Fifth Ward aldermanic candidate Delores Holmes is an Evanston celebrity.

After devoting more than 25 years of her life to community service in Evanston, Holmes knows city politics, and residents know her.

"She’s a household name," said JoAnn Avery, who worked with Holmes for two decades at Family Focus-Our Place, an Evanston outreach organization. "She has the commitment, knowledge and experience to represent the city."

But Holmes remains modest even after winning the Evanston Township High School Distinguished Alumni Association Award in 2003 and having a building in the Fleetwood-Jourdain Community Center, 1655 Foster St., named after her.

"Name recognition will give me more weight in the election, but ultimately, I want to be a voice for the people that can’t speak up," Holmes said.

She is hopeful her name will help her win in the Fifth Ward, one of the most contested aldermanic races in the city.

The tough competition against Furman Sizemore, Patricia Brown, Betty Ester and Charles Sheridan for the April 5 elections does not scare Holmes, who considers herself an Evanstonian after leaving Tennessee when she was three.

After retiring from Family Focus, Brown said many Evanston residents asked her to run.

"This may be my first time I have ever run for a political position, but I have always been interested in politics," said Holmes, a 1957 graduate of ETHS.

A former executive director of Family Focus for 26 years and coordinator of multicultural and youth task forces in Evanston schools, Holmes said her goal is to improve the quality of life for the residents of Evanston.

Kathy Miehls, director of public and alumni relations at ETHS, said Holmes’ ideas and hard work have helped students greatly.

"You can always count on Delores," she said. "You know she will bring quality work and plenty of suggestions."

But Holmes’ service has extended beyond the city. Within the last few years, Holmes has traveled to Ghana several times with local churches to deliver supplies and clothes.

Holmes has been an activist and mentor while juggling roles of wife, mother and grandmother.

"The key is to manage your time," she said.

And for the past three years, Holmes has managed to attend almost every City Council meeting and followed major decisions involving her ward. She has pushed for more affordable housing and neighborhood safety, two issues she said she will continue to address if she is elected alderman.

Janet Otwell, a member of the League of Women Voters, has worked with Holmes to cover city politics for the group.

Otwell praised Holmes’ work monitoring the Planning and Development Committee and especially her"unique ability to engage with the people."

"She will always work beyond and above her call of duty," Otwell said.

Holmes said she wants to foster a more "civil tone" on the council floor and avoid bickering and name calling among aldermen.

"When you’re up on that seat, you can’t just think about your own ward," she said. "What one ward does affects every ward. You have to look at it from a wider sense."

Don Baker, executive director of Youth Umbrella Organizations, said he has worked with Holmes for almost 30 years and is continually impressed by her dedication.

Holmes will represent the entire city, not just her ward, Baker said.

"Too many aldermen today have gotten too narrowly focused," he said.

Holmes said, if elected alderman, she also wants to give priority to the youth and create more youth programs and jobs.

"You have to have somewhere for these children to go," she said.

Holmes said she wants to make Northwestern students a priority when representing her ward.

The Fifth Ward includes west Evanston and some off-campus students, who live on the east side of Ridge Avenue.

After thousands of hours working with NU students at Family Focus, Holmes said she appreciates the students’ volunteer work.

"They are fantastic," she said.

Holmes said she believes NU and Evanston can come to a consensus, even with their dissenting opinions.

"I want Northwestern to know that I’m going to be open," she said. "I am ready to

listen."

Reach Stephanie Chen at [email protected].