Working to Reduce Poverty in America

Catholic Charities USA supports a national network of agencies committed to encountering those along the margins, regardless of their faith. Join us in providing help and creating hope for those in need.

Mission: The mission of Catholic Charities is to provide service to people, families and communities in need, to advocate for justice in social structures and to call the entire church and other people of good will to do the same.

Our Vision: As Catholic Charities, we labor in the streets inviting and serving those who have been left out to know and experience the tremendous and abundant love of God through Jesus Christ. We commit ourselves to break down walls of division that keep sisters and brothers separated from one another, excluded, or rendered disposable by our society. With joy, we resolve to build bridges of hope, mercy and justice toward the creation of a culture of communal care responsive to the cries of those who are poor.

Catholic Charities provides a broad range of services and programs to individuals, groups, and not for profit organizations. Here is a 4 minute video of how they helped one mother and her son who has Downs Syndrome get back on their feet.

The power of a 'support circle' to change a life (youtube.com)

To learn more about Catholic Charites, click on this link:  Working to Reduce Poverty in America - Catholic Charities USA

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THE NEXT WAVE OF WHOLE CHILD EDUCATION:

DESIGNING TRANSFORMATIVE SCHOOL CULTURE

Why Collaborative for Spirituality in Education was Formed

All human beings are born with a natural capacity for spirituality, which is an integral dimension of full human development. Spirituality fosters a way of being that provides a foundation for a young person’s intellectual, emotional, moral, social and physical development. There is mounting empirical evidence that nurturing the spirituality of children supports their health and happiness and helps them be more engaged, higher achievers, and better citizens.

Spirituality and religion are often interrelated, but they are not identical. The universal innate capacity for spiritual development can be nurtured both within and outside the framework of institutional religion. The CSE recognizes that all schools—public, private, religious, charter– can and should support the healthy spiritual and moral growth of children and adolescents.

When their spirituality is not nurtured, there is a higher prevalence of anxiety, depression, hopelessness, even violence and suicide. This proves to be the case regardless of gender, income-level, ethnic origin, or other background. By neglecting this critically important part of education of the whole child, we are putting our children at risk and leaving them without the resources to navigate the increasingly complex and challenging world they will inherit.

Spiritual and moral development not only benefits the individual child; it is critical for building a society of engaged citizens committed to the common good, the renewal of American democracy, and sustainable development. Fostering spirituality in children before it goes dormant is of critical importance if the nation is to generate the quality of future leadership so urgently needed in all sectors and institutions.

The Collaborative for Spirituality in Education (CSE) is planting the seeds of social change and nurturing spiritually aware citizens and leaders for a new generation.

What We Do

We are working to transform public and private education by promoting spiritual and moral development within schools and by giving educators tools to build classrooms and schools that nurture the inner life of their students.

We aim to support every interested educator in the United States and globally, with particular emphasis on educators who teach children in poverty and/or adverse societal conditions. To ensure access for all educators, all of our CSE conferences, resources, training programs and workshops are free of charge.

We do this work through four strategic initiatives:

1.  Research. We gather successful practices and lessons learned from master practitioners, develop our process of school change, and share these findings.

2.  The Awakened Schools Institute. We bring educational leaders and teachers from around the country to learn about and reflect together on ways that their schools can develop a more spiritually supportive culture.

3.  Public Speaking. Through conferences, social media, and outreach, we share our work with schools, universities, researchers, and the public who want to do more to support the inner spirit of our children. 

4.  The National Council on Spirituality in Education. Through our National Conference on Spirituality in Education and other events, we are continuing to build a movement begun at our National Conference in 2015. Our conferences and events gather practitioners and academics to collaborate on ideas and initiatives that will advance the field of Spirituality in Education.

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Partnering with organizations to create flourishing learning and work communities since 2010!

