The year 2022 has been ripe with growth, change, grounding, and exploring new ways to amplify our support of the vulnerable children and families we serve. It’s been a year of renewed focus in spreading awareness on love, kindness, compassion, and a shared sense of connection to everyone – to our community – to the neighbors a mile away living a far different existence than many of us cannot fathom. It’s been a year of reflection – contemplating what it means to show up and contribute in meaningful ways that create sustainable pathways for those in need.
We all have a message to share with others: today, our message is one of gratitude to each of you for your unwavering support, commitment, leadership, compassion, and partnership. What message will you share with others today?
Read on to enjoy all that transpired this month and to learn what’s ahead.
Check out what’s happening at CPA.
- Wednesday, January 18 – Foster Parent Orientation
- Wednesday, January 24 – Foster Parent Training
CLICK HERE for more event details and volunteer opportunities.
Getting Festive
The holiday spirit arrived early in December at Child Thrive, thanks to our long-time corporate partner, Mesirow. They showed up with smiles, laughter, and decorations to lift the spirits of our CPA children and families.
CLICK HERE to see more pictures.
Winter Wonderland
Several of our programs – Child and Family Support Services, Child Thrive, Early Learning Center, and Home-Based Learning – came together for a Winter Wonderland event that included pictures with Santa, scrumptious food, and cookie and ornament decorating.
Adopt A Family
They say it takes a village; we say it takes a village and then some! Thousands of gifts were donated thanks to our generous donor families. 45 families and 18 companies brought much-needed cheer to 143 families.
We want to send a BIG SHOUT OUT to those who have been with us throughout the years: The Cahill sisters (30), Chicago Kindness Club (10), Sarah Gornik (10), Melanie Harris (10), Jennifer Homan (10), KPMG (10), Ginny Moffat (10), Jennifer Reddick (10), Bob and Kathy Ryan (10), Marc Schmidt (10), and Danyeil Simmons (10).
With all the donations that came in, there was also a lot of sorting that had to take place, and we had 11 elves show up on December 3rd and 4th to do just that.
A BIG SHOUT OUT to many of our Junior Board members and WGirls for helping sort. Kudos also go to CPA team members Porsche, Bruce, Ivan, and Viviana.
CLICK HERE to see more pictures.
SMART Program
The Children and Family Support Services (CFSS) department is undergoing exciting changes as we implement our SMART client goal development format. We are working with families to support them in workforce development, family healthcare, emotional wellness, educational enrichment, and social-civic ethical skills in addition to supporting clients as they enroll in GED and college courses. We currently have four clients that are enrolled in school. Three clients are taking college courses, and one is taking GED courses. Congrats to our families and their hard work!
Team Updates
Child Thrive is celebrating 1 month with Jakina Dortch as our Director, who has been doing wonderful grant work for us. Diana Tucker is taking on a new role as Child Thrive’s Program Operations Manager.
KIPP Partnership
Our KIPP partnership is in full swing, starting January 23, 2023, through May.
Mission in Action (M.I.A.)
The program is currently placed on hold for program restructuring.
Sports Physicals & Pediatric Consultations
Does your child(ren) have a cold, flu, strep throat, or COVID-19? If you don’t know, take advantage of getting a free consultation! We are offering free school-age pediatric consultations and sports physicals to the community with our continued partnership with Rush and Dr. Margi. Every Wednesday (unless otherwise noted) from 1:00– 5:00 pm. To set an appointment, email thrive@childrens-place.org.
Mental Health
Our partner, JPA, continues to offer mental health counseling on-site (at WHP) every Friday from 2:00-6:00 pm with Ben. We also have Julie available for individuals who prefer services with a female-oriented/gendered person. These services are available to everyone associated with CPA and the West Humboldt Park community. To make an appointment, email thrive@childrens-place.org.
The Fun in Recycling
How do you get kids to learn? Make it fun! Our young students learned about the importance of recycling with this fun activity making robots. Do you have a favorite robot?
CLICK HERE to see more pictures.
WIC Pop-Up Shop
The ELC hosted a WIC Pop-Up Shop to enroll kids and families in their program. WIC is an assistance program that provides nutrition education, food package support, breastfeeding promotion, and access to resources for children ages birth to 5 years old and pregnant/postpartum moms.
Place the Hope
Our Place the Hope Campaign to support children in need of healthcare and education worldwide was a big success.
The impact of this work, and the solidarity it takes to sustain it, can be captured in many ways. One of the most powerful of which are personal stories.
Hear from our in-country partner in Tanzania, Dr. Esther Majaliwa, about the life-sustaining cancer care she and her team provide to over 1,000 kids annually.
If you feel inspired to support this work, please visit our Children’s Place International and make a tax-deductible gift today.
Thank you for being part of the Children’s Place community and part of the solution to ending childhood poverty. Happy Holidays from our hearts to yours!
