March Pathways

While winter is trying to hold on, spring is here, and we’re planting dreams, nurturing the vision, and creating connections with our donors and volunteers who allow us to continue the critical work we are here to do. From visiting the offices of Mesirow and Kirkland & Ellis, having Chicago’s Publicis Sapient, Aetna Better Health of Illinois, and All Terrain celebrate with us, it’s been a busy and fun month.

Read on to enjoy all that transpired this month and to learn what’s ahead.

Mark Your Calendar 

 Check out these fun events we have coming up and join us! 

Friday, March 31 – Child Thrive Meet & Greet
April 2, 3 & 4 – Child Thrive Spring Break Mini Camps
Wednesday, April 19 – Foster Parent Orientation
Wednesday, April 26 – Foster Parent Training
Friday, April 28 – Child Thrive Family Night
Friday, June 2 – We Are ONE Chicago Gala – Building Bridges, Connecting Communities

CLICK HERE for more event details and volunteer opportunities.

Join Us As We Celebrate!
Our 2023 Gala, We Are ONE Chicago Gala – Building Bridges, Connecting Communities – is just two months away! The website is live.

Join our efforts to bring equity and hope to our families and enjoy an evening of cocktails, dinner, inspiration, dancing and more!

Register to attend, purchase your raffle tickets, or check out our sponsorship opportunities.

EMAIL Shantal to learn more about how YOU can sponsor our work of bringing about positive change to marginalized communities.

Mesirow Happy Hour
When good people get together, great things can happen. Some of our Junior Board members were invited to share our mission and leadership opportunities with some of Mesirow’s young professionals while enjoying engaging conversation, laughter, and connection. Thank you, Mesirow, for having us. We celebrate you for your long-time commitment and support and look forward to continuing our partnership.

Backpacks for Kids
Thank you, Chicago’s Kirkland & Ellis, for inviting us again to participate in your fun, team-building event. Our kids loved their new backpacks! We look forward to our next adventure with you.

CLICK HERE to see more event pictures.

Meet A CPA Team Member

Grow Into Spring
Several of our programs came together this week to celebrate spring. Our Grow Into Spring event was held Thursday, March 23 at our Child Thrive facility in West Humboldt Park.

The evening was full of fun and community connection. Our families decorated flowerpots, planted seeds, and learned about germination and nutrition. ere

Aetna Better Health of Illinois and their team of representatives from All Terrain provided bags of fresh produce and creative ways to educate and engage our families about the power of clean nutrition and growing your food.

A delicious and nutritious meal was provided for everyone to take home and enjoy.

A big CPA thank you to our Child Thrive, Supportive Housing, ELC, and Home Base programs for organizing this event, Aetna Better Health of Illinois and All Terrain for providing fresh produce and education, Shannon Maloney from Lurie Children’s Hospital nursing staff for volunteering, Joann Fabrics for donating crafting supplies, and our kitchen coordinator, Sheena Stone, for making a delicious and nutritious meal for our families.

CLICK HERE for more pictures from the fun evening.

Meet the Child Thrive Team
Join us this Friday to learn what Child Thrive is up to and enjoy food, music, games and more.

Other Thrive events coming up are:

April 2, 3 & 4 – Spring Mini-Camps, 5:00 – 7:00 PM
Friday, April 28 – Family Night, 5:00 – 7:00 PM

CLICK HERE to register for the above events.

After School Programming
We are having much fun at Chicago’s KIPP School and currently serve 35 kids in the program.

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 with our continued partnership with Rush and Dr. Margi. Every Wednesday (unless otherwise noted by Dr. Margi) from 1–5 PM. To set an appointment, email Child Thrive.

Mental Health
Our partner, JPA, continues to offer mental health counseling on-site (at WHP) every Friday from 2-6 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 Child Thrive.

We Love Visitors
Our wonderful friends from Chicago’s Publicis Sapient spent the afternoon visiting, reading, dancing, and singing with us; we are best friends forever and can’t wait for more visits this summer!

