August 19th -Taco Tuesday Chipotle Event-:

Come out after the 5K on TUESDAY AUGUST 19th from 4-8pm for Taco Tuesday benefitting Light of Hope at Chipotle at 1203 Ogden Ave from 4-8pm! 

Saturday, August 16th- Welcome to The Hope Starts Here 5K for Mental Health Awareness!

Thank you for coming out to The Light of Hope "Hope Starts Here" 5k run/walk race! Your support means the world to us and helps fight mental health stigma and increase access to care for those in need. The run/walk will be held on Saturday, August 16, 2025 at 8am at Franklin and Highland in downtown Downers Grove, IL. This race benefits mental health awareness and advocacy and allows Light of Hope 501C3 to offer free and sliding fee scale individual and group counseling sessions as well as fund our speaking engagements on stress reduction and team leadership in the school and hospital settings to support the community.

Packet Pick-Up

Packet pick-up with be Friday afternoon from 3-7pm at 4902 Washington St in Downers Grove, IL (The grey house at the corner of Washington and Franklin) There is a Hope Starts Here 5K sign in the yard, you can't miss it! Also, if you prefer can also pick up your t-shirt and the giveaway bags as early as 6:45 AM prior to the race start on Saturday August 16th at 8am at Highland and Franklin right by the starting line.

Volunteers:

Volunteers and sponsors interested in supporting our event or those in need of counseling please contact us at gretchen@lightofhopewc.org or information@lightofhopewc.org. 

Please come out and support our first ever HOPE STARTS HERE 5K for mental health awareness in Downers Grove, IL! The event starts on August 16th, 2025 at 8am. Lace up on a Saturday morning, to run or walk to support a good cause, mental health awareness, and suicide prevention. The starting line is at 4832 Highland Ave (By St. Joes School at the corner of Highland and Franklin). 

We are so grateful to The Dupage Foundation, The Village of Downers Grove and all of the donors and volunteers who have supported us all throughout the year. We have raised almost $10,000 towards our $50,000 goal. We aim to give away 100 free counseling sessions from the proceeds of this event by Giving Tuesday this year. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for making this important mission possible. Appearances by DJ AJ, Baked goods courtesy of The Great Sandeenie Bakery and Coffee Shop, ABC7 WLS, Clear Channel, Film Foetus, BlueBird Yard Designs, Raffle by Give Butter and Luxe Give.

Help and Support:

If you need help, support or counseling, know that you are not alone, text HOME to 741-741 or call the 988 crisis line or reach out to Light of Hope Wellness and Consultation at https://lnkd.in/ghsEC85f. We are here to help.

Counseling request form:

For those in need of counseling- Sign up here for those who would like to be considered for The Hope Starts Here Counseling Scholarship. https://form.jotform.com/252125403900141

Sign up to Run/Walk/Donate:

Sign up for the 5K run/walk or donate to the cause here: https://lnkd.in/gMJvJfs4

Giveaways:

Water, Gatorade, juice, cookies, snacks, swag bags, T-shirts and medals will be available on-site for volunteers, participants, and finishers. Thank you all, and see you out there! 

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Hope Starts Here Silent Auction and Raffle Site with GiveButter and LuxGive:

Silent Auction and Raffle: https://givebutter.com/c/zFJPiU/auction