Oak Leyden

10/31/2025

10/31/2025

Our Children's Services team welcomed some adorable visitors during the week of Halloween 👻 for some trick or treating and developmental games. It's always great to see the children we work with out in the community, having fun 🥳 and playing with other kids. Great chance for parents and guardians to also socialize and join in the fun. 😃

10/29/2025

If you have a free moment during your lunch period on Friday, why not come visit our Lifetime Learning site here in Oak Park to experience some frightening fun? Our adult program participants would love to show off their Haunted House! 👻No RSVP necessary; we will be launching the tour of several terrifying vignettes at noon on Halloween at our day program site at 320 Chicago Ave in Oak Park. Our participants are really excited to have guests, so we hope you can drop by! (Plenty of street parking available.)

10/19/2025

Handing out candy and toys to hundreds of little trick-or-treaters? Taco trucks? Meeting members of the communities where we provide services? Supporting an amazing event thrown by one of our very closest municipality partners? Yes, please, to all of the above! 🥰

We had a fantastic time at Leyden Township's annual Boo Fest event, where 20 of our adult program participants enjoyed music, fun food, a petting zoo and a hayride. Good stuff for everyone involved. 🎃 Congrats to Rocco Biscaglio, the Leyden Township Supervisor, for a job well done!

10/16/2025

Being a good neighbor means many things, but one of the most impactful is to welcome your community to your home. This week, Oak Leyden offered up its Lifetime Learning Program site to the Oak Park River Forest Chamber of Commerce for its 'Business After Hours’ event. 😀 We were happy to see a good turnout for the Chamber, and had a chance to briefly introduce ourselves and our mission before the networking event completed. Thanks to 's Mark Walden for choosing us to help out! 👍

10/14/2025

Dear Oak Leyden supporters,

Over the weekend, nearly all employees in the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services were included in shutdown layoffs. This department, which was created under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), is responsible for the federal oversight of all programs that support students with disabilities. Cuts to this critical office will cripple legal protections for families all over the country as there will be no bandwidth to enforce IDEA, which remains the law of the land.

First, we want to take the opportunity to assure our families: we stand with you. At Oak Leyden, we are committed to providing supports for individuals with disabilities. Most notably, our outstanding team of Children’s Services therapists will continue to advocate for the tools your child needs to best succeed in every environment, including as they transition from Early Intervention into school services.

Secondly, we are urging you to take action with us. Please call your members of Congress and ask them to protect children with disabilities by rehiring the Office of Special Education staff. Doing so will uphold IDEA, which has benefitted from bipartisan support for all of its existence. If you have examples of how IDEA’s protections have helped your family, name them! But be clear in your ask: Please rehire the staff of the Department of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.

Thank you for your continued partnership,

RJ McMahon
Oak Leyden CEO

10/13/2025

People are searching for ways to impact the communities that they live in, and support brands and services that align with their values. We are constantly looking for ways to make our lives matter, to make an impact. Smart leaders know that their business offerings, their company culture, and the examples that they set in the community makes a difference. Join the conversation!

10/08/2025

We LOVE getting out into the communities we serve to meet our neighbors and raise awareness of the work we do at Oak Leyden. Usually, we set up our 'Kid Rest Stop', a chance for tired parents to catch their breath while we give their little ones something fun to do. And what is more fun than writing on stuff with chalk? 😎 (These photos were from the last Thursday Night Out in Oak Park.)

10/08/2025

Our Director of Development, Jim Michael, shares a story about a family that has 'adopted' a Community Integrated Living Arrangement (CILA) that provides supported living to some of our adults living with IDD. 😍

10/07/2025

This excerpt from our Common Roots video is a great introduction to the amazing individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities we serve...and the wonderful folks that serve them. Visit our YouTube page (https://www.youtube.com/) to see them all!

10/07/2025

It's always a good morning when you run into friends, and that was our experience this past weekend as we supported the Tour De Proviso. The Tour (now in its 6th year) promotes health and wellness across Proviso Township and its neighboring villages. This ride brings folks together for a morning of cycling and connection across many of the communities that Oak Leyden serves, including Bellwood, Broadview, Forest Park, Maywood, Oak Park, River Forest and more. In fact, look who we ran into--longtime OL supporter and Oak Park Village President Vicki Scaman. Vicki is one of several local political leaders that have always been there for the people Oak Leyden serves (we also said hi to River Forest President Catherine Adduci but weren't quick enough for a photo!). It was a great event, on a great morning, with great allies.

10/03/2025

Oak Leyden is committed to providing the best quality of life possible for the individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and delays (IDD) we work with. The most impactful and important members of our team are the individuals that work daily with our program participants and residents; make no mistake--this work is a vocation, not just a job.

With that in mind, we'd like to take a moment to acknowledge two of our most important and hardworking leaders--Ms. Evelyn 'Dee' Davis and Ms. Tenika Hilton-Davis. This October, Dee will celebrate her 28th year and Tenika her 20th with Oak Leyden. 🥳😮❤️ They both have worked in multiple roles with us, and they both remain enthusiastic champions for the folks we serve. Dee, Tenika--we love you and are grateful for you. Happy Anniversary!