EP Library's Social Club Fills Void For Young Adults With Autism

EVERGREEN PARK, IL — Libraries are for everyone, and the Evergreen Park Public Library continues to find unique and new ways to serve all community members. The recent recipient of a grant from Autism Welcome Here, the library is launching a new a program designed especially for high school students and post-high school young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder and other disabilities.

The Stacks Social Club is a new library initiative that will provide recreational programs for young adults with disabilities and the families who love them. The Evergreen Park library will be holding an open house for the club from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 19, at 9400 S. Troy Ave. Residents from Evergreen Park, southwest Chicago and surrounding suburbs are welcome. The club meets monthly and will provide an opportunity for peers to socialize in a structured setting.

“There aren’t many places for young adults with disabilities to connect and feel part of the community,” Evergreen Park parent Alice Flaherty said. “The Stacks Social Club offers them an opportunity to have fun and make connections which are so important to their wellbeing and self-esteem.”

If you would like to know more about the Stacks Social Club, volunteer, or sponsor a program, contact Mary Black at 708-422-8522 or blackm@evergreenparklibrary.org.