Events & Activities

Center for Independent Futures community members and their family members are welcome to come every week or “drop in” as their schedules allow. The class is intended to include students with a wide range of abilities. Please note: We are happy to be partnering with Evanston Athletic Club to promote this yoga class. Center for Independent Futures staff may not be present at the classes.

Please note: We will not have class on December 24th or December 31st due to the holidays.

Please Note:  We are happy to be collaborating with Evanston Public Library to offer our Book Club. Library staff are now facilitating the Book Club. Center for Independent Futures staff may not be present at the Book Club gatherings. Volunteers will read aloud to the group. The group will discuss what has been read each week. To allow for more discussion time, the Book Club will meet for four months per book instead of three months per book as the group has been. If you are interested in learning more about this event, please call Jeff at (224) 545-3925. To learn about how to register for this activity, contact Center for Independent Futures at (847) 328-2044.

Please note: Book Club will not meet on December 24th or December 31st due to the holidays.

Want to learn more about finding a romance that fulfills your hopes and dreams? Want to learn to feel more confident in the dating world? Do you want to have tools to feel as safe as possible while enjoying all of the opportunities of a full life? This group is for you!

We will meet at the office and walk based on the weather. If the weather is mild, we will walk for about an hour. If the weather is cold, we will walk to a coffee shop.

Please note: The group will not meet on December 25th.

We will watch some of the most famous skits from the television show Saturday Night Live!

Gather with facilitator Joe Jackson to work on projects to benefit individuals in our community and around the world. Joe will communicate the details of each activity to those who have registered for Volunteer Club.

Want to learn more about finding a romance that fulfills your hopes and dreams? Want to learn to feel more confident in the dating world? Do you want to have the tools to feel as safe as possible while enjoying all the opportunities of a full life? This group is for you!

The Halim Time and Glass Museum contains 1100 historical clocks and watches as well as 70 or more pieces of stained glass art. We will take a guided tour of this awesome collection! We will meet at the entrance to the museum. If you have questions, please call Jeff Morthorst at (224) 545-3925.

This event is free, thanks to the Rob Campbell Fun Club.

Center for Independent Futures community members and their family members are welcome to come every week or “drop in” as their schedules allow. The class is intended to include students with a wide range of abilities. Please note: We are happy to be partnering with Evanston Athletic Club to promote this yoga class. Center for Independent Futures staff may not be present at the classes.

Please note: We will not have class on December 24th or December 31st due to the holidays.

Please Note:  We are happy to be collaborating with Evanston Public Library to offer our Book Club. Library staff are now facilitating the Book Club. Center for Independent Futures staff may not be present at the Book Club gatherings. Volunteers will read aloud to the group. The group will discuss what has been read each week. To allow for more discussion time, the Book Club will meet for four months per book instead of three months per book as the group has been. If you are interested in learning more about this event, please call Jeff at (224) 545-3925. To learn about how to register for this activity, contact Center for Independent Futures at (847) 328-2044.

Please note: Book Club will not meet on December 24th or December 31st due to the holidays.

Explore your creative side in this art class led by our skilled instructor Hadar Dohn.

We are participating in #GivingTuesday through #ILGive!

With your support, we know we can meet our goal of $20,000 on #GivingTuesday.

Plus, The Coleman Foundation will donate $175 for every gift of $175 or more! That means that if you donate $175, your gift is worth $350 for Center for Independent Futures. If you donate $500, your gift is worth $675! However, all gifts eligible for the matching dollars must be donated online.

Every dollar donated in honor of independent futures means we can continue to support individuals with disabilities and their full lives. You can help us create a future where individuals with disabilities have equitable access to the opportunities of a full life.

RSVP to this event to receive a reminder to donate on the morning of November 27th! We promise not to add you to our regular email list if this is the only time you want to be contacted by Center for Independent Futures.

Click this link to donate on November 27th! 

Donate Now!

We will meet at the office and walk based on the weather. If the weather is mild, we will walk for about an hour. If the weather is cold, we will walk to a coffee shop.

Please note: The group will not meet on December 25th.

Come hang out at Hub 930! We have internet access, games, TV, and comfortable chairs. This great space is located in the back of the building at 930 Chicago Ave. Joe Jackson will host this opportunity for the Center for Independent Futures community.

Please note: Hub 930 will not be open on October 17, November 21, December 19, and December 26.

