2022
2022 Grant Champions & Their Causes
The Winner of our 2021 First Place Grant in the amount of $35,000 is…
Friends of the Children of Chicago
Friends of the Children – Chicago is a nonprofit which serves the Austin and North Lawndale neighborhoods and was launched in 2018 and is part of a collaborative national network. FOTC is a unique mentoring organization that seeks out the highest-risk, most vulnerable youth in these neighborhoods and pairs them with paid, professional mentors—called “Friends”—who support their social, emotional, and academic growth.
FOTC commits to its youth for 12.5 years (kindergarten through high school), no matter what. Unlike other similar organizations that rely on volunteers, FOTC employs full-time, salaried mentors who are assigned a roster of youth and spend a dedicated number of hours each week with those children. This allows the Friends to develop long-term, trusting relationships with the youth and their families. Research shows that a consistent, supportive relationship with a caring adult is the single most important factor in helping a child overcome potential hardships from poverty, violence and abuse.
The PYP $35,000 grant is being used towards a new clubhouse scheduled to open in the fall – a dedicated space that will be a home base for FOTC.
PYP Grant Champion: Jackie Hairston
The Runner-Up, Receiving a Grant in the amount of $7,000 is…
Welcome Home Angel
Welcome Home Angel provides functional room makeovers for children with life-altering conditions. The $7,000 donation is being used to launching the Illinois chapter of Welcome Home Angel supported by volunteer designers, contractors, donors and community partners, this first-in-the-nation chapter will lead the way in creating a model for other communities to create brighter futures for families and children with special needs.
PYP Grant Champion: Nicole Steele
The Third Place Winner, Receiving a Grant in the amount of $4,700 is…
Hadley Institute for the Blind and Visually Impaired:
Founded in Winnetka in 1920, Hadley Institute for the Blind and Visually Impaired offers practical help, connection, and support, free of charge to anyone with a visual impairment, their families, and professionals supporting them. Hadley serves more than 27,000 learners annually in Chicago and beyond, in all 50 states and 100 countries. With scalable technology, Hadley is uniquely positioned to serve the rising population of people facing vision loss and empower them to meet the challenges that lie ahead.
The PYP $4,700 grant will support the development and implementation of Hadley’s online video workshops on: Daily Living, Technology, Adjusting to Vision Loss, Recreation, Working, and Braille. These funds provide critical resources to support the development and implementation of new workshops to help older adults with vision loss remain independent.
PYP Grant Champions: Julie Ellis and Holly Tyson