PATH’s Community Resource Seminars – 2017. We want to answer your questions about our local system of social services -- register today for our ½ day (4 hour) training! The cost is $50/individual, plus $45 (optional and special seminar rate) for the McLean/DeWitt/Livingston County PATH Directory or $40 for the McLean County only Directory. Both go hand-in-hand with the seminar content.
Our next half-day seminars are Thursday(s), June 15th, September 14th and November 9th, from 8:30am-12:30pm.
To register, contact Ethan at 309-834-0580 or download the registration brochure from our website.
HOW FRESH IS YOUR PATH DIRECTORY? If you currently own a PATH directory, check your “freshness date” at the bottom right-hand corner. Is it over a year old? Make sure you have the very latest information to make the right referrals for your clients. Resources are constantly changing. If you do not own PATH’s Directory and you are working with people in nearly any capacity, you need one! Cost is $50 per directory for McLean County only information, $55 per directory for McLean, DeWitt & Livingston Counties combined. Additional charges apply if shipping is required. Contact Ethan at 309-834-0580 or and order a directory printed fresh for you.
Kite Fest 2017 on Sunday June, 25th starting at 3pm at Illinois State University’s Hancock Stadium. Kite Fest is a family friendly event that raises funds for a local nonprofit, For a Better Tomorrow. For a Better Tomorrow supports local and global nonprofits. Join in on the kite flying fun taking place on the football field at Illinois State University's Hancock Stadium and enjoy a live band, dance performances, face painting, food and more. Kite Fest is a free event brought to you by For a Better Tomorrow with the support of United Way of McLean County. Kites will be on sale at the event with proceeds benefiting For a Better Tomorrow.
Save the date and fly a kite to lift up a life!
Tuesday, May 30 - Monday, July 31
Summer Reading at Bloomington Public Library
In 2017, the Summer Reading theme is Reading by Design, and the Library’s 130+ Summer Reading programs will – as always – be offered for FREE! The Summer Reading program is for people of all ages — kids, teens, and adults — with prizes awarded in each age group.
Dates to remember:
· Reading Log Pickup: Tuesday, May 30-Monday, July 31
on or after May 30, participants can pick up a reading log in person at the Library or on the Bookmobile. Logs will also be available for printing from the library’s website at bloomingtonlibrary.org
· Prize pickup: June 12-July 31
· End of Summer Reading Party - Saturday, July 29
· Teen End of Summer Reading Party – Friday, August 4
o This special, teen-only, after-hours party will take place only if the teens as a group read for a total of 5,000 hours during the Summer Reading Program.
Thursday, June 1
Ultimate LEGO Party
· 10am-noon
· Bloomington Public Library Community Room & Children’s Department
· Lego games and activities
Monday, June 5
Summer DIY Crafts for Teens: Steampunk Zeppelin Ornaments
· 1:30pm
· Bloomington Public Library Community Room
· For those entering grades 6-12
Books on Tap
· 7pm; upper level of Lucca Grill; to discuss The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot.
Tuesday, June 6
Play, Create & Listen Lapsit Story Time
· 6:30pm
· Bloomington Public Library Story Room
· Newborns to 18 months old and their caregivers
Wednesday, June 7
Smarty Pants Story Time
· 10am
· Bloomington Public Library Community Room
· For kids of all ages
Tales for Tails
· 6-7pm
· Bloomington Public Library Story Room
· Kids in grades K-5 read to certified therapy dogs
Lowder and Manning in Concert
· 6:30pm
· Bloomington Public Library Patio
Saturday, June 10
Make a Pride Pin for Teens
· During all open hours
· Bloomington Public Library teenZone
Monthly Donation Day
· 10am-3pm
· Bloomington Public Library Community Room
· Volunteers gather gently-used books, DVDs and CDs which will be sold to benefit the Library
Singing, Swinging Story Time
· 11am
· Bloomington Public Library Children’s Department
LEGO Construction Time
· 1-3pm
· Bloomington Public Library Story Room
· Ages 5-11
Additional Parking Continues - Additional parking in the lot at Fell and Mulberry, just west of the library’s lot, is available through 8/1.
Ebook and Downloadables Drop-In Help - Mondays • 10:00 - 3:00 - Drop by the library for hands-on, step-by-step instructions on checking out and downloading ebooks to your device.
Lunchtime Yoga - Tuesdays & Thursdays • 12:00 - 12:45 - Take a break from your busy day to join us for a beginner-level yoga class over your lunch hour.
Summer Reading Program Continues! - Children birth through 6th grade can enjoy fun activities, earn prizes for reaching reading goals, and more! Join any time through 8/7.
