Build Will's Place

Our Story

Our names are Cathy Maassen and Joan Hallagan. We are writing today to ask you to consider donating to Will's Place.

My name is Joan Hallagan. Twenty-one years ago, I was standing in line for a doctor's appointment in Vietnam to get my new son's Visa when the doctor whispered to me that she believed there were medical concerns. It wasn't until months later that I found out that William had suffered a stroke at birth and that it had done some neurological damage. As a parent of a disabled child, I've spent years managing my expectations as it became clear that this world isn't always designed for children like my son. The joy and love that William has brought into my family and his community is impossible to articulate or measure. My goal is to give back to William the happiness he has given all of us.

For disabled adults, job opportunities are often minimal. While 15% of the general population struggles with both physical and intellectual disabilities, 82% of disabled adults will never find a job. While most school districts offer special needs programs for children, adult options are limited. Most special needs adults age out of the public system at 22 years old.

That is why we are very excited to announce Will's Place, a Skokie-based cafe offering a chef-driven menu for breakfast and lunch. I am partnering with my sister Cathy Maassen to bring Will's Place to life. Cathy has dedicated the last 35 years of her career to the Skokie Public Library and plays an integral role in the Skokie Community. Our goal with Will's Place is twofold: to offer a creative, ingredient-focused sandwich menu and to provide employment opportunities to adults with developmental disabilities. We are a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating a positive, safe, and inclusive workspace for a portion of our population that too often gets overlooked in the job market. Will’s Place will have a small staff, including William (of course)! It will be located at 7927 Lincoln Ave in the heart of downtown Skokie, IL. Our goal is to hire 30 young adults looking for the chance to learn more about the restaurant industry and to make their own money.

But we need your help! We are mounting a Capital Fundraising Campaign to remodel the space with a modern kitchen and dining room. We plan to not only offer job training and employment opportunities but also to create a community gathering space for adults with disabilities. Please consider supporting us. Help us make dreams come true, build new friendships and create meaningful employment for many.

Brilliance is distributed evenly; opportunity is not. Together we can make our community stronger. You can find additional information on our website . Follow along with our journey on Instagram and Facebook as we make Will's Place a reality and change the future for many.

What Will's Place is going to bring to Skokie, IL:

The Space:

Our restaurant will be located in the heart of downtown Skokie, IL, at 7927 Lincoln Avenue. Our goal is to create a beautiful, joyful space where our employees are excited to work, and our patrons want to spend time. We are partnering with local architects, contractors and designers to bring the vision for Will's Place to life.

The Timeline

October 1st: We get our space! Will’s Place will be located at 7927 Lincoln Ave, right across from the Skokie Theater.

October 24th: Demolition begins! Our goal is to create a safe, accessible and fully functioning commercial kitchen. So we are starting from scratch. The remodel of the space will include the addition of a commercial kitchen, two handicap-accessible bathrooms, and a beautiful and welcoming dining room storefront.

May 1st: Soft Opening!

Our Starting Lineup

Cathy Maassen

Position: Founder and Community Outreach

Meet Cathy: Cathy Maassen has worked in the youth division in the Skokie Library for 35 years. Cathy has developed and overseen the summer reading program, Wednesdays on the green and school outreach to promote reading. She has worked with children of all ages and many Skokie families. She has partnered with the Skokie Chamber of Commerce and local businesses to support her programming. She is always coming up with fresh and creative ideas on how to engage with the community. Cathy brings the fun wherever she goes. Her ability to make people feel welcome is what makes us so excited to have her leading the Will's Place team!

Joan Hallagan

Position: Founder and Treasurer

Meet Joan: Joan Hallagan is the mother of William Schejbal and the co-founder of Will's Place. Joan has successfully run her own business, Hallagan Business Machines, for over 30 years. Joan will be an integral part of managing Will's Place. Her goal in starting Will's Place is to provide William and other adults with disabilities with meaningful and fulfilling work.

William Schejbal

About Will: Will is the kind of guy who everyone knows. Earning him the nickname in his family as “the unofficial mayor of Lincolnwood.” You can’t enter a Marianos or old orchard mall or really anywhere without hearing a friendly “hey will!” from behind the counter or around the corner. “Oh my gosh, how do you know William too?” is a phrase that even his sisters have heard on more than one occasion. Because everyone knows Will. He is the kind of guy that makes friends everywhere he goes. There is an energy and a kindness about Will that makes people feel seen.

William suffered a stroke before his birth, brought on by severe malnutrition. This has made life a lot harder for William than most of us can understand. From learning to walk to learning alternative forms of communication. But through those challenges, William persevered with a patience that continues to inspire all of those around him.

From a young age, William has always loved to cook. His chocolate chip cookie recipe can't be beaten. Cooking is one of the many way's William expresses his creativity and shows his love for the people around him. Will's Place is centered around the idea that William, and adults like him, deserve the opportunity to have meaningful employment and the independence the that that affords them.

Michael Pfeiffer

About Michael: Michael is a Chicago-based chef and co-founder of Drumlin Supper Club . Michaels's passion for food is very much rooted in its ability to bring people together and build community. He partners with multiple nonprofit organizations to run their community garden programming and offer cooking classes. Michael has worked in many restaurants in the Chicagoland area, including Bernies Lunch and Supper, Kitsune, and as sous chef for the Boka restaurant group before leaving the restaurant industry to start his own business in 2018. Michael's culinary talent and passion for all things food make him an integral part of Will's Place. Michael's menus are known to highlight locally sourced, seasonally focused ingredients. We believe strongly that there is a high demand for more chef-driven restaurant options in the Skokie Community, so we are excited to have Michael on our team.

Jeff Hallagan

Meet Jeff: Jeff will be running the front of Will's Place. Jeff will support our staff with table service, the register, implementation of the menu and clean-up procedures. Jeff has ten years of experience running his own small business before joining our team. Jeff has experience working with the special needs community and has a passion for cooking. He is smart, kind and fair, and we couldn't be more excited to have him join our team.

Sarah Lentz

Sarah Lentz is the co-founder and event coordinator of Chicago-based supper Club, Drumlin Supper Club . Sarah’s background is in graphic design and marketing. Sarah is the vice president of Rustic Falls Nature Camp , another Skokie nonprofit organization. Sarah is excited to bring her experience in grant writing and nonprofit development to the table. Sarah is joining the Will’s Place team to help design the space itself and to manage our social media.

Closing Words:

There is so much power in community. When we come together to support one another, there are no limits to what we can do. Our community deserves Will's Place. Every single person deserves to feel like they have a purpose and a place where they belong. Our team is dedicated to creating that space. But, we need your help. Please donate and spread the word! Let's bring Will's Place to life together.