Major Company & Foundation Supporters
Baxter International Foundation, Blur Product Development, Chicago Kindness Club, Feast Fitness, Goldman Sachs, Hollister Incorporated, KPMG, Markel Corporation, Publicis Sapient, Shockley Family Charitable Fund (Ty Shockley), Simmons Center, Vitality Group
Major Individual Supporters
Ivan Adames, Abigayle Allen, Kevin Amoo-Mensah, Nicolas Anderson, Anonymous donors, Alex Aschenbroich, David Ja, Richard Bae, Noelle Bahadur, William Baron, Cathy Bedrick, Dan Benigno, Pat Bissell, David Blocker, Lynette Bouchie, Michael Brooks, Rees Candee, Richard Carpenter, Diego Cervantes, David Chan, Terry Clarbour, Greg Comrie, Brian Connell, Brigitte Colabella, Ginna Cowan, Jed Davidson, A. Kristian Dekom, William Deist, Miriam Dresner, Jeffrey Dufty, Brad Dunlap, Brent Dunlap, Tina Eddy, Penny Fields, Tim Fitzgerald, Stephen Frost, Terry and Natalie McAllister, Matt Fuchsen, Neil Fuller, Janet Gram, Michael Gosch, Peter Green, Vincent Hager, Lynn Hammond, Karl Hanek, Marc Harris, Andrew Hayes, Denise Hazaga, Roy Hefner, John Heuman, Naomi Hirsch, Andrew Hirt, Joe Hmieleski, Simone Hoyte, Howard Jacob, Jay Janese, Nora Jaskowiak, Damon Jones, David Kalinich, Michael Kampers, Andrew Kanter, Sujatha Karoor, Daniel Kaufman, Katherine Kelly, Hilary Keno, Harold Kessler, Adil Khan, Cathy Krieger, Jeff King, Tim Koenig, Hide Kojima, Binita Kwankin, Bradley Lancy, Scott Lee, Ben Lerman, John B. Lewis, Carolyn, Dave, Elaine, June & J Llewellyn, Brian MacKenzie, Amit Madani, Brent Maner, Richard Marritt, Isaac Martis, Linda McLeod, Elizabeth Meekins, Maria Micale, Joseph Moawad, Dianne Moody, Kendra Morrill, Rick and Lisa Moser, Raymond Mulligan, Chris Murphy, Brinda Nair, Andrea Navratil, Helen Nead, Maura Neuendank, Peter Newell, Jeffrey Ng, Gayle Nicholas, Meagan Novara, Courtney Nzeribe, Daniel O’Connor, Una Ortell, Thomas Parras Shore, Vincent Pavlak, Christine Pawlak, Aden Pereira, Michael Peshkin, Greg Philipatiis, Hannah Pick, Betsy Pilmer, Kirsten Pullen, Nancy Blom Roach, Mackenzie Roach, Vince Walsh Rock, Bob Ryan, Marena Sabo, Mark Schaedel, Marc Schmidt, Diane Seder, Kathleen Sellew, Rebecca Shereikis, Ariana Shockley, Julian Shockley, Ron Shockley, Silvia Shockley, Danyeil Simmons, Suzanne Soucy, Eric Spencer, Tyler Stockman, John Sweeney, James Tansey, Pauline Taylor, Joe Terranova, Robin Therme, Renuka Uppaluri, Valeri Vanourek, Jeremy Ward, John and Amy Ward, Jay Westphal, David Wible, Adam Wieder, Andre Williams, Jennifer Williams, Doug Wilkerson, Joshua Winer, Bob Witt, Mark Wojcik, Dina Yorke, Donald Zambarano
In-Kind Donations
Hundreds of essential items were donated and dropped off thanks to Frankie DaPonte from The Gold Group at @properties and the neighbors of West Town and Wicker Park who participated.
Six bikes were donated and dropped off thanks to Firefly Team Events.
We are so grateful to our friends Target Addison and California for making wishes come true this Holiday Season!
Volunteer. Donate. Join Our Team.
Join in and be part of the positive solution in helping Chicago’s most vulnerable kids. We have a variety of volunteering, support, and engagement opportunities.
Current Opportunities
Development
- New Donor Engagement Committee: Volunteers are needed to help champion our mission, connect us to new partners/sponsors/donors/volunteers, and build visibility for Children’s Place in the broader community. For more details on role descriptions and/or to learn more, email volunteer@childrens-place.org.
Foster Care
- Gift cards (Visa/MC, Walmart, Target) for families in need or in crisis
- Infant car seats, convertible car seats, and booster seats
- Cribs or toddler beds
General – All Programs
- New or gently used winter clothing
- Toiletries, essential household supplies
- Baby items (formula, diapers, etc.)
Join the CPA Team
- CLICK HERE to read about existing job opportunities
Ongoing Opportunities
There are plenty of volunteer and donation opportunities throughout the year. Check out which might be most suitable for you:
- Join our Junior Board, Donor Engagement Committee, or Gala Committee
- Host a friend & family house party or fundraiser to benefit Children’s Place
- Get involved with Adopt a Family
- Lead an employee group community service day and/or fun activity day with our kids & youth
- and so much more!
Whatever your skillset or time commitment, we have something that fits YOU!
Contact us today to learn more and get started on your volunteer journey.
Invest in a Child’s Future
We believe EVERY child and family deserves equal access to care, safety, and shelter – regardless of circumstances or zip code. Your support helps us provide critical services to those most affected by serious health issues and extreme poverty.
Help us keep our promise to them in creating pathways of hope and well-being by supporting their potential.
- $25 – Allows a child to participate in an education l field trip to a local museum, park or zoo
- $50 – Supplies grocery gift cards to families in need or in crisis
- $100 – One youth or family workshop on financial literacy, workforce development, nutrition/health, or neighborhood safety
- $250 – Provides transportation for families to access health and wellness services and childcare
- $500 – Funds 3 weeks of afterschool activities, including the cost of food, transportation and supplies, to offer a safe, supportive space for children in unsafe neighborhoods
Whether you give a one-time gift or a recurring monthly donation, $5 or $500, your donation directly impacts our children’s future. Please donate today to support our kids’ and families’ education, health, and economic stability.
DONATE TODAY
Hope Thrives When Communities Care
CLICK HERE to check out CPA pictures.
Come join us socially
An easy way to support CPA’s work is by engaging with us on our social media channels. By liking, commenting, and sharing our work, you help us expand our reach, bringing in new volunteers, donors, and awareness.
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