April Pathways

Spring has bloomed in a big way at CPA with international travel, corporate partner visits, and continuing to provide our kids and families with health and educational needs to allow them to live their best lives. Check out below to see how Foster Love, Joie and Wendi Group, Morningstar, Inc., Old St. Patrick’s Church, and Chicago’s Publicis Sapient were involved in supporting our programming.

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! 

May 1 – 5: Teacher Appreciation Week
Thursday, May 4: Tenant Advisory Group Meeting
**Friday, May 5: Child Thrive Fridays
**Friday, May 12: ELC Mother’s Day Appreciation & **Child Thrive Friday’s
*Wednesday, May 17: The 1954 Project Luminary Awards & Foster Parent Orientation
Thursday, May 18: Supportive and Subsidized Housing Workshop
**Friday, May 19: Child Thrive Fridays
Tuesday, May 23: Children and Family Support Services Meet & Greet Event
Wednesday, May 24: Foster Parent Appreciation Dinner
**Friday, May 26: Child Thrive Family Night
*Friday, June 2: We Are ONE Chicago Gala 2023

CLICK HERE for more event details and volunteer opportunities.

* Events open to the public (most of our events are community-based)
** Volunteers are needed

Congrats Cinaiya!

Meet A CPA Team Member

Sip & Shop
Thanks to the Joie and Wendi Group from @Properties for hosting a Sip & Shop event designating a portion of the sales proceeds to benefit CPA. These ladies are also preparing to host the Third Annual Pickleball Fundraiser at the end of August for us, too.

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!

June 2, 2023: We Are ONE Chicago Gala – Building Bridges, Connecting Communities
In just over a month, we’ll be holding our annual gala with dinner, dancing, inspiration, and connection. Check out our webpage for the event and please share with your family and friends.

Purchase event & raffle tickets here

Why should the fun end on June 2nd? Check out our raffle prize options to keep you and your friends celebrating in Chicago.

First prize is an exclusive chef’s table experience for 8 at Aba!

Second prize is gift cards for Cafe Ba Ba Reeba, Mon Ami Gabi, Aba, Beatrix Streeterville, L Woods Tap & Pine Lodge, and RPM Italian.

And a 50/50 raffle!!

Raffle Tickets: 1 for $25 | 3 for $50 | 5 for $100

Corporate Partnerships
Our friends from Publicis Sapient loved sharing time with our students at the Early Learning Center. Their visits are a big hit with the children; we are so grateful for their support and commitment to CPA. We are thrilled that our mission has inspired them to start a volunteer committee at their company, and they will also be volunteering at our We Are ONE Chicago Gala – Building Bridges, Connecting Communities. Thank you, Publicis Sapient; see you on the dance floor on June 2nd!

Spring Break Mini Camps
While Chicago Public Schools were on Spring Break, we held mini camps with a variety of fun and educational activities.

CLICK HERE for more pictures of our Thrivers

KIPP
KIPP Programming will be coming to an end in May. We have 35 students involved who have been enthusiastic, proactive, and it’s been overwhelmingly positive. We expect to be back in the fall.

Summer Camp
The Thrive team is busy at work planning for Summer Camp!
Session 1: July 10 – July 28, Tuesday through Thursday, 10 AM – 4 PM
Session 2: July 31 – August 11, Monday through Thursday, 10 AM – 4 PM

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.

Summer Transitions
Our teachers, parents, and students are preparing for significant summer transitions! Our team is preparing to start transitioning our two-year-olds into preschool, as well as beginning to prepare our graduates for graduation in August and kindergarten!

Recruitment
We are continuing to recruit for Home Based and beginning to focus on Center Based recruitment for the next program year.

CLICK HERE for more pictures of our Early Learners

Upcoming Celebrations
May we will have Mother’s Day appreciation, June we will have Father’s Day appreciation, our End of The Year Celebration will be at the end of July, and our Graduation will likely be the week of August 14th (but TBD)

Child Abuse Prevention Month
April was National Child Abuse Prevention Month, and you can find various prevention resources HERE.

National Foster Care Month
May is National Foster Care Month. This is a time to acknowledge foster parents, families, and professionals who help children and youth in care find permanent homes and connections. Additional information and resources can be found HERE.

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

We want to take this opportunity to sincerely thank our wonderful foster/adoptive parents for all that you have done and continue to do and for your life-long commitment to children and youth in care! We truly appreciate you and would not be able to do our important work without you!
I would also like to thank the foster care team for their hard work and dedication to the children and families we serve. Our work can be challenging sometimes, but the foster care team always pulls together to support and make things happen. We have a strong team with a genuinely dedicated staff committed to the safety and well-being of children and families in need. – Ivan Harrison
Various foster care team members, including Patrick Taitt, Christina Gould, Martha Garcia, and Betty Hall, worked together on a complex case with numerous barriers to help a foster care client get needed services out-of-state. These team members all went above and beyond to help the client and each other. In addition, Martha Garcia even accompanied the client on the trip out-of-state to make sure he traveled with someone he knew. It was a shining example of great teamwork!
Almeta Rollins, one of our Foster Care Case Managers, had a case file reviewed in April that resulted in 100% compliance. Great job!

Dominican Republic Trip
The CPI team recently visited its partner organization in the Dominican Republic, Clínica de Familia La Romana, with a small group of long-time supporters. This also marked the first international trip for Children’s Place President & CEO Cinaiya Stubbs to experience our overseas work in action!

CPI and its partner clinic launched the Adolescent Health and Development Initiative last year to help vulnerable Dominican teens (who identify as low-income, HIV+, sexual violence survivors, undocumented, and/or LGBTQ) become successful adults. The program provides physical & mental healthcare, a dedicated social worker, a peer support group, legal assistance, scholarships to attend university or technical school, and internship & employment opportunities.

The program supports teens like Isabella, who was born with HIV and dreamed of being a pediatrician after receiving clinical care as a child. She is now 19 and attending a nursing training program with CPI support. She will also volunteer with our partner clinic to gain hands-on healthcare experience and consider the staff her second family.

Major Company & Foundation Supporters
Adobe, Benjamin J. Rosenthal Foundation, Fifth Third Bank, Quality Truck & Trailer Repair, Takeda

Major Individual Supporters
Ivan Adames, Natalie Adamski, Tracy Bosma, Janel Brown, Thomas Bridges, Libby Burger, Catherine Conroy, Dr. Oron & Kristen Daihes, Irene Eliacostas, Howard Jacob, Joie and Wendi Group, David Kalinich, Binita Kwankin & Joe Hmieleski, Bridgid Kyle, Alicia Lowisz, Mary Lowisz, Leslie McLeod, Richard Moser, Lindsey Ragsdale, Mark Resnik, Matthew Roma, Gordan & Anne Scott, Christopher Sporer, Will Trager, Melissa Trandel, Katharine Van Dusen, Michelle Yousuf, Eric Wilder

In-Kind Donations

Foster Care received 40 sweet cases (personally decorated duffle bags that contain a blanket, teddy bear, toiletry bag, toiletries, and other items) through Foster Love from Morningstar, Inc.
Kitchen set from Kristine Penn thanks to our partnership with Old St. Patrick’s Church

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 and Family Support Services

Volunteers for Thursday, June 29, for the Quarterly Family Summer Fun Event. For more details, please email Volunteer.

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
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.

Join the CPA Team

To learn about CPA openings:

CLICK HERE Grants Coordinator
CLICK HERE Family Case Manager
CLICK HERE Medical Case Manager
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.