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!