Thanksgiving Day at CCIL

CCIL, located at 2750 W. Roosevelt, was humming with holiday activities on Thanksgiving Day as Governor Blagojevich and the First Family, Congressman Danny Davis and the Talk of Chicago’s Richard Pegue all gathered for a celebration of giving and being thankful. Volunteers served more than 400 people heaping helpings of turkey, stuffing, vegetables, rolls, pastries and beverages throughout the morning.

“We were able to provide a safe, relaxing environment and plenty of food for people who otherwise would have had absolutely nothing. It was heartwarming for me to see Governor Blagojevich and his family along with Congressman Danny Davis take time out of their busy schedules to visit with our residents and our neighbors in the North Lawndale community,” said Mary Shaver, CCIL Interim Executive Director.

The Talk of Chicago’s Richard Pegue and his crew broadcasted live during the meal while promoting a food drive sponsored by WVON 1690AM.

CCIL receives coats and cash from Northbrook and Deerfield Rotaries

The Northbrook and Deerfield Rotaries helped make the 43rd Annual Coat Off Your Back campaign a huge success. A generous supply of coats, clothing and more than $2,000 cash was donated to help support CCIL, the non-profit organization dedicated to helping homeless families and individuals rebuild their lives.

Representatives Jimmie Beck, CCIL alum, and Patti Blagojevich, CCIL Development Director, attended the November 25, 2008 Rotary meeting in Northbrook where the items collected were presented to the organization. Blagojevich spoke about CCIL’s programs and Beck received a standing ovation from the Rotarians and their guests after sharing his compelling testimony.

Patti Blagojevich comments, “The philanthropic efforts of rotaries all over the world, especially in Northbrook and Deerfield, are admirable. CCIL is fortunate to benefit from such sincerity and generosity from friends in neighboring communities.”

Art Wolter from Deerfield and Chet Bloden from Northbrook originally started the Coat Off Your Back campaign 43 years ago. Both were Rotarians and directors of CCIL. The campaign really started to gain momentum the past 10 years under the direction of the late Rotarian Ken Thiel. Thiel set up a number of collection places in various communities and was integral in spreading the word about CCIL. Lorraine Clark, CCIL Board Member, her husband Barry Clark, Deerfield Rotary and Ronald Bernardi, Northbrook Rotary are now the driving forces behind
the campaign.

Victor Herbert Elementary School children volunteer at CCIL

Thirty five fourth through eighth grade students from the Victor Herbert Elementary School, located at 2131 W. Madison, volunteered at CCIL on Tuesday, November 25, 2008. The children, along with sponsors from the school, the James Jordan Foundation and Nike Town Chicago made more than 300 bags of food to be distributed at CCIL’s Community Food Pantry.

Other volunteer activities included learning about transitional housing for the homeless, hearing from former CCIL resident Jimmie Beck, a tour of CCIL and a breakout session of singing and dancing by the students.

CCIL Volunteer Coordinator Chris Wiens comments, “It was great to have kids from the community giving back. They were an amazing group to work alongside. Every single student was enthusiastic about their work and asked questions I would expect from high school and college students – not elementary aged students. I was extremely impressed!”

The James Jordan Foundation is committed to strengthening families, motivating youth and ensuring high quality academic opportunities for children.

Abbott Executive Kathryn Nattier McFarland joins CCIL Board of Directors

Graciously contributing your time, talents and treasures are the foundation of philanthropy and for Kathryn Nattier McFarland, Ph.D. Divisional Vice President, Life Cycle Management at Abbott, the global health care company based in north suburban Chicago. McFarland has gone above and beyond in offering her resources throughout the years to CCIL, a non-profit organization leading the way in empowering homeless individuals and families. Her efforts are soaring to an even higher level as she recently joined the Board of Directors for the organization.

“Kathy McFarland is a very insightful woman with great integrity. I’m honored to know her and that she chose CCIL as a primary agency to devote her time for at least three years. Kathy has already been proactive in spearheading a Presbyterian Outreach day at our main campus highlighting CCIL’s 100 years of service to Chicago’s homeless - I’m quite confident she’ll do exceptionally well as a CCIL board member and getting people more involved with our mission,” said Mary Shaver, CCIL Interim Executive Director.

Kathy McFarland of Lake Forest, Illinois, Ph.D. joined Abbott March 3, 1980 and has held a variety of positions. During her tenure in Chemical Development she led the development, manufacturing, scale-up, and regulatory filings for more than 30 drugs and was named Divisional Vice President in 1999. In particular, she was pivotal in heading up the reformulation task force that successfully addressed Ritonavir Crystal Form 2, continuing to make NORVIR available to AIDS patients around the world. She headed the TriCor (a lipid lowering drug) project team leading to the successful launch of the next generation product in November 2004. As Program Head for Synthroid, she spearheaded a successful strategy integrating technical and commercial elements and culminating in the approval of New Drug Application keeping this key drug available to patients. She became Divisional Vice President of Life Cycle Management in Global Pharmaceutical Research and Development in 2002. In this role she has responsibility to assure that every drug at Abbott has a lifecycle management plan for product improvement incorporated into its business strategy. She is a member of the Executive Committee for the Abbott women’s leadership initiative “Women Leaders in Action.” She is Chair of the Development Board of the University of Missouri-Columbia. Dr. McFarland received her Ph.D. in Physical Organic Chemistry from the University of Missouri-Columbia.