Leadership Advancing Character and Culture in Schools (LACCS-pronounced "laces") is a network of educators dedicated to developing leaders from education and school-adjacent organizations through character education. LACCS retreats focus on growing a healthy flourishing culture and climate within the organizational community. LACCS is made possible through a partnership between Alverno College and the Wisconsin Character Education Partnership (WCEP).

Our Mission: We are a student-centered leadership network that champions character education.

Our Vision: We envision a world where ALL students thrive and ALL communities flourish. Enrollment in LACCS gives schools opportunities to engage in in-person and virtual sessions; to work with national and local experts; to be recognized for Promising Practices; and to achieve State Schools of character.

LACCS will engage participants in a systematic process of exploring character education and social-emotional learning, while engaging in an audit of current school data and practices and a process of design to fit the needs of their school.

Some sessions will feature speakers and others will involve participants in hands-on workshops and each team will have an on-site consultation visit each semester.

At the end of the program, participants will have developed a plan to infuse character education in their schools, as well as to maintain data on key indicators that can help them continue to refine their practice to develop both moral character and quality performance character for their learners.

Wisconsin Character Education Partnership (WCEP) continues to believe principals are essential to both effective character education programs and for successful schools. In order to do this, it is important to train and support these leaders.

Personal Note: Character has been a focus of mine in my many years of working with organizations and individuals to improve their organization’s productivity and effectiveness. When I read about the Collaborative for Spirituality in Education at Columbia University, I was very impressed that an Ivy League school is playing such a key role in this area of discussion. It meant to me that the term Spirituality, as used by Columbia University, has a broader meaning than a religious orientation. I have thought for a long time that as human beings we are a physical entity. But I have also thought that we also have a spiritual reality about who and what we are. I was glad to see that the educational leadership of the Collaborative saw spirituality as a reality that exists and can be grown to help us human beings deal with the challenges we face in our lives in general and including the work we do.

I have written two books and made presentations to over 350 organizations about one or both of my books. One book is titled Knowing and Loving: The Keys to Real Happiness, and the second book is Character Based Management: A Key to More Productive and Effective Organizations. You can find out more about these two books at my website for the books: Robert Beezat – Character Based Management Because of the Character Based Management book, I have spoken at Alverno College during several of the WECP’S annual programs.

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The Alliance for Early Success is guided by purposeful strategy

rooted in a clear mission and vision.

Our Vision: Every child in every state has what they need in the early years to realize their full potential for a lifetime.

Our Mission: To create a powerful, diverse community that informs, accelerates, and amplifies early childhood policy allies’ effectiveness in achieving state actions necessary for each and every young child to thrive

What We Value

• Connectedness. We believe in connecting our allies to create a diverse community that accelerates progress and maximizes investors’ impact. We also value connectedness as a staff and cherish the trust, empathy, and friendship that unite us as a team.
• Adaptiveness. We are flexible and responsive to ongoing changes on the state and national landscape. We listen to our state allies, stay versed in the challenges of their environments, and support their priorities.
• Antiracism. We believe the only way we’ll achieve our vision is through policy changes that dismantle the structural racism that drives disparities from the start.   
• Comprehensiveness. We advocate for the whole child, support a comprehensive range of policies, and value the priorities set by children’s families and communities.  
• Bipartisanship. We relentlessly pursue opportunity and equity for every child, regardless of a state’s current political landscape, so we recruit, welcome, and respect allies from across the political spectrum. 
• Patience. While our commitment is wildly urgent, we know this work can take years to bear fruit. We are building capacity and sustainability that deliver policy wins both now and into a state’s future.

History: Almost 20 years ago, leaders in early childhood realized that it was time for action. In 2004, leaders at the Buffett Early Childhood Fund began to explore ways to act on the new learning that had been emerging on the importance of early childhood education and support. Buffet was soon joined by three additional major investors: Irving Harris Foundation, George Kaiser Family Foundation, and the J.B. and M.K. Pritzker Family Foundation. 

The Buffett Early Childhood Fund developed a strategy to align early childhood practices, research, and policy across the country and founded the Birth to Five Policy Alliance in 2005.

