It’s hard to believe it’s been one year since we launched Pathways. Looking back, it’s humbling to witness all the myriad ways in which we have built pathways forward for our kids and families, together, and how we continue doing so each day. From fall festivals and fun sing-a-longs to celebrating our international work and looking ahead to our annual Adopt a Family event, we have so much to be grateful for. Check out what took place at CPA in October below, and stay tuned for the exciting happenings unfolding before the year’s end.
Check out what’s happening at CPA
- Tuesday, November 8 – Junior Board Meeting
- Wednesday, November 16 – Foster Parent Orientation
- Wednesday, November 16 – Junior Board Meet and Greet Social
- Wednesday, November 23 – Foster Parent Training
- Friday & Saturday, December 5 & 6 – Adopt A Family gift sorting
- Friday, December 9 – Place The Hope virtual gathering
For more information on the above events, CLICK HERE.
Sing-Along with Nanny Nikki
Grammy-nominated musician, Nanny Nikki, visited our Early Learning Center and conducted a fun sing-along with our early learners.
CLICK HERE for more pictures.
Bringing Hope to Our Families
Our CPA elves are busy gathering family information on holiday wishes. We have 132 families participating in this year’s Adopt a Family program, which provides our families hope and joy during the holiday season.
There is still time for you to adopt one of our families. CLICK HERE to get started!
A HUGE CPA shoutout to CNA for their $5,000 Adopt a Family sponsorship!
Giving Tuesday – Your Support Matters
Did you know #GivingTuesday was initiated ten years ago to unleash the power of shared humanity and generosity worldwide? Every year, people around the world give back on this special day. And now is your chance, too. With your donation, you show the children and families in Chicago that you believe in their potential, future, and lives.
We hope to raise a very modest $10,000, which would make a huge difference to the kids and families we serve. We urge all of our CPA families, allies, and donors this November to truly reflect on the needs of Chicago’s at-risk youth who benefit from our community-based services, which help build their resiliency and develop life skills to make healthy decisions.
$25 – 1 week of meals for a child
$50 – Supports our free afterschool program for youth
$100 – Safety, nutrition, and job training for families
If you cannot make a financial donation, you can simply share information with your friends on Facebook or through email, or share CPA images on your social media pages to raise awareness about our organization.
Join us on November 29th to let our kids know they matter!
Junior Board Meet and Greet
Join us on November 16 from 6:15-8:15pm at Alla Vita restaurant for a fun social networking event. Meet the new members on the Junior Board and reconnect with familiar faces. Learn about the exciting things we have in store this year and how to get involved. Help us grow our impact: bring a colleague or friend and introduce them to Children’s Place’s mission and work! All guests must RSVP for the dinner by November 11. Email social@childrens-place.org. No walk-ins.
Client Accomplishments
Our clients have an annual service plan broken down into different development domains focusing on task-goals through a SMART goal format. This past month:
- A client began nursing classes at Malcolm X College to become a registered nurse. This client has been employed at Menards for years but desires to work with infectious diseases and help families needing supportive medical care.
- A client obtained her driver’s license for the first time by working with case management staff. The client recently purchased a car and is excited about the opportunities to increase her income and living options by having transportation. She appreciated the SMART goal format as it helped her to focus on what she specifically needed to do, take steps to complete what she wanted, and get it done.
- A client has been hired as a patient representative. After working years in food service, she didn’t feel it would be possible to shift into another career. A plan was structured around her desired professional goals through the SMART goals. She learned how to restructure her resume, participated in mock interviews, and landed a 9 am – 5 pm job allowing her to have a regular schedule to spend time at home with her family.
Quarterly celebration of client accomplishments
Thrive Afterschool
Our Thrivers have been having a blast settling back into programming, playing social-emotional games, crafting new works of art, and having fun after school. Beginning in January of 2023, we will partner with Kipp One Academy to provide a wonderful opportunity for more children to enjoy our services.
CLICK HERE to see more Child Thrive pictures.
Fall Festival
We will be hosting our first Fall Fest event on November 18, 2022 for 1–8 graders with two available times: 3:30–4:30 pm and 5:00–6:00 pm.
Mission In Action (M.I.A)
One of M.I.A.’s goals is to provide our youth with college readiness. On November 21, 2022, we will host our first college tour, taking 10 teens to UIC! We still have spaces available. Please contact thrive@childrens-place.org for more information. M.I.A. is a teen-led program every Monday from 4:30–5:30pm at West Humboldt Place for youth grades 9-12.
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 offer the community free school-age pediatric consultations and sports physicals through our continued partnership with Rush and Dr. Margi. Every Wednesday (unless otherwise noted by Dr. Margi) from 1:00–5:00 pm. To schedule an appointment, email Diana 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 set an appointment, email thrive@childrens-place.org.
ELC Fully Enrolled
Our Early Head Start Center-based program is fully enrolled!
Fall Fun and Food
Our kids spent the month learning about the fall season, and Ms. Justine’s nursing and dietetics interns completed Food Experiences with all the classrooms to introduce different foods and encourage trying new foods through exploration.
Fall Festival
Our kiddos had a great time dressing up and decorating pumpkins during our Fall Festival.
CLICK HERE for more pictures of our early learners.