Teen Summer Reading Program Continues! - Teens who are finishing 6th through 12th grades can earn prizes for reading and join in fun activities! Join any time through 8/7.
A.R.K.S. [Adults Reading Kids Stuff] and the Adult Summer Reading Program Continue! - Adults can join in the summer reading fun too! Read and earn prizes! Join either of these programs any time through 8/7.
Summer STEAM Club - Mondays, 6:00 - 7:00 & Tuesdays, 10:00 - 11:00 - Join us for fun educational activities aimed at grade-school kids and their families.
Summer Book Adventures - Tuesdays, 6:00 - 6:45 & Wednesdays, 10:30 - 11:15 - Enjoy stories, songs, and activities that children and accompanying adults can participate in together.
Summer Baby Rock - Wednesdays, 6:00 - 6:30 & Thursdays, 9:30 - 10:00 & 10:30 - 11:00 - Our youngest patrons are invited to join us for short stories, songs, fingerplays, and bubbles.
Autism Cafe - Thu, 6/1 • 6:30 - 7:30 - A monthly activity-focused social gathering for adults living with autism. Gather for a themed social hour with other adults in a safe, quiet environment.
Upcycled Jeans Purse - Thu, 6/8, 10:00 - 12:00 & 6:00 - 8:00 & Tue, 6/13, 10:00 - 12:00 - Make a purse out of any old pair of jeans! Registration required.
Teen Advisory Council - Thu, 6/8 & 22 • 4:00 - 5:30 - If you want a say in teen programs at the NPL, this is the place to be.
Wendy & DB in Concert - Fri, 6/9 • 11:00 - 11:45 & 2:00 - 2:45 - Enjoy a free, interactive show for kids and their families.
Accio Crafts! - Mon, 6/12 - Thu, 6/15 • 10:00 - 8:00 - We'll have a fun Harry Potter craft for each day this week, leading up to our Potterversary party on Friday!
Teen Writer's Workshop - Mon, 6/12 • 4:00 - 5:00 - Calling all teen writers and artists! Bring your best ideas to our teen writer's workshops on the second Monday of each month.
College-Age Book Club - Mon, 6/12 • 7:00 - 8:00 - All college-aged and twenty-somethings, come enjoy snacks and discussion of the books selected by club members!
Teen Maker Wednesdays - Wed, 6/14 • 4:30 - 6:00 - Join us each month for a different craft or tech-based maker activity!
Movie Matinee: My Dog Skip - Thu, 6/15 • 1:30 - 3:30 - Join us on the third Thursday of each month for movies and snacks!
Teen Dungeons and Dragons Character Creation Session - Thu, 6/15 • 4:00 - 6:00 - Join us to learn the basics of this popular role playing game and create your own character from scratch. Registration required.
Poetry is Normal - Thu, 6/15 • 7:30 - 8:30 - Join us on the third Thursday of every other month to share original poetry of your own or poetry that you love.
Potterversary Party - Fri, 6/16 • 10:00 - 2:00 - Help us celebrate the 20th anniversary of the start of the Harry Potter series with crafts, games, and other fun activities.
Drop-In DIY Adult Make it Day - Sat, 6/17 • 10:00 - 4:00 - We will have sewing machines, craft supplies,silhouette, Sizzix, and a 3D printer set up for use. Come in and use our equipment to make items to bring home.
Anime Club for Adults - Tue, 6/20 • 4:30 - 5:30 - Held on the third Tuesday of every month, Manga/Anime Club is for anyone interested in Japanese comics and animation.
Molecular Gastronomy - Wed, 6/21 • 3:00 - 5:00 - Teens, combine chemistry with cooking as we transform ordinary foods into the extraordinary! Featuring Pepsi caviar, powdered Nutella, and homemade Pop Rocks.
Adult Summer Reading LEGO Challenge - Wed, 6/21 • 6:00 - 8:00 - Compete in groups of three to build your randomly selected "secret challenge" within two hours. Age 15 and up. Registration required.
Clothespin Puppets - Thu, 6/22 • 3:00 - 4:00 & 6:00 - 7:00 - Part puppet show, part puppet walkabout, all sorts of fun!
Comedy of Errors Green Show - Sat, 6/24 • 10:00 - 11:00 - Illinois Shakespeare Festival presents their three-woman green show at the library.
Craft Supply Swap- Tue, 6/27 • 10:00 - 1:00 - Here’s your chance to trade it for some other supplies! Take one - leave one, but no craft supply dumping please!
