 8 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 14, at Maryknoll Park, 845 Pershing Ave. in Glen Ellyn.

After enjoying the splash park and mini-golf course, campers will settle in for a movie in the park and a dinner of hot dogs or pizza, soft drinks, and snacks. A continental breakfast will be served on Saturday morning in the Maryknoll Clubhouse.

This event is open to all. You'll need to bring your own camping gear. The fee per tent is $40 for residents and $50 for nonresidents. To learn more and register, you can click here.

Don't miss free admission days at our area's spectacular museums

We are so fortunate to live in such close proximity to some of the greatest museums in the world – but admission fees can be a bit pricey, especially for families.

When the Illinois General Assembly voted to provide state funding to these important cultural institutions, the museums agreed to offer free days to the Illinois residents whose tax dollars help to keep their doors open and their lights on. So I wanted to make sure you're aware of the museums' free admission days that are coming up over the next couple of months:

• Art Institute of Chicago: Free on Thursday evenings from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., through Sept. 26. Admission is always free for Illinois teachers of pre-K through 12th grade, artists working in schools, kids under 14, and active-duty servicemembers. College of DuPage and Wheaton College students also are admitted free with valid university ID. You can reserve tickets here.
• Adler Planetarium: Free every Wednesday evening from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Admission is always free for Illinois teachers. Reserve your tickets in advance here.
• Chicago Botanic Garden: Free admission on Oct. 1, 2, and 14. More information can be found here.
• Chicago History Museum: Free admission on Sept. 25 and Oct. 14 & 23. Admission is always free for Illinois teachers and Illinois residents under 18.
• DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center: Free admission every Wednesday; advance ticket reservations are always required.
• Field Museum: Free admission for Illinois residents on Wednesdays and on Sept. 27. You'll need to present a valid ID at the door.
• Griffin Museum of Science and Industry: Free admission on Sept. 15, 16, 17, 18, 23, 24, 25 and 30. U.S. military active-duty personnel and veterans and Illinois teachers (pre-K through 12th grade) can receive free admission by completing this online request form or showing a valid occupational/military status I.D. when purchasing tickets onsite. More information can be found here.
• Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago: Free admission every Tuesday, The museum is always free for visitors under 18, and admission is "pay-what-you-can."
• Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum: Free admission every Thursday. Tickets can be reserved online or in-person. The museum also offers discounted admission for Illinois teachers, active-duty military and others.
• Shedd Aquarium: Free admission for Illinois residents on Sept. 17 and 24. More information can be found here.

Please note that LINK and WIC cardholders and people in their households receive free general admission to museums and ticketed special exhibitions through the Museums for All program. Simply present your card along with a valid photo ID.

You also may be able to get free or reduced admissions to museums, (as well as science centers, sporting events, zoos, park districts, theatres, and other cultural attractions) using your public library card. Log in to the Explore More Illinois website to get details.

Touch-a-Truck (and check your child's car seat) in Lombard SATURDAY

Children will have the opportunity to explore police cars, fire trucks, dump trucks, and other cool vehicles at Lombard Park District's Touch-a-Truck event on Saturday, Sept. 14, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Lombard Common, 433 E. St. Charles Road.

Lombard police officers who are certified as Child Passenger Safety Technicians will be on hand to check your child’s car seat from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. 

The event will include a "sensory hour," from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m., with no horns or sirens. For more information, you can click here.

Show your support for mental health at NAMI DuPage's Run for the Mind SATURDAY

Everyone's invited to join NAMI DuPage at Run for the Mind, at 8 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 14, at the DuPage County Fairgrounds, 2015 Manchester Road in Wheaton.

The event highlight is a run/walk through the USA Track & Field-certified 5k course, which winds through scenic natural areas.

There also will be a one-mile Color Run, hosted by NAMI DuPage, Serenity House, and the Prevention Leadership Team.

Participant registration, which costs $45 for the 5k and $25 for the Color Run, includes a pancake breakfast. Spectators are invited to join the breakfast for $8 a person. To learn more, you can click here.

Celebrate four decades of local history at Lisle Depot Days SATURDAY and SUNDAY

LIsle Depot Days is celebrating its 40th anniversary! The Lisle Heritage Society and Lisle Park District are inviting everyone to join the celebration on Saturday, Sept. 14, and Sunday, Sept. 15, from noon to 5 p.m. at The Museum at Lisle Station Park, 921 School St.

