Hope-Filled Organizations (Part 2)
Listed below are a number of Hope-Filled Organizations. Additional organizations are added regularly when they are recommended by website readers and when I become aware of them through my own work, reading, and research.
Center For Peacemaking
Childhaven
Friends of Real Food
Gateway Technical College
Illinois Partners for Human Service
National Sustainable Agricultural Coalition
New Pluralists
People’s Resource Center
Random Acts of Flowers
River Revitalization Foundation
Sharing Notes
Tutoring Chicago
Urban Ecology Center
We Are Many-United Against Hate
Youth Crossroads
Volunteers of America
World Ocean Day
Please see Part 1 for other organizations!
Share Your Thoughts
Luxury Bug Hotel on Milwaukee Riverfront!
By Catie Petralia With photographs by the author (CP) and by Eddee Daniel (ED)
A team of volunteers and students recently renovated the River Revitalization Foundation’s (RRF) five-star luxury riverfront bug hotel!
A Bug Hotel, also known as an ‘insect hotel’ is a habitat structure that supports insects and small creatures through the seasons, especially the Midwest’s unpredictable winter. It is an urban sanctuary for pollinators and all insects that face habitat loss, a changing climate, and pollution. Insects help stabilize the ecosystem, as integral links of the food chain and important pollination agents.
We built our original bug hotel almost ten years ago, so the structure needed some love. The original location was also now overgrown by stinging nettle (a native plant with irritating fibers), so it was moved about 200 yards north, right off the southern end of the Beerline Trail near the North Avenue pedestrian bridge.
The new and improved bug hotel has many diverse types of rooms with a variety of habitats for specific species. These include stacked hollow stems (cut from the invasive Japanese Knotweed plant) for solitary bees; metal chicken wire grates for earwigs; deadwood for beetles, fungi, centipedes, woodlice, and spiders; pinecones, straw and stacked twigs for ladybugs; cardboard slots for butterflies and lacewings; stones and tiles for amphibians. The structure itself was made from old wooden shipping pallets, roofing tiles left over from our sheds, other found materials, and secured with nails. To learn more about this creative and fun project, click on this link: BLOG: LUXURY BUG HOTEL ON MILWAUKEE RIVERFRONT
Gateway Technical College program changes lives of 1,000 students
Racine Journal Times, August 28, 2023
Alexus Seay was among the first students to participate in the Gateway Promise program.
She said the program helped her pay for and navigate Gateway Technical College, where she earned a degree in early childhood education and entered the career field shortly after.
Seay, of Racine, has become a champion for the program that’s touched so many student lives.
“Especially with those larger programs, sometimes you have to cut hours at work to go to class, and it’s hard,” Seay said. “The Promise program helps a lot. It means you can focus on your coursework and not have to take out loans along the way.
“There are some people that tell me they can’t go to school because they can’t afford it — I tell them about the Promise program.”
A thousand lives touched, and still going strong Six years and more than 1,000 students later — 369 from Racine County as of spring 2023 — the program continues to open doors to college that many students thought impossible at first, said Cyndean Jennings, Gateway dean of the School of Pre-College and Momentum Programs. To read more of this article, click on this link: Gateway's Promise program changes lives of 1,000 students (journaltimes.com)
Gateway Promise Programs
Gateway offers two unique opportunities for eligible students to attend Gateway tuition-free. The high school Promise program is for seniors and Promise 2 Finish is for returning adult students. Gateway's Promise programs open the door to cutting-edge programs, classrooms and learning opportunities at Gateway and cover the gap between financial aid and tuition and fees, allowing Promise students to earn their degree tuition-free. For more information on these programs, click on this link: https://www.gtc.edu/admissions/gateway-promise-programs
World Ocean Day rallies the world for ocean and climate action on 8 June and throughout the year. We work in partnership with youth leaders, zoos, aquariums, museums, and other youth-focused organizations, as well as a huge range of diverse organizations and businesses from all sectors in a growing global network. Together, we effectively engage the public, inform policymakers, and unite the world to protect and restore our shared ocean and create a stable climate. Join the growing global movement in June and continue to grow the engagement and action year-round. To learn more about this organization, click on this link: https://worldoceanday.org/
World Ocean Day is powered by its Youth Advisory Council
The World Ocean Day Youth Advisory Council helps develop World Ocean Day as a unique opportunity to raise the profile of our shared ocean, connect and unite youth and others around our blue planet, and focus collective action on creating a healthy ocean and a stable climate in June and throughout the year. To learn more about the Youth Advisory Council, click this link: https://worldoceanday.org/youth/youth-advisory-council/
Long-term, one-on-one tutoring. Entirely free of charge.