Join us in watching and discussing Japanese animated productions called Anime. Facilitator and Anime enthusiast Sheila Serota supports the group in choosing which series will be viewed.

HeARTwords is a creative writing workshop facilitated by Joe Jackson and Paul Fields. HeARTwords is a safe space to express your emotions, thoughts, stories, etc. in a variety of formats. Be the ART. A playground for the mind, a sanctuary for the heart.

NOTE: December 8th we will have our annual holiday party!

Center for Independent Futures community members and their family members are welcome to come every week or “drop in” as their schedules allow. The class is intended to include students with a wide range of abilities. Please note: We are happy to be partnering with Evanston Athletic Club to promote this yoga class. Center for Independent Futures staff may not be present at the classes.

Please note: We will not have class on December 24th or December 31st due to the holidays.

Please Note:  We are happy to be collaborating with Evanston Public Library to offer our Book Club. Library staff are now facilitating the Book Club. Center for Independent Futures staff may not be present at the Book Club gatherings. Volunteers will read aloud to the group. The group will discuss what has been read each week. To allow for more discussion time, the Book Club will meet for four months per book instead of three months per book as the group has been. If you are interested in learning more about this event, please call Jeff at (224) 545-3925. To learn about how to register for this activity, contact Center for Independent Futures at (847) 328-2044.

Please note: Book Club will not meet on December 24th or December 31st due to the holidays.

We will meet at the office and walk based on the weather. If the weather is mild, we will walk for about an hour. If the weather is cold, we will walk to a coffee shop.

Please note: The group will not meet on December 25th.

We will watch some of the most famous skits from the television show Saturday Night Live!

Come hang out at Hub 930! We have internet access, games, TV, and comfortable chairs. This great space is located in the back of the building at 930 Chicago Ave. Joe Jackson will host this opportunity for the Center for Independent Futures community.

Please note: Hub 930 will not be open on October 17, November 21, December 19, and December 26.

HeARTwords is a creative writing workshop facilitated by Joe Jackson and Paul Fields. HeARTwords is a safe space to express your emotions, thoughts, stories, etc. in a variety of formats. Be the ART. A playground for the mind, a sanctuary for the heart.

NOTE: December 8th we will have our annual holiday party!

Center for Independent Futures community members and their family members are welcome to come every week or “drop in” as their schedules allow. The class is intended to include students with a wide range of abilities. Please note: We are happy to be partnering with Evanston Athletic Club to promote this yoga class. Center for Independent Futures staff may not be present at the classes.

Please note: We will not have class on December 24th or December 31st due to the holidays.

Please Note:  We are happy to be collaborating with Evanston Public Library to offer our Book Club. Library staff are now facilitating the Book Club. Center for Independent Futures staff may not be present at the Book Club gatherings. Volunteers will read aloud to the group. The group will discuss what has been read each week. To allow for more discussion time, the Book Club will meet for four months per book instead of three months per book as the group has been. If you are interested in learning more about this event, please call Jeff at (224) 545-3925. To learn about how to register for this activity, contact Center for Independent Futures at (847) 328-2044.

Please note: Book Club will not meet on December 24th or December 31st due to the holidays.

Want to learn more about finding a romance that fulfills your hopes and dreams? Want to learn to feel more confident in the dating world? Do you want to have tools to feel as safe as possible while enjoying all of the opportunities of a full life? This group is for you!

We will meet at the office and walk based on the weather. If the weather is mild, we will walk for about an hour. If the weather is cold, we will walk to a coffee shop.

Please note: The group will not meet on December 25th.

Come hang out at Hub 930! We have internet access, games, TV, and comfortable chairs. This great space is located in the back of the building at 930 Chicago Ave. Joe Jackson will host this opportunity for the Center for Independent Futures community.

Please note: Hub 930 will not be open on October 17, November 21, December 19, and December 26.

The group will have dinner together at the Backyard Grill restaurant. Please bring at least $20 to pay for your meal and beverages.

PLEASE NOTE the location has changed to Michael’s Chicago Style Red Hots in Highland Park.

Want to learn more about finding a romance that fulfills your hopes and dreams? Want to learn to feel more confident in the dating world? Do you want to have the tools to feel as safe as possible while enjoying all the opportunities of a full life? This group is for you!

Join us in watching and discussing Japanese animated productions called Anime. Facilitator and Anime enthusiast Sheila Serota supports the group in choosing which series will be viewed.