Creating Soil: Meet Amazing Composters - Wed, 6/28 • 2:00 - 2:45 - Ecology Action Center will present a story and activity about composters at the library.
Magic of Rick Eugene - Thu, 6/29 • 6:30 - 7:15 - Enjoy a magic show that's fun for the whole family! Come early to see our magician make balloon creations.
Pixie Freymann Retirement Celebration!- Fri, 6/30 • 1:00 - 4:00 - Join us as we celebrate NPL Staff Member, Pixie Freymann's retirement from the Normal Public Library. There will be cake and light refreshments.
Strong for Life site Are you looking for a strengthening exercise program that targets specific muscles that are important in every movements, such as getting out of a chair and walking? The Strong for Life program uses a 35 minute DVD consisting of warm-up, 11 strengthening exercises using Thera-Bands (color-coded elastic resistive bands that provide positive and negative force on the muscles from light to heavy resistance), and a cool down. Strong for Life now being offered at Miller Park Adult Center. This free class will be held every Tuesday and Friday from 9:15-10am. This class is opened to adults 55 and over. If you have any questions, please feel free call the Miller Park Adult Center at (309)434.2255
NAMI Livingston/McLean Counties
The affiliate that we know today as NAMI Livingston/McLean Counties is the result of the efforts of a few courageous parents, many families and individuals; friends and professionals that worked hard in the 1980′s to create an affiliate serving central Illinois from a national organization that would completely change the way we view mental illness.
During that time families dreamed of the day when a child with schizophrenia would be treated no differently than a child with another chronic illness like leukemia or mental retardation. They hoped for a time when mental illness could be discussed openly and their ill children and family members could be properly cared for in their own communities. We take this for granted today. Accomplishing these simple goals, however, is not easy. We still carry those dreams and goals with us today continuing the journey of our former members.
About NAMI
NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness.
NAMI relies on gifts and contributions to support our important works.
NAMI Walks Nationwide
The largest mental health, education, and fundraising effort in America, NAMI Walks brings together thousands of individuals and supporters to celebrate mental illness recovery, to honor those who have lost their lives to mental illness, and to help raise funds, combat stigma and promote awareness.
2017 Walk is on September 23, 2017 at 10 am Day Begins at Tipton Park, Bloomington, Illinois 61704
Individual & Team Registration
Register: Online- NamiLivingstonMcLean.org or By Phone- (309) 287-9913
Please Pick a Team Name! A prize will be given for the most creative team name/Prize yet to be determined.
Each PERSON within a team who gets 100$ in donations will get a t-shirt! T-shirts will also be available for purchase.
**Eastview Food Pantry will be closed Tuesday, July 4th. We will re-open on Wednesday, July 5 at the usual hours.
Volunteer Opportunities:
Become a PATH Hotline Volunteer:
Adult volunteers are needed to answer phones on the 24-hour hotline. Volunteering your time on the hotline offers a rewarding experience and a great opportunity to give back to your community. A complete training program and professional back-up is provided. Our training program teaches you everything you need to know, including communication techniques and community resources. The next 8-week training class session begins June 15th. If interested, the volunteer application is available on-line at www.pathcrisis.org. Classroom training meets on Thursdays from 6 to 9 pm. Questions? Call Kevin at PATH at 309-834-0541.
Faith in Action, a local nonprofit, is looking for volunteers.
We offer flexible, rewarding ways to help seniors in our community stay active, independent, and in their own homes. There is no minimum time commitment to volunteer. Visit our website at: Volunteers for more information.
To attend a Volunteer Orientation, contact the Faith in Action Office @ 309.827.7780 or email:
· June 15th (Thursday) 10:30AM-12:00PM
· June 13th ( Tuesday) 5:30PM-7:00PM
· July 12th (Wednesday) 1:30PM-3:00PM
· Aug 2nd (Wednesday) 10:30AM-12:00PM
· Aug 8th (Tuesday) 5:30PM-7:00PM
The West Bloomington Active Garden is a collaboration with the Boys & Girls Club, the YWCA and Labyrinth. The program aims to provide fresh, organic, and local produce to Bloomington’s west side community, designated a “food desert” by the USDA. The WB Active Garden provides hands on educational programs for children K-5. The students learn the importance of organic and sustainable gardening practices and take home the produce they have grown. In addition, free garden plots are available to the public, volunteers are needed and donations are accepted.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED. Volunteers are needed to help prepare and maintain the garden beds that won’t be used by individual community members. No gardening experience is necessary.
DONATIONS ACCEPTED. Donations of new or gently used garden equipment, seeds, plants and gift cards or funds to buy garden supplies are welcome.