Wayfarer Foundation’s new Wilmette space was ‘meant to be’
Searching for a home, the Wayfarer Foundation found what it was looking for at Fourth and Linden in Wilmette.
But it wasn’t the intersection that attracted the Highland Park-based nonprofit. It was the special structure down the street.
The Wayfarer Foundation is inspired by the teachings of the Baha’i Faith and though foundation leadership was not seeking to purchase a building, the opportunity to be close to the temple was too good to pass up, said Laura Herrick, the foundation’s executive director.
“It’s meant to be,” she said. “… We thought our entire purpose is to co-create peace and unity in the world and what better place to be housed than two blocks away from the Baha’i House of Worship.”
Herrick added, “We hope to be a very positive contributor to the Wilmette community.”
Wayfarer staff members, friends and partners joined Village of Wilmette officials in celebrating the new location at 350 Linden Ave. with a ribbon-cutting and more on Monday, July 29.
The 4,000-square-foot space, which most recently housed a fitness facility, has been overhauled to enable collaboration with Wayfarer’s partners and staff, among other activities, Herrick said.
Wayfarer Foundation launched in 2021 with inspiration of Baha’i’s principles; though has no direct connection to the Baha’i Faith. According to its website, the foundation is a grantmaker that supports mission-centered nonprofits working for economic prosperity, gender equality, racial justice, religious harmony, the arts, universal education, and youth empowerment.
Organization founder and Board President Steve Sarowitz said most of Wayfarer’s partners represent the Black, Brown and Native American communities, because “that’s where the greatest need is.”
“For us, working on equity and injustice is extremely important. We look at those as spiritual principles,” Sarowitz said.
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Joe Coughlin
Joe Coughlin is a co-founder and the editor in chief of The Record. He leads investigative reporting and reports on anything else needed. Joe has been recognized for his investigative reporting and sports reporting, feature writing and photojournalism. Follow Joe on Twitter @joec2319