Drendel's Connect

10/12/2026

🎶 Family fun just hit a high note: SINGO at the Farm is back! 🐴

Join our friends at Main Stay Therapeutic Farm, Inc. for a night of SINGO, a mix of bingo and music that's fun for all ages. You'll also have a chance to win raffle baskets!

📅 Friday, October 23, 6–9 PM
📍 Main Stay Farm, 6919 Keystone Rd., Richmond
🎟️ $25/person or 4 tickets for $85
🍔 Dinner, drinks and treats available for purchase from MJ's Coffee Bar Food Truck

Every ticket supports Main Stay's Rider Assistance Fund, so no rider has to give up adaptive riding because of financial hardship. 💙

Get your tickets: mainstayfarm.org/singo
Local businesses: sponsorship options are on the ticket form!

Connecting People. Building Community

10/06/2026

This fall, Drendel's Connect is shining a light on the nonprofits that make McHenry County stronger.

Over the next two months, we'll introduce you to organizations serving veterans, families, women and children, and neighbors going through hard times, and share ways you can get involved.

Meet the lineup:
• The Salvation Army Crystal Lake Church of McHenry County
• Home of The Sparrow, Inc.
• NAMI of McHenry County
• Independence Health & Therapy
• Main Stay Therapeutic Farm, Inc.
• Huntley American Legion Post 673 - Auxiliary - SAL

Follow along, share with a friend, and find the place where you fit.

Connecting People. Building Community.

10/05/2026

Community Spotlight: NAMI of McHenry County💚

A major milestone for our community: NAMI McHenry County's Living Room is now open 24/7/365, including holidays.

The Living Room is a calm, welcoming space for adults experiencing emotional distress or a mental health crisis, staffed by trained peers who've been there.

✔️ Walk-in alternative to the ER
✔️ Free and confidential
✔️ Adults 18+
📍 338 Memorial Drive, Crystal Lake

Just show up and ring the doorbell.

This Mental Illness Awareness Week (Oct 4–10), remember: one in five U.S. adults experiences a mental illness each year, and no one should face it alone. Share this post so someone who needs it knows this door is always open.

In crisis? Call or text 988 any time.

09/30/2026

What a beautiful Sunday at the McHenry County Farm Bureau Farm Stroll! 🐎🇺🇸

Jim and Vickie Drendel spent the day with Operation Wild Horse - Veterans R&R, and it was wonderful to see so many families come out. People filled the bleachers, watched the horses work in the arena, visited local vendors, and enjoyed great food under the trees.

This year, Operation Wild Horse celebrates 10 years of serving veterans, and it has been 50 years since the Polanek family built this facility. Vickie (Polanek) Drendel grew up here, and it meant so much to share her family's story with everyone who stopped by.

Thank you to Operation Wild Horse, their volunteers, and everyone who came out to support them. This is what community looks like!

09/20/2026

The McHenry County Farm Stroll is coming up fast! Operation Wild Horse - Veterans R&R is excited to be a stop on the stroll. Please join us on Sunday September 27th between 10:00am - 4:00pm. OWH is celebrating its 10 year Anniversary and 50 years since the Polanek Family built this facility. Vickie (Polanek) Drendel grew up on the property and will share the amazing journey of High View Ranch.

09/18/2026

We are beyond ecstatic to be apart of the Mchenry county farm stroll this year! Signs went up this morning so make sure to stop by September 27th!

09/15/2026

We had a great time at the Beachside Benefit Concert for Refuge for Women Chicago in June. We can't wait for the Anniversary Gala next week. A great time will be had by all.

09/11/2026

🇺🇸 25 years later, we remember.

On September 11, 2001, our nation experienced unimaginable loss. In the days, months and years that followed, thousands of men and women answered the call to serve.

Today, as we honor the lives lost on 9/11, we also recognize the veterans, military families and first responders whose lives were forever shaped by that day.

Here in McHenry County, that spirit of service and connection continues through organizations like Operation Wild Horse - Veterans R&R, a program of Veterans R&R. Through the unique bond between veterans and American Mustangs, Operation Wild Horse provides a place for connection, trust, purpose and community.

At Drendel’s Connect, our mission is simple: Connecting People. Building Community. Part of that mission is helping our community discover and support the nonprofit organizations doing meaningful work right here at home.

Today, we remember.
We honor.
And we continue to stand beside those who serve.

Never Forget. 🇺🇸

09/01/2026

08/19/2026

💙 A wonderful new chapter with Main Stay Therapeutic Farm, Inc. 🐴

We’re excited to share that Vickie Drendel has joined the Board of Directors at Main Stay Therapeutic Farm!

For Vickie, Main Stay already holds a special place in her heart. She has volunteered with Main Stay’s adaptive riding program for several years, combining two things she loves—horses and giving back to the community. Now, she’s honored to continue supporting Main Stay and its mission in a new role as a board member.

Congratulations Vickie!

At Drendel’s Connect, we believe strong communities happen when people step forward, get involved, and share their time and talents with organizations that matter to them. Main Stay is a wonderful example of the difference those connections can make.

Connecting People. Building Community. 💙