That’s Tutoring Chicago. For nearly 60 years we’ve been connecting economically challenged students with volunteer tutors who care.
Our difference is our approach, which pairs individual 1st through 10th grade students with a single adult volunteer for the duration of the school year. Students receive all the benefits of regular, weekly instruction combined with the advantages of a steady, supportive relationship.
Because as any experienced teacher will tell you, information is only one part of the learning experience. Just as important is a human connection. Trust, confidence, being understood. It all makes a big difference in how much effort a student is willing to put into schoolwork.
It’s this understanding that makes Tutoring Chicago unique. Strong connections make better students. It’s that simple.
https://www.tutoringchicago.org/
A collective voice for the Illinois human services sector
We are leading efforts to fully fund human services to ensure that all Illinoisans reach their full potential and have access to a sector that is equitable, sustainable and speaks with a collective voice.
Our Mission: Protect and support our state’s most important resource—the residents of Illinois—by creating a stronger and more stable human services sector.
Our Vision: Illinoisans have access to quality of life supported by a human services sector that is collaborative, efficient, effective and sustainable.
How do we achieve this?
- By leading statewide efforts to fully fund human services
- By increasing awareness of the value human services deliver to society: from early childhood/childcare and after school programs; care for older adults; homeless and housing support; and job training and workforce development
- Through the guidance of a diverse and insightful Board of Directors
- With the expertise and dedication of our team, coalition partners, business/civic leaders, and key stakeholders
- Through innovative research
Too learn more about this partnership, click on this link: https://illinoispartners.org/
Our Commitment: Childhaven believes that every human has equal and infinite value. Through a healing-centered continuum of care, we focus on elevating relational health in all places where children live, learn, and play. We are honored to be a partner in the movement to address the epidemic of childhood trauma and adversity through relationship, partnership, and innovation.
Our Mission: Childhaven partners with parents and community to strengthen families, prevent childhood trauma, and prepare children for a lifetime of well-being.
Our Vision: ALL children are safe and healthy; thriving physically, socially, emotionally and educationally; well-nurtured by family and community.
We are constructively dissatisfied with the status quo: We challenge ourselves to constantly reflect and learn…to better ourselves and our community. We innovate and partner to prevent childhood trauma, improve systems, and contribute to safe, stable, and nurturing relationships and environments. We are committed to better serving more children, more families, and more communities. To learn more, click on this link: https://childhaven.org/childhaven-approach/
The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) is an alliance of grassroots organizations that advocates for federal policy reform to advance the sustainability of agriculture, food systems, natural resources, and rural communities.
NSAC’s vision of agriculture is one where a safe, nutritious, ample, and affordable food supply is produced by a legion of family farmers who make a decent living pursuing their trade, while protecting the environment, and contributing to the strength and stability of their communities.
NSAC member groups advance common positions to support small and mid-size family farms, protect natural resources, promote healthy rural communities, and ensure access to healthy, nutritious foods by everyone. By bringing grassroots perspectives to the table normally dominated by big business, NSAC levels the playing field and gives voice to sustainable and organic farmers. To learn more about NSAC, click on this link: https://sustainableagriculture.net/
Random Acts of Flowers improves the emotional health and well-being of individuals in healthcare facilities by delivering recycled flowers, encouragement, and personal moments of kindness.