The event includes historic demonstrations, blacksmithing, pioneer games, high-wheel bicycles, a petting farm, and a hayride. Food will be available for purchase. For more information, you can click here.

Everyone's invited to Wheaton's Festival of Cultures SUNDAY

As you may know, I'm a native of DuPage County. Over the course of my lifetime, I've been amazed by the burgeoning diversity of our communities.

You're invited to help celebrate that diversity this Sunday, Sept. 15, at the Wheaton Festival of Cultures. from 1 to 5 p.m. at Memorial Park, 225 Karlskoga Ave.

Past festivals have highlighted displays of culture from Belarus, China, India, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, the Netherlands, South Korea, South Sudan, and Turkey, as well as indigenous Americans.

At the Festival, which is put on by the City of Wheaton Community Relations Commission, kids can get “passports” stamped as they visit the festival’s cultural booths and participate in an interactive mural project. To learn more, you can click here.

Take a run around the park at the Lake Ellyn 1-Mile Classic and Kids Dash SUNDAY

Technically, it's not quite fall. But you can enjoy an early taste of autumn this Sunday, Sept. 15, at the Lake Ellyn One-Mile Classic, with 8 to 9 a.m. start times at 645 Lenox Road in Glen Ellyn.

The event includes a Kids Dash on the final stretch of the course for children aged 1 through 5.

Awards will be presented for each age group/category. This event is open to all ages. The registration fee is $20. All runners must register, but adults may accompany children for the Kids Dash without registering.

In-person registration will be accepted on the morning of the race, beginning at 7:30 am at Lake Ellyn Park. For more information and a race schedule, you can click here.

Donate to our Birthday Bag Food Drive to help make a family's special day happier

Food does so much more than nourish our bodies. Special foods are at the center of so many of our celebrations – and to me, there's nothing more special than a birthday cake to help celebrate another year with someone we love.

To help make sure that people who are food-insecure can celebrate with their families, my office is hosting a Birthday Bag Food Drive throughout the month of September to benefit the Glen House Food Pantry.

The Pantry has welcomed more than 300 new families in 2024, and they're on pace to present almost 2,000 birthday bags this year to our neighbors in need. But they can't do it without our help. So I'm hoping that you'll be able to donate to this special drive. Birthday Bag donations can include:

• Gift bags
• Boxed cake mixes
• Canned frosting
• PRE-PACKAGED 6-inch party plates
• PRE-PACKAGED 6-inch party napkins
• Boxed birthday candles
• Birthday cards (Create your own or use the template on the Glen House website.)

To arrange a time to drop off donations, please email reptch42@gmail.com or call 630-812-9292. And check out the Pantry’s website for all the Hunger Action Month activities happening in September. You can also donate through our Amazon Wishlist here.

Upcoming Events

We have lots of events coming up, so please take a look and mark your calendars today!

Sept. 20: Kids Night Out in Lisle, from 5 to 8 p.m. at Gentle Learning Preschool, 1925 Ohio St.

Sept. 20: Kids on the Course, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Holes & Knolls, 845 Pershing Ave. in Glen Ellyn

Sept. 21: York Center Park District Fishing Derby, 7:45 to 10:15 a.m. (Fishing begins at 8 a.m.), at Knolls Park, 1502 S. Meyers Road

Sept. 21: Glen Ellyn Park District's Autumn Gone Fishin' Derby, from 9 to 10:30 a.m. at Lake Ellyn, 645 Lenox Road

Sept. 24: Glen Ellyn Blood and Food Drive, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Ackerman Sports and Fitness Center, 800 St. Charles Road.

Sept. 24: Far From the Tree: The Many Ways of Unconditional Love and Acceptance, a webinar presented by GPS Parent Series, at noon and 7 p.m.

Sept. 27: Tween Golf, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Holes & Knolls, 845 Pershing Ave. in Glen Ellyn

Sept. 27-29: Pop-up Book Sale, at the Helen Plum Library, 411 South Main St. in Lombard

Sept. 28: HOPtober Fest, from 1 to 5 p.m. at Memorial Park, 225 Karlskoga Ave. in Wheaton

If you have any questions about pending legislation or other issues related to your state government, please don't hesitate to contact my office at 630-812-9292 or RepTCH42@gmail.com.

Stay safe, stay healthy, and stay strong,

Terra Costa Howard

State Representative 

42nd District

913 S. Main St.

Lombard, IL 60148

(630) 812-9292