The Beverly Area Planning Association (BAPA) has served the Beverly/Morgan Park community for 75 years, and as members, volunteers and partners, local residents play a vital role in helping BAPA maintain the strength of the community.
With three quarters of a century of service behind it, BAPA continues its commitment to ensuring Beverly/Morgan Park remains Chicago’s best neighborhood by focusing on programs that improve everyone’s quality of life. BAPA works with local schools, businesses, organizations, and institutions fulfilling its mission to “support and enhance Beverly/Morgan Park as a safe and culturally diverse village within the city with growing home values, schools of high quality and prosperous commercial areas”.
BAPA depends on the financial support of donations from members who go directly back into the community by funding its work. BAPA connects the community through services that engage and empower neighbors and celebrate and strengthen the neighborhood. Everyone benefits from BAPA’s work, but only about 5% of local neighbors are BAPA members. Imagine what we could do with more support!
Members help BAPA strengthen the community in several ways:
•Encourage partnerships and programs such as working with the Beverly Arts Center to support the Professional ABCs student workshop series, which will continue this fall, and with the dozens of local organizations and businesses that created the Wizarding Weekend in July.
• Presenting popular special events such as the Home Tour, Ridge Run and Memorial Day Parade in May, the Garden Walk in July and the Porch Concert Series which runs from May to October. The next concerts are Railway Gamblers on September 9 and Beverly Country Club on October 14. Last month’s Wizarding Weekend drew people from across the region to dine at local restaurants, shop at local stores and take part in magical events ranging from potion-making to broom sports and more. by magic shows.
BAPA events have a purpose (besides having fun!). They bring neighbors together to celebrate the history, architectural beauty and hospitality of the community, and they attract visitors to find out why we love where we live and potentially become new neighbors.
• Beautification and green initiatives help maintain the stunning tree cover and rolling landscape that defines Beverly/Morgan Park. BAPA’s new Save Our Trees campaign has an active and dedicated committee that meets monthly and works on tree-focused initiatives. BAPA’s community-wide Spring Clean & Green provides volunteers at nearly two dozen locations in April and, with Openlands grants, volunteers replace lost trees on the boardwalk in the spring and fall .
The next Openlands tree planting will take place on October 8, and volunteers are encouraged to meet at Sutherland Elementary School at 8:30 a.m. to find a place to help.
• Preserve the value of period homes and the neighborhood’s historic community by recognizing, celebrating and protecting significant architecture such as this year’s Hetherington Architects showcase on the Home Tour and BAPA’s ongoing partnership with the Ridge Historical Society to Save Historic Eugene S. Pike Home.
•Support local schools and educational initiatives, including the Volunteer Tutor Corps through the work of the BAPA School Liaison and community service opportunities for children ages 13-18 through the BAPA Teen Corps.
• Keeping the community informed of upcoming events, neighbors you should know, local business news and how leaders are making a difference via The Villager, e-news and social media.
• Collaborating with other community organizations on events and promotions expands the reach of BAPA. For example, BAPA works with the Morgan Park Beverly Hills Business Association on programs that help our local businesses thrive, such as the South Side Irish Parade Day Party Packs in March, Margarita Mile from August 1 to September 5, and Sip & Shop on September 15.
•Partnering with police and agencies on safety initiatives, including regular features in The Villager that show officers from the Chicago 22nd District Police Department at work, and working with businesses on effective responses to crime and security.
In order to continue to offer important community programs and to expand to include meaningful new initiatives, BAPA needs the support of its residential and business neighbors. Help BAPA celebrate 75 years of community service – become a BAPA member today!
Visit bapa.org/support where people can become a commercial or residential member, renew at their choice of levels or select the new option to donate in monthly amounts paid automatically.
BAPA is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, and donations are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.
For more information, call BAPA Executive Director Mary Jo Viero at (773) 233-3100 or visit the website at bapa.org.