We all benefit when we’re kind and compassionate. The community becomes stronger, and people thrive. That’s why we deliver thousands of beautiful bouquets of recycled flowers to those struggling with injury, illness, and the aging process every week in neighborhoods all over the country.
Our vision as a flower charity is to inspire and nurture a culture of care and compassion.
We do that through our core values:
Fun: Smiles are contagious. We find a little fun in everything we do.
Passion: Passion drives purpose. We know the impact of our mission is determined by the enthusiasm of our people
Accountability: The meeting of responsibilities, relationships, and results. We honor our commitments and take ownership of our actions.
Excellence: Exceeding expectations is the expectation. We take pride in our high standards and strive for continuous improvement.
Our History: In July 2007, Random Acts of Flowers’ founder, Larsen Jay, was in a near-fatal accident. He credits the outpouring of support he received in the form of daily visitors and dozens of floral arrangements while in the hospital as a key to providing the emotional lift and encouragement that helped him persevere through the multiple surgeries and challenging recovery process he faced.
When Larsen was able to leave his room, he noticed how many of his fellow patients did not have visitors or flowers – the very things that helped him so much in those early and difficult days.
The first “Random Act of Flowers” delivery was made moments later as Larsen re-purposed his flowers and delivered them from his wheelchair. The memories of how a simple gesture touched his fellow patients compelled Larsen to form Random Acts of Flowers in 2008.
To learn more about this organization click on this video: Random Acts of Flowers 2018 Promo on Vimeo
And click on this link to Random Acts of Flowers website: https://randomactsofflowers.org/mission/
What Healing Looks Like: Meet the People Working Across
Difference to Build Stronger Communities
by Alison Grubb
In May 2022, New Pluralists announced our first major investment – $10 million to support local leaders, networks, and community groups who are addressing divisive forces in their neighborhoods, towns, and counties. We wanted to learn how healing happens when it reflects the unique histories, cultures, and desires of diverse communities
We were overwhelmed by the response. We thought we’d get about 200 applications. We received 790 applications from organizations and community leaders across 49 states, Puerto Rico, and Washington, D.C. This grant opportunity was only open for a few months, and it was primarily shared word-of-mouth. In an era where Americans feel more divided than ever, this is a signal that can give us all tremendous hope. There is healing happening all around us, and people doing courageous work that warrants our support, attention, and investment.
Selecting from among so many stellar proposals wasn’t easy. Our grant reviewers included our diverse funding partners and community leaders. The process taught us how differently we all see and approach this work. We landed on 32 projects that demonstrate the many issues communities are healing, and the ways healing happens – from addressing wounds after violence, to reckoning with race and the legacies of slavery, from using faith and spiritual traditions to deepen our bonds, to building trust between groups that are bitterly at odds. You’ll see initiatives where people make art or launch new enterprises built on principles of freedom and inclusion, and ones that rethink how we govern and make decisions together. Other initiatives bring communities together across lines of difference to tackle shared challenges (e.g., housing, safety, and education). Some projects are small, focused on a single town or city; others are locally rooted work that is partnering with national projects. To read more and see a list and info about the 32 projects which received funding for their programs to bring people together, click on this link: What Healing Looks Like: Meet the People Working Across Difference to Build Stronger Communities – New Pluralists
In May 2022, New Pluralists announced our first major investment – $10 million to support local leaders, networks, and community groups who are addressing divisive forces in their neighborhoods, towns, and counties. We wanted to learn how healing happens when it reflects the unique histories, cultures, and desires of diverse communities.
We were overwhelmed by the response. We thought we’d get about 200 applications. We received 790 applications from organizations and community leaders across 49 states, Puerto Rico, and Washington, D.C. This grant opportunity was only open for a few months, and it was primarily shared word-of-mouth. In an era where Americans feel more divided than ever, this is a signal that can give us all tremendous hope. There is healing happening all around us, and people doing courageous work that warrants our support, attention, and investment.
