In December, 2023, representatives from Norridge and Harwood Heights began a discussion about social and mental health services available to our community members.
Our village halls, police departments, fire department, park district, schools, and library all saw dramatic increases in the number of community members needing help accessing social services, and increases in people experiencing mental health issues. Independently, we all realized that our community was in a social and mental health services “desert” - all available services seemed to flow around us, as Chicago does, but few were available to our community members.
We realized it was up to us to coordinate efforts to raise awareness about the services that did exist, and to set an ambitious goal: create a grass-roots effort with the aim of establishing social and mental health services to the members of our community.
In January of 2024, the superintendents from all four school districts, police chiefs and commanders, park district director, and library director came together to establish what we would eventually call Norwood Community Connections. Our group quickly expanded to include representatives from the Norwood Park Fire Department, Norwood Park Township, and Central Baptist Village.
Our Purpose
To enhance and promote the community’s well-being while holistically addressing the community’s needs by providing essential social and mental health services, improve access to care, and reducing the stigma for those seeking assistance.
Our Mission
To provide, support, and increase awareness of high-quality programs and resources for the communities of Norridge, Harwood Heights, and Norwood Park Township. We will achieve this through:
Service Excellence - services will be provided with integrity, a caring spirit, and respect for the needs of the individual
Active Partnerships - a diversity of ideas and experiences will help to shape an effective community system of support
Community Investment - we will foster a shared spirit of responsibility within our community through information and communication
Empowerment of People - we will provide connections between those in need and the resources, programs, and services to support them, while helping individuals maintain independence and achieve self-sufficiency
Advocacy - we will advocate for services to be available for the community
Our Vision
The communities of Norridge, Harwood Heights, and Norwood Park Township will have access to mental health and social services that strengthen individuals, families, and the community as a whole.