Oak Park Apartments, which rents more than 1,000 Chicago suburban apartments in the Oak Park area, is pleased to announce Hephzibah Children's Association as the first winner of $2,025 in its 25th Anniversary Charity Giveaway.

Hephzibah Children's Association has been serving children and families since 1897. The agency has had an incredible ability to adjust to the needs of the children all while staying true to the mission of providing safety and care to society's most vulnerable.

For 25 years, Oak Park Apartments has breathed life into old buildings and made the Oak Park area a destination for younger residents. “We grew up here and we have always worked to provide great space for people to live and a strong community to be part of. Oak Park is home for us, and we want everyone who rents from us to feel the same way,” says Oak Park Apartments’ Owner Bill Planek. “With our charity giveaway, we want to give those residents and the rest of the community a voice to decide what charities
we support.”

The list of charities includes social service agencies, cultural institutions, and more, including Hephzibah Children’s Association, Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust, Wonder Works Children’s Museum and the Oak Park Food Pantry. Each month for the next five months, Oak Park Apartments will continue to donate $2,025 to charities in and round the Oak Park area. Visitors to the Oak Park Apartments web site can vote for their favorite local charity. Once a charity has won, it will not be eligible to win a second time. The competition continues May 1 with the second charity winner announced early June at A Day In Our Village.

“These charities are a big part of what makes Oak Park and Forest Park such successful communities,” says Co-owner Bob Planek. “Throughout our 25 years, we have grown substantially and feel that we should do our part in supporting these organizations.”

Oak Park Apartments is the largest renter of apartments in Oak Park and Forest Park and also manages many local condominium associations. Twenty years ago Oak Park Apartments began using compact fluorescent light bulbs and since then has continued to “green” its properties. Working with the Center for Neighborhood Technology, a leader in creating more livable and sustainable communities, Oak Park Apartments also performs energy audits on its buildings and has reduced energy and water consumption by 20 percent in just four years. Oak Park Apartments also runs 18 Chicago Avenue, an indoor sports facility, which is home to various sports teams from the community and is open to business. For more information on Oak Park Apartments or to vote for your favorite charity, visit www.oakparkapartments.com