Selecting from among so many stellar proposals wasn’t easy. Our grant reviewers included our diverse funding partners and community leaders. The process taught us how differently we all see and approach this work. We landed on 32 projects that demonstrate the many issues communities are healing, and the ways healing happens – from addressing wounds after violence, to reckoning with race and the legacies of slavery, from using faith and spiritual traditions to deepen our bonds, to building trust between groups that are bitterly at odds. You’ll see initiatives where people make art or launch new enterprises built on principles of freedom and inclusion, and ones that rethink how we govern and make decisions together. Other initiatives bring communities together across lines of difference to tackle shared challenges (e.g., housing, safety, and education). Some projects are small, focused on a single town or city; others are locally rooted work that is partnering with national projects. To read more and see a list and info about the 32 projects which received funding for their programs to bring people together, click on this link: What Healing Looks Like: Meet the People Working Across Difference to Build Stronger Communities – New Pluralists
VOLUNTEERS OF AMERICA
About Us We help 1.5 million people a year and counting. Volunteers of America is one of the nation’s largest, established comprehensive human services organizations with 16,000 mission-driven professionals, dedicated to helping those in need rebuild their lives and reach their full potential. Founded in 1896, the faith-based nonprofit has programs in 46 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, serving more than 1.5 million people a year.
Our Mission Volunteers of America is a movement organized to reach and uplift all people and bring them to the knowledge and active service of God. Volunteers of America, illustrating the presence of God through all that we do, serves people and communities in need and creates opportunities for people to experience the joy of serving others.
Volunteers of America measures its success in positive change in the lives of individuals and communities we serve.
Our Vision A world where all people in our communities live with social, emotional and physical well-being, spiritual fulfillment, justice and hope.
To learn more about VOA click on this link Home Page – Volunteers of America (voa.org) When you arrive at the link, scroll down to the second item on that page which is a four minute Fox News video interview of Jatrice Martel Gaiter, the Executive VP of Volunteers of America
Mission: Youth Crossroads supports youth, guiding them through life’s challenges, and inspiring them to discover new opportunities for personal development, healthy relationships, and positive community involvement.
Vision: Youth Crossroads seeks to provide youth with a comprehensive system of support, positive structures, and role models to help them navigate the personal and academic challenges they face in their daily lives, including counseling services, mentorship, tutoring, after-school enrichment programs, youth leadership training, college and job readiness, and community service. To read and learn more about Youth Crossroads, click on this link: https://youthcrossroads.org/ And to see a 2 minute video about Youth Crossroads, click on this link: Youth Crossroads - YouTube
We Are…a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization of common people—urban and rural, spiritual and secular—seeking equal protection for all, united against hate, bigotry and racism.
What We Do…outreach and intervention in communities to promote understanding, healing, reconciliation and redemption. Instead of simply condemning the latest eruptions of hate-inspired violence, we dig down to the root causes of division, fear and hate. And we advocate policies creating greater economic security, promoting religious tolerance, celebrating differences and honoring America’s heritage of openness to foreigners. To learn more about this organization, click on this link: https://www.united-against-hate.org/
To learn about the founder of this organization, Masood Akhtar, click on this link: https://www.united-against-hate.org/management/
Meeting Our Community’s Needs – Neighbor to Neighbor
Since 1975, People’s Resource Center (PRC) has been bringing neighbors together to respond to hunger and poverty in DuPage County.
Nearly 26,000 DuPage residents rely on PRC for help each year. We offer nutritious food and other basic necessities like clothes and rent assistance for neighbors in need. PRC also connects people with resources — education and tutoring, jobs, technology, art, a caring community–to create a future of hope and opportunity for all.
PRC provides these services because of the generosity and support from our neighbors. More than 2,600 volunteers work with our talented staff offering time, skills, and resources to help our clients and their families. Supporters contribute food, clothing, books, computers, and financial support to help us do our important work.
Our Mission: The People’s Resource Center community exists to respond to basic human needs, promote dignity and justice, and create a future of hope and opportunity for the residents of DuPage County, Illinois. To learn more about the People’s Resource Center programs, click on this link: https://www.peoplesrc.org/who-we-are/
One creative and non-typical program that the PRC offers is Care for Cars.