Family Fun
Familysgiving is set for November 19 with a lunch and resource fair for families to celebrate and learn about local organizations.
Welcome to the Team
The newest member of our team is Ms. Helen! She joined our Lion team working with the toddler students as a Teacher Aide. We are so excited to see what new activities and insights she brings to the room!
The Importance of Safety
Our Foster Care staff have been focused on completing thorough home safety checklists and educating/reminding foster families about various safety issues (water safety, fire safety, safe sleep, gun safety, violence prevention, etc.). The staff has also provided our families with informational safety brochures on safe sleep, violence prevention, fire safety, getting water-wise, never shake a baby, and a helpful guide to parents and caregivers.
Foster Family Planning
We are currently working with our foster families to update the written plan regarding how our agency addresses foster parent rights and how we support foster parents in meeting their responsibilities.
Well done, Betty!
During a child and family team case meeting recently assigned to our agency, an attorney complimented the case manager, Betty, on her ability to come into the case with an open mind and review all the relevant and important documents on the case and help improve communication.
Place the Hope
It’s time! From now until the end of the year, Children’s Place International’s annual Place the Hope campaign supports children in our overseas programs in regaining their health and hope for the future.
This year, we are focused on improving care for children with cancer in Tanzania, kids with HIV/AIDS in Haiti, and youth with mental health challenges in the Dominican Republic. Supporters contribute to the campaign’s impact through volunteering to get the word out, making connections with other like-minded individuals and groups, and helping us raise funds.
The campaign culminates in a celebration among client families, in-country partners, staff, and volunteers to hear first-hand accounts of our collective impact in action. The event also recognizes individuals who have made an outstanding commitment to ending childhood poverty and illness with an International Hero Award.
Join us for our virtual Place the Hope celebration on Friday, December 9 from 12–1pm central. All are welcome to attend by REGISTERING HERE.
Want to learn more or get involved? Please email Katherine Hapeman at khapeman@childrens-place.org.
We kicked off the Place The Hope season with a small gathering of current supporters with an evening of connection, food, and sharing three major projects in Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and Tanzania.
CLICK HERE to see more Place The Hope pictures.
Major Company & Foundation Supporters
CNA Financial, STS Foundation
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Major Individual Supporters
Ivan Adames, Michelle Connor, Jim Davis, Arlene Englander, Zachary Erickson, Michie Hisada, Joe Hmieleski, Howard Jacob, Cathy Krieger, Binita Kwankin, Linda McLeod, Chris & Jennifer Reddick, John Seely, Vanessa Tanaka, Jami Telpner, Joseph Villanova, Karen & Steve Zylberman
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In-Kind Donations
- Danielle Birkhofer and Vicky Feldman – 10 STEM Boxes for Foster Care
Each STEM box contains four science experiments that focus on the four elements of STEM: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. Fun projects inside the boxes include a dinosaur dig kit, waddle bot, catapult, and tangram puzzle. In addition to the science experiments, each box contains a special lab notebook, lab coat, safety goggles, name badge, and a complete lightbulb cup.
- David Grzenia – 110 Pumpkins for Our Early Learning Center
Thank you, David, for supplying our kids with pumpkins for the last 30 years! Thanks also to Puckerville Farms and Gary and Jerry for delivering them.
Volunteer. Donate. Join Our Team.
Join in and be part of the solution to helping Chicago’s most vulnerable kids. We have a variety of volunteering, support, and engagement opportunities.
Current Opportunities
Child Thrive
- Mentors needed for our M.I.A program such as leading a community service project.
- Fall Festival – November 18: We are looking for 3 volunteers to help with registration/check-in, name tag station, set-up/clean-up, assist children/families with arts and crafts, and serve prepared snacks.
For more information, email: thrive@childrens-place.org.
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 information, email: volunteer@childrens-place.org.
Early Learning
- Home-Based Enrollment: Our home-based program is low on enrollment. If you know of a child 6 weeks to 3 years old needing our services, please contact us at the email below.
. - Volunteers & Raffle Prizes: Looking for 10 to 12 people to help setup/breakdown the Familysgiving event on November 19, along with distributing food and raffle prizes. Raffle prizes needed: Thanksgiving or holiday related, such as frozen turkeys/hams, a bag of nonperishable groceries, grocery gift cards, decorations, etc. Any amount would be greatly appreciated!
For more information, email: earlylearning@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
For more information, email: fostercare@childrens-place.org.
General – All Programs
- New or gently used winter clothing
- Toiletries, essential household supplies
- Baby items (formula, diapers, etc.)
For more information, email: earlylearning@childrens-place.org.
Join the CPA Team
- CLICK HERE to learn more about our existing job opportunities.
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Ongoing Opportunities
There are plenty of volunteer and donation opportunities throughout the year. Check out which might be most suitable for you:
- Mentor a high-school teen through our after-school Mission in Action program
- Host a friend & family house party or fundraiser to benefit Children’s Place
- Join our Junior Board, Donor Engagement Committee, or Gala Committee
- 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!
CLICK HERE to learn more about CPA volunteering.
Contact us today to get started on your volunteer journey. Email volunteer@childrens-place.org.
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 by creating pathways of hope and well-being by supporting their potential.
- $25 – Allows a child to participate in an educational 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.
Hope Thrives When Communities Care
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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