From Education to Action – Understanding and Helping Our Immigrant Neighbors

Local advocates and immigration experts will come together this August for a free public forum aimed at helping Lake County residents better understand — and better support — their immigrant neighbors.

The event, titled "From Education to Action: Understanding and Helping Our Immigrant Neighbors," will take place Saturday, August 8, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the United Methodist Church of Libertyville (UMCL), 429 Brainerd Ave. Admission is free and open to the public.

The goal of the panel is to educate the community and move beyond awareness and toward action. The panel will feature representatives from several local organizations, including the Brushwood Center, Mano a Mano, the Lake County Rapid Response Team, and the Center for Immigrant Progress, alongside staff and volunteers from UMCL.

Attendees can expect a mix of stories and professional expertise. Panelists plan to describe the day-to-day realities faced by immigrant families in Lake County, common misconceptions, and lay out concrete ways community members can get involved — whether through volunteering, advocacy, or direct assistance.

"This program exists to help our community understand, and then act," said Janet Mason, chair of UMCL's Justice and Equity Committee, which is organizing the event. "We want people to leave not just more informed but equipped to make a real difference for the families living among us."

A resource fair will run after the panel discussion, with information available from groups including the Brushwood Center, the IL Law and Justice Center, the Center for Immigrant Progress, the Lake County Community Foundation, the Lake County Suicide Prevention Task Force, the Northern Illinois Conference Immigration Team, and Hispanic American Community Education and Services (HACES).

The forum is presented jointly by UMCL's Justice and Equity Committee, the Northern Illinois Conference Advocacy Partners Immigration Committee, the Commission on Religion and Race of the Northern Illinois Conference, and the Northern Illinois Conference of the United Methodist Church.

The Justice and Equity Committee of the United Methodist Church of Libertyville is a group dedicated — as an expression of Christian faith — to justice and mercy, the very characteristics of God. The committee pursues this mission through education and action, hosting events and studies that inform, confront inequities, challenge mindsets, and advance peace and justice. The committee invites the community to "make UMCL your place to start or continue your journey toward peace, equity, and justice."

Those interested in attending can register online. More information and registration are available at www.umcl.org/immigrationforum2026 or by calling 847-362-2112.

UMCL holds regular Sunday services at 9:30 a.m., both in person and streamed on Facebook Live, with recordings later posted to Facebook and YouTube. Visit www.umcl.org for more information.