Over the next decade, research on the science of brain development, child development, and economic return on investment increasingly showed that the kids farthest behind make the greatest gains when intervention and prevention start at birth and continue through age eight. So, in 2012, we widened our focus to encompass birth through age eight, and we became the Alliance for Early Success.

Today, we are the 50-state resource for state-level advocates for early childhood education, health, and family support. We make targeted strategic financial investments in these state organizations and the national experts that support them, and we convene them in national meetings and policy-specific learning communities. All 50 states also have access to high-level technical assistance and rapid-response support that connects advocates with experts—and each other—for crucial information exchange. To learn more about the Alliance for Early success, click on this link: Home - Alliance for Early Success

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Global Leadership Network is a nonprofit that is raising up leaders around the world. We want to see leaders inspired and equipped, so they can lead transformation in their communities and around the world.

Our signature event is The Global Leadership Summit, an annual gathering that brings ministry and marketplace expertise together. Dynamic speakers and key topics challenge you to grow and become a catalyst for change. And our mission goes beyond events with resources available year-round, and programs that inspire, equip, and connect pastors, church and business leaders, the next generation, the marginalized, and community leaders all over the world. Since its inception, GLS has been translated into as many as 60+ languages, reaching over 120 countries and impacting more than one million people around the world, making it the longest running, greatest reaching leadership event of its kind!

Leadership With a Higher Purpose

When you see the possibilities for something bigger than yourself…when you understand your place in making a better world… when you get the tools and guidance you need to grow… when you’re encouraged and energized to take that next step in your journey… you’ll be ready to embrace the call to be a true leader. You’ll show the way forward and bring others along with you. And you’ll create moments and movements that make tangible, meaningful differences in the lives around you.

That’s leadership with a higher purpose. That’s our vision – what’s yours?

To learn more about the Global Leadership Network, click on this link: Our Story - Global Leadership Network 

To view a 2 minute video about the Global Leadership Network, click on this link: The Global Leadership Summit 2025 - Global Leadership Network       

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Save the Children was the first global movement for children,

boldly declaring that children have rights.

Today, we champion the rights of the world’s 2.3 billion children.

Believe it or not, in 1919, when Eglantyne Jebb founded Save the Children, her conviction that children have the right to grow up healthy, educated and safe was not a mainstream idea. 

Much has changed since then. The UN Convention on Rights of the Child, based on our founder’s declaration, is now the most universally accepted human rights treaty in history. And, through our work in the United States and around the world, we've changed the lives of over 1 billion children. 

We work in over 100 countries, doing whatever it takes —every day and in times of crisis — to give children a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm.

Thanks to our supporters, we achieve tremendous results for children. In 2023 alone , Save the Children programs and partners helped 105.9 million children in 115 countries become healthier, safer and better educated.

As the world's leading expert on childhood, we believe that every child deserves a future. This belief is at the heart of everything we do. We know you share it, too.

To learn more about Save the Children, click on this link: Our Mission | What We Do | Save The Children

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NEW LIFE CENTERS

Creating the Beloved Community together

Vision: Connecting young people and their families with Christ and Community through life-on-life relationships.

The Beloved Community is a global vision envisioned by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as a society where all people share in the wealth of the earth creating authentic community. It is a vision achieved through nonviolent resistance of the injustices that divide us and proactive commitment to right relationship with each other. It means that no one is left out of creating the community, so we go out of our way to center the people who our systems often exclude. For us at New Life Centers, that means especially centering the leadership and voices of young people in our communities.

Mission: Creating the Beloved Community together!

New Life Centers seeks to equip this generation in every community we serve. We work alongside community partners and listen to neighbors to create solutions that fit our neighborhood. Our desire is to host Centers where people can continually come to with needs or ideas that transform their community. “We cared so much for you that we were willing to share with you not only Creator’s good story but our own lives as well. That is how deep our love for you has become.” 1 Thessalonians 2:8 is the bible verse we choose to live by. 