October 19: Fall/Halloween party. Please bring a snack or food item to share with the group. We will watch a Halloween movie. Costumes are welcome but not required.

November 9: Thanksgiving feast! Please bring a Thanksgiving dinner item to share with the group. Please call the office to ask what foods are needed and to sign up to bring a specific item.

December 14: We will be cookie decorating to celebrate the holiday season. Please bring a snack item to share, or bring a baking ingredient such as cookie mix, frosting, or cookie decorations. Please call the office to ask what foods are needed and to sign up to bring a specific item.

Please enter through the gate on the side of the building.

Join us to bowl two games at Classic Bowl in Morton Grove. Attendees must bring $4.50 in cash for shoes and/or lane fees. Please call Jeff at (224) 545-3925 if you need support getting to and from the bowling alley.

Center for Independent Futures community members and their family members are welcome to come every week or “drop in” as their schedules allow. The class is intended to include students with a wide range of abilities. Please note: We are happy to be partnering with Evanston Athletic Club to promote this yoga class. Center for Independent Futures staff may not be present at the classes.

Please note: We will not have class on December 24th or December 31st due to the holidays.

Please Note:  We are happy to be collaborating with Evanston Public Library to offer our Book Club. Library staff are now facilitating the Book Club. Center for Independent Futures staff may not be present at the Book Club gatherings. Volunteers will read aloud to the group. The group will discuss what has been read each week. To allow for more discussion time, the Book Club will meet for four months per book instead of three months per book as the group has been. If you are interested in learning more about this event, please call Jeff at (224) 545-3925. To learn about how to register for this activity, contact Center for Independent Futures at (847) 328-2044.

Please note: Book Club will not meet on December 24th or December 31st due to the holidays.

Explore your creative side in this art class led by our skilled instructor Hadar Dohn.

We will meet at the office and walk based on the weather. If the weather is mild, we will walk for about an hour. If the weather is cold, we will walk to a coffee shop.

Please note: The group will not meet on December 25th.

Gather with facilitator Joe Jackson to work on projects to benefit individuals in our community and around the world. Joe will communicate the details of each activity to those who have registered for Volunteer Club.

The club members will meet to decide how best to increase their advocacy to improve our own lives and the lives of others. We will use consensus building to make these decisions as a group. A budget will be made available to the group to use in their work. For more information about this exciting new group, please contact Jeff Morthorst.

Want to learn more about finding a romance that fulfills your hopes and dreams? Want to learn to feel more confident in the dating world? Do you want to have the tools to feel as safe as possible while enjoying all the opportunities of a full life? This group is for you!

Everyone will order from a printed menu of food items, socialize, and eat together. Participants are encouraged to learn socially valuable skills including choosing food items, advocating around specific dietary restrictions, interaction with waiters, ordering, waiting for their meal to arrive, dealing with mistakes, paying a bill and tipping. Please bring $10 in cash to each event to pay for your meal. For our event in November, the group will go to a restaurant to practice our skills. For this evening at a restaurant, everyone is asked to bring $15-$20 to pay for their meal.

Chill and chat with Center for Independent Futures community and staff members.

Gather with other Center for Independent Futures participants to watch a new movie each month! Facilitator Jeff Morthorst supports activities members to vote on the next month’s film. We are open to viewing a wide range of genres.

Want to learn more about finding a romance that fulfills your hopes and dreams? Want to learn to feel more confident in the dating world? Do you want to have tools to feel as safe as possible while enjoying all of the opportunities of a full life? This group is for you!

Since 2007, Center for Independent Futures’ SPARK gala has showcased and supported our community in style. This spring fundraiser is hosted at the Hilton Orrington in downtown Evanston, providing a beautiful setting for cocktails, a silent auction, dinner, live music, and dancing.

The evening is ignited by the SPARK of the Center for Independent Futures community. Guests don’t just hear about our impact but also witness it in action, from the lively dinner conversation to the packed dance floor at the end of the night. At SPARK, participants celebrate their own independence and the connections of their community alongside friends, family members, and other supporters. All proceeds from this event, our largest fundraiser of the year, directly contribute to programming, services, and sustainability to support individuals with disabilities and their families to access the skills and opportunities of a full life.

Don’t miss all the fun. Purchase your tickets today!

Center for Independent Futures is a Section 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. Donations may qualify as a charitable deduction for federal income tax purposes. Contact Niki Moe for more information.