Good News Sunday: Veterans Path to Hope helps with finding jobs, housing, recreation

This is Good News Sunday, a compilation of some of the more upbeat and inspiring stories published recently by the Daily Herald:

Veterans coming home after serving their country don’t always get the respect they deserve. Oftentimes, they return to unemployment, homelessness and despair.

The volunteers at Veterans Path to Hope in Crystal Lake know this all too well.

“Veterans sometimes walk the civilian world feeling like a different species. At VPH, they are welcomed by those who speak their language and share their experiences,” said Laura Franz, executive director of Veterans Path to Hope.

This nonprofit offers a variety of programs to help veterans get back on their feet.

It operates New Horizons, a 20-bed transitional living shelter for homeless veterans, as well as a drop-in resource center that provides support, a food pantry, and counseling. Employment assistance is available.

The Outdoors Program offers an expanding array of activities for veterans, including fishing, weekend retreats, hiking, yoga, video gaming nights and kayaking.

Many who have been helped come back to lead programs themselves, paying it forward, Franz said.

For the full story, click here.

New flight barn at Willowbrook Wildlife Center gives animals room to thrive

The great horned owl takes off from a corner perch and soars overhead in near-total silence.

The stealthy bird of prey is not on the hunt. The young owl has been learning how to fly at Willowbrook Wildlife Center in Glen Ellyn.

Dr. Sarah Reich monitors her patients in a new flight barn, a huge, L-shaped structure where injured and orphaned raptors can exercise their wings before they’re released back into the wild.

The new raptor barn provides much-needed space for larger birds — even bald eagles — to build stamina and condition their flight muscles during their recovery, caretakers say. The wood slat walls let in light and help absorb rough landings.

The center has been in the midst of a $29.2 million transformation after years of overcrowding. Old enclosures have been torn down to make way for a 27,000-square-foot, two-story building that, once completed, will house a new animal clinic, classrooms, educational exhibits and visitor space.

“We’re going to be moving from this situation of just putting any animal into any space and making it work to having these really nice, purposely thought out, species-specific enclosures,” said Reich, the center’s head veterinarian.

For the full story, click here.

Libertyville mom to open indoor play center for kids 8 and younger

Although she had never started a business, Libertyville mom Hannah Frei is banking on built-in clientele for The Hangout, an indoor playground for kids.

Frei, who has a 5-year-old daughter and 3-year-old son, said she enjoys visiting indoor playgrounds and other places to entertain and engage her boisterous children. But many of them were not conveniently located.

“I was looking for something closer and said, ‘Someone should do this,'” Frei said as she and a longtime friend Scott Spector painted the cinder block walls at the future home of The Hangout, 777 N. Milwaukee Ave.

The Hangout, primarily for children younger than 8, will offer play hours and host private events, parties and workshops. Parents or caretakers must remain on-site with their kids.

Features will include a retail space for juice, water and other items, a party room, a nursing/changing room, three locally designed and built playhouses, a road with kid-friendly vehicles, infant soft and sports play areas, and a stage. A fall opening is anticipated.

For the full story, click here.

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