CCIL Receives Grant From Jewel-Osco

Jewel-Osco, a corporate entity committed to increasing access to nutritious food for people with limited economic resources, awarded CCIL more than $2,000 in a Hunger Relief Grant. More than 30 agencies gathered to be recognized at an award presentation ceremony hosted by the Greater Chicago Food Depository on Wednesday, November 12, 2008. Award Ceremony Speakers included: Kate Maehr, Executive Director, Greater Chicago Food Depository; LaToya Dixon, Community Affairs Manager, Jewel-Osco; Tim O’Connor, Hunger Action Month Coordinator; Jamie Stanesa, Director of Agency Relations, Greater Chicago Food Depository and Angel LaLuz Jr., Director of Agency Programs and Services, Greater Chicago Food Depository.

Accepting the grant on behalf of CCIL was Interim Executive Director Mary Shaver. “It’s an honor to be recognized by such a reputable company like Jewel-Osco, and to be mentioned in the same category as the many fine organizations here today that are also working so hard to help those less fortunate,” said Shaver.

Jewel-Osco understands that many financially struggling households visit emergency food assistance sites, they are pleased to be able to support your efforts in our communities.

About CCIL’s Community Food Pantry…
With help from the Greater Chicago Food Depository, CCIL’s Community Food Pantry serves more than 250 families every week. The Community Food Pantry is open every Wednesday from 10:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. Contact Chris Wiens at 773-435-8385 for more information.

CCIL Foodservice Trainees Receive Awards and Accolades

CCIL, the non-profit organization dedicated to teaching self-reliance, continued on its path of transforming lives by honoring nine foodservice training program graduates. On Tuesday, November 11, 2008, Tanya Strong, Trina Rogers, Katrina Chapman, Douglas Flannigan, Fontaine Black, Darren Oliphant, Maurice Shelton, Morris Johnson Jr, and Michael Hughs Jr., received diplomas and sanitation certificates at an inspiring graduation ceremony in CCIL’s assembly hall.

Foodservice graduate Maurice Shelton comments, “I want to give special thanks to a friend who told me about CCIL, otherwise I wouldn’t have known about the program. It has been one heck of an experience.”

CCIL, Aramark and the Mayor’s Office of Workforce Development (MOWD) have found the recipe for successfully helping individuals turn their lives around – a foodservice training program targeting non-violent ex-felons. In partnership with Aramark, CCIL created a nine week foodservice training class. Since its inception in February 2006, the foodservice training program has been stirring up excellent results by helping people secure jobs in the foodservice industry.

“Congratulations! This is just the beginning. Doors will open and opportunities will come to you. Aramark is proud of all the graduates,” said Ginger Knowles, Aramark General Manager.

After the graduation ceremony, family, friends, volunteers and staff all gathered in the cafeteria to enjoy a delicious lunch prepared by Darren Love, Assistant Foodservice Director at CCIL and former Foodservice Training Program alum.

Operation Warm Visits CCIL

City Provides Winter Coats for 1,000 Homeless Youth

As the winter chill descends upon Chicago, 1,000 homeless children will receive brand new winter coats courtesy of the Chicago Department of Human Services and Operation Warm. The polyester parkas will be distributed to youth currently residing in 36 homeless shelters for families.

“Winter coats are a necessity that few homeless families can afford,” said Eileen Donnersberger, Acting Commissioner for the Chicago Department of Human Services. “The provision of free jackets allows children to travel to school warm and safe. And, the attractive, popular styles help boost the self-esteem of kids who face multiple challenges.”

This year, the City of Chicago has partnered with Operation Warm to ensure homeless and
low-income children have proper outerwear to survive the cold winter months. Through private donations and relationships with manufacturers, Operation Warm makes new coats available at reduced costs. In addition to the 1,000 committed for homeless youth, the CHA has joined with Operation Warm to provide jackets to 4,000 young residents.

“Through this program we ARE able to provide jackets to every child currently residing in a City-funded family shelter,” said Donnersberger.

CCIL was one of the shelters whose families benefited from coats. “We run an intensive program to get our clients into permanent housing within four months of arriving at our shelter. The dollars families save on purchasing winter wear can be put toward a security deposit and first month’s rent,” says Mary Shaver, Interim Executive Director.

There are approximately 100 homeless shelters in the City of Chicago. With 5,000 shelter beds available this winter, no one needs to spend the night on the street. Citizens who see people that appear to be in need of shelter are urged to call 311. The Department of Human Services will send an outreach team to offer assistance.