OUR MISSION
The caring people of Elmhurst unite to provide compassionate assistance to people in need in our community.
About
Since 1997, the Elmhurst Walk-in Assistance Network has provided compassionate assistance to families in the Elmhurst community going through a difficult time. Sometimes families or individuals experience a job loss, a cutback in hours, divorce, disability, or other sudden, unforeseen circumstance that leave them unable to pay a bill. EWAN is a place they can come to for help while they get back on their feet. We serve Elmhurst residents, families with children in Elmhurst schools, or registered members of partnering Elmhurst churches.
We provide assistance with rent, utilities, car repair, prescriptions and gas. We coordinate access to local food pantries and clothes closets, and fund essential dental care through our partner dentists.
EWAN also supports students in Elmhurst schools through the school snack program and the SWAN (Students with Activity Needs) fund, ensuring kids can participate in school programs.
Finally, our EWAN Hope Fund assists families and individuals in particularly dire and unexpected circumstances.
OUR PARTNERS
The Elmhurst Assistance Network is available to any member of the Elmhurst community. Likewise, it depends on the support of many businesses, service organizations, and organizations within the community. The following all contribute in a special way.
STAFF AND BOARD OF DIRECTORS
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Jackie Crnkovich (non-voting member). Jackie was hired as the first executive director of the Walk-In Ministry in 2014—the first and only non-volunteer position. She began her career as a high school English and Journalism teacher, and left teaching to stay at home while raising her children. During this time she volunteered with a number of organizations that including Habitat for Humanity, Daybreak Transitional Housing, and Meals on Wheels. Jackie has noted that every job she has done, from advising the school newspaper to mentoring with Daybreak gave her useful skills for the wide-ranging duties of her present position. She and her husband Andy live in Elmhurst and have three mostly-grown sons.
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
MEMBERS AT LARGE
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Ken Bartels: Ken is a Senior Vice President and Director at the Community Bank of Elmhurst and Principal at Ken Bartels Consulting. He has spent forty-five years in not-for-profit management and fundraising. His other community involvement highlights this experience: board member/director at the Community Bank of Elmhurst, board member and past chair of the Elmhurst Chamber of Commerce & Industry, an Elmhurst Rotarian, member of the Elmhurst American Legion, member of the West Suburban Philanthropic Network, and the Association of Fundraising Professionals. He has received recognition for his outstanding service to the community, the Chamber of Commerce and Elmhurst College. You may recognize Ken from his many appearances on local broadcast television. He and his wife Marge have three children and three grandchildren.
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Katy Halloran Costello: Katy is a native of Elmhurst and lives here with her husband and four children. She has served as President of Visitation Council of Catholic Women (2015), supports many committees at Visitation School and is currently on the York High School Drama Board. Katy is a freelance artist working on a variety of assignments and loves the outdoors and travel.
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Jeanne Kett: Jeanne is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor currently in private practice with Kett Counseling and Educational Services. She has previously held jobs teaching at Elmhurst College, and working as a counselor with Lutheran Social Services. Volunteering has also always been important to Jeanne whether on the PTA or as a board member of the St. Gabriel Theater Guild in Chicago. Her experiences as a counselor as well as a mother inform another hobby of Jeanne’s: writing a blog about mental well-being, parenting and daily life.
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Scott LaMorte: Scott brings to the board a strong background in fundraising and a deep knowledge of not-for-profit work. He has spent nearly 20 years in non-profit fundraising, most recently with The Conservation Foundation in Naperville. Currently, Scott is the Vice President for Business Development at Itasca Bank & Trust. He remains an active adult committee member for Elmhurst Boy Scout Troop #117 and proud inaugural recipient of the Darrell Whistler Spirit Award from The Elmhurst Armpit Orchestra.
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Sgt. Steve Mandat: Steve serves as the Elmhurst Police liaison on the board. He has been with the Elmhurst Police Department since 2003 and is currently assigned as the Administrative Sergeant and has filled a number of different roles within the EPD. Steve holds a BA and an MA in Criminal Justice from Arizona State University. He and his wife are raising three young children.
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Erendira (Eren) Loza Navarro: Eren currently works at York high school as a parent liaison to Spanish speaking families. Her work experience includes logistics, community building, advocacy, translation, and interpretation. One of her duties on the board is to serve as chair of the new Latinx Outreach Committee. Being a Mexican immigrant herself, Eren has a passion for helping newcomers assimilate and for inspiring civic engagement. She also serves on the board for Dare to Dream whose mission is to help Latina girls go to college and is chairing the newly formed Elmhurst Resource Collaboration, which joins the forces of all the local constituencies who serve the most vulnerable in the community. Eren lives in Elmhurst with her husband and four children. She enjoys travel, great food, flamenco shows, and Spanish guitar music.
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Jackie Salek: Jackie has an impressive track record of service to the Elmhurst community. A long-time EWAN site volunteer, she currently serves as a Lead Volunteer, heads the Hospitality Committee, and is part of the ‘Cue for a Cause Committee. Jackie and her husband have lived in Elmhurst for 25 years and are almost done raising their three boys. During those years, she delivered Meals on Wheels, was a Cub Scout Leader for ten years and ran the Holiday Greens Fundraiser for Boys Scouts for three years. Jackie’s background is in marketing and she currently works for Enerpace Executive Coaching. In her free time she enjoys running, reading and being outdoors.
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Rev. Traci Smith: Traci is the pastor of Elmhurst Presbyterian Church and is filling the role as Pastor Liaison on the board. Traci and her family moved to Elmhurst three years ago to lead this church. Her previous assignment was at Northwood Presbyterian in San Antonia, Texas. As pastor, Traci brings a strong commitment to mission and outreach in the community. She is the author of The Faithful Family series, which guides readers in simple ways to practice faith at home. Traci lives in Elmhurst with her husband, Elias, and three school aged children. In addition to leading her church, she enjoys writing, cooking and crocheting. She is also a fluent Spanish speaker.
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Susan Wilson: Susan is a businesswoman who has spent most of her career working in HR with a focus on the financial aspects of pay. She currently does this work for General Electric. When not working, Susan has a great heart for giving back. She is a mentor for Chicago Scholars, a group that helps under-resourced and first-generation college students navigate the admissions process their senior year and then follow their progress through the first year of college. For twenty years she has co-chaired a holiday giving event, coordinating a group of friends to provide gifts for over 40 people. Susan enjoys cooking, baking, reading and attending baseball games with her husband, Bill Pearch, despite their spit team loyalties.
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Corinna Wojcik, MD: Corinna is a family physician with DuPage Medical Group. She serves patients of all ages and from a range of socio-economic backgrounds. Having some Spanish language skills enables her to count a number of Latinos among her patients. Her breadth of experience touches on a number of situations relevant to the work of EWAN. Corinna and her husband live in Elmhurst and have three school-aged children which keep them on the go.