Thank you, Meg Gillard, Sophie Lancaster, and Publicis Sapient, for your kindness and support throughout the year, but most of all for growing our friendship, sharing time with us, and reading our favorite book “Three Little Pigs” and all the other books you read for us.

CLICK HERE for more pictures of our Early Learners

Kudos
Teamwork makes the dream work, and we are grateful for our team!

Multiple attorneys thanked Martha Garcia for going above and beyond on several of her cases over the past week.

Ethical Storytelling
Children’s Place International Program Manager Jennifer Torres recently sat on a panel of distinguished leaders for a symposium on ethical storytelling. Hosted by the Simmons Center for Global Chicago, Jenn described CPI’s commitment and process for preserving the dignity and agency of the medically fragile children in our programs to an audience of other non-profit professionals.

From her days in the Peace Corps to her leadership overseeing CPI’s Haiti program to her volunteer efforts with newly arrived immigrant families in Chicago, Jenn amplifies the experiences and voices of the communities she partners with to help them achieve their stated goals. Everyone deserves to live a healthy, safe, and prosperous life. And yet, so many do not have that chance. Jenn’s remarks on the panel made clear that when working towards social justice, we must also be careful not to perpetuate harmful stereotypes of the “distant other” who needs aid. Instead, true solidarity requires that we check our biases, follow the leadership of local communities, and work to dismantle unequal power structures.

We are grateful to our client families for sharing a piece of their life stories with us and our colleagues, like Jenn, who ensure we are responsible stewards of those stories. ent Goes Here

Major Company & Foundation Supporters
Abbott, AmazonSmile Foundation, BYN Mellon, KPMG Gives

Major Individual Supporters
William Bailey, Doug Behles, Marjorie Benton, Munisha & Viresh Bhatia, Alexandra A. Brzezinski, Hayley & Thomas Brunansky, Kimberly & Jim Carris, Brittany Conners, Sarah Hagedorn, Binita Kwankin & Joe Hmieleski, Carolyn Hutchinson, Howard Jacob, Ann Kiesling, Maureen Lee, Sarah Lohr, Shannon Maguire, Maria Makowiecki, Johnette McDermott, Leslie McLeod, Joe and Jackie Metzger, Mary Kate Metzger, Richard Moser, Brinda Nair, Amy Pasquesi, Brooke Rolek, Irene Sullivan, Aruna Sundaram, Derryl Taylor, Eric Wilder, Monica Yaun

In-Kind Donations

Caret – household furniture
Foster Love, formally Together We Rise – 10 STEM boxes
JoAnn Fabrics – art supplies

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

Child Thrive

Art supplies: Mixed Media Paper, mixing / painting knives, large palettes, canvases, hardening modeling clay, clay sculpting tools, bulk acrylic paint, paint brushes. For more details on quantities and types needed, please email CPA Giving.

 Foster Care 

Gift cards (Visa/MC, Walmart, Target) for families in need or in crisis 
Cribs or toddler beds 
Infant car seats (rear-facing only) generally for kids age birth to 12 months
Convertible car seats (forward facing with harness) generally for kids ages 1–3
Booster car seats (forward facing) generally for kids ages 4-7
Laser tape measures, smoke/CO2 detectors, and thermometers for measuring water temperature

If you can donate any of these items, please email CPA Giving.

General – All Programs

New or gently used winter clothing
Toiletries, essential household supplies
Baby items (formula, diapers, etc.)

For more information, email CPA Giving.

Philanthropy

Outreach & Engagement Committee: Volunteers 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 CPA Volunteer.
Gala Volunteers: Volunteers needed to join our Gala Committee and Junior Board to help plan our 2023 Annual Gala.

Join the CPA Team

To learn about CPA openings:

CLICK HERE Grants Coordinator
CLICK HERE Family Case Manager
CLICK HERE Youth Coordinator
CLICK HERE Education Coordinator
CLICK HERE to read about other 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 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 SEE 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.