Halloween at Oak Leyden Developmental Center
Fatima has spent the last decade covering the arts scene in Illinois, with previous stints at the Chicago Reader and WTTW. She graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago and is passionate about highlighting local artists and cultural events.
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Groans, shuffling feet and dance moves by Michael Jackson impersonators echoed through the Oak Leyden Developmental Center on Friday, but there was no cause for alarm. The lifelong learning center on Chicago Avenue transformed its programming for a much anticipated “Zombie Apocalypse” haunted house, open to a limited group of community friends and volunteers. Building the haunted rooms began at the beginning of October when program director Chaunteese Lewis, announced this year’s zombie apocalypse theme, and the creative juices started to flow as participants and staff got ready for the third annual haunted house. Oak Leyden, which has served people with developmental disabilities since 1956, provides a variety of programs. This program works with adults who are disabled to build self-sufficiency skills and community engagement. About a dozen brave visitors were able to walk through four rooms with the lights down low. Being invited to the Halloween wasteland was the reward