Our History: 15+ Years Serving Our Communities

While now serving as a nationwide model for gang intervention and a citywide model for after-school programs, New Life Centers of Chicagoland, NFP was originally created in 2005 to address the needs of communities surrounding New Life Community Church locations. As neighbors approached the church with pressing issues–gang violence, teen pregnancy, justice system involvement, unemployment–New Life responded with custom-made Centers programs that fit the community. Initial sites grew in the Little Village and Midway neighborhoods (2005). Subsequent programs sprang up at Humboldt Park (2008), Cicero, Jefferson Park, and Oak Forest. To this day, New Life Centers continues in its culture of creating programs that address neighborhood needs and empower neighborhood involvement.

New Life Centers was founded by the New Life Community Church, a multi-site church operating at more than 27 sites throughout Chicagoland and internationally. Founded in 1986 as an 18-member church in Chicago’s Back of the Yards neighborhood, New Life (Nueva Vida) still exists under its founding pastor, Pastor Mark Jobe, and now hosts over 34 services weekly. As an auxiliary partner organization, New Life Centers seeks to equip leaders within each of these New Life communities to serve their neighbors through health, education and employment services for all ages.

New Life Community Members

New Life Food Pantry

To learn more about the New Life organization and programs, click on this link:

New Life Centers | Creating the Beloved Community Together

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Welcome to Fields of Sinsinawa

Sharing the good news of healthy soil for a healthy planet

On September 13 and 14, 2023, a fledgling group of soil enthusiasts gathered at the Sinsinawa Mound in southwestern Wisconsin, inspired by the vision of the late no-till legend and “godfather” of soil health, David Brandt, who had begun exploring the possibility of creating a new farmer-led learning center at the Mound. 

After that successful visioning event, a steering committee and core team were formed and Fields of Sinsinawa was born. Since then, the group has begun developing ideas and a plan for the center to become a unique, vibrant, accessible hub where resources, demonstrations, community building and farmer-led learning connect healthy soil, healthy food, healthy people, and a healthy planet together.

Our Mission-Fields of Sinsinawa is a Farmer-Led Learning Center created to demonstrate and share farming practices to promote healthy soils, protect the environment, ensure profitability, and revitalize rural communities.

Our Vision-Fields of Sinsinawa is a farmer-Led Learning Center where dialog among peers, educators, and consumers will increase the adoption of resilient agricultural production systems and ensure a legacy for the next seven generations and beyond.

We Believe

• Caring for the land is sacred work.
• Growing healthy food begins with functioning soil.
• Agricultural systems have the capacity to cycle carbon, protect and/or restore water resources, produce healthy food, and preserve land for future generations.
• Peer-to-peer networking and sharing are the best teachers.
• Open minds and diverse views lead to new insights and understanding.
• No one has all the answers; we are all learners.

There is something special here. Long before the Dominican Sisters came, our Indigenous ancestors called this place Manitoumie, “a place where the Spirit dwells.” In 1847, the Spirit called for something new. Young women of the area were invited to come together by the lone Catholic Missionary of the area, Samuel Charles Mazzuchelli, OP, to teach the children of the immigrant families struggling for a new life in this lead-mining region. This was the beginning of the Dominican Sisters of Sinsinawa.

Sinsinawa Mound continues to be the home and Motherhouse for these sisters. They have treasured this land for its beauty and nourishment for over 177 years. The Sisters farmed some of their land to provide for their own needs, milked their cows, and tended their woods and understood that tending the fields and nurturing the land was an important part of their mission. They became rooted in this driftless region along with those whose ancestors were among the immigrant families they had taught in their early years.

Today, in this time of ecological crises, the Spirit of Sinsinawa calls again: Earth is suffering. Soon she will not be able to provide for her children. The Sisters of Sinsinawa heard that call. The Fields of Sinsinawa will continue their mission of education and service to the community. It is a response to the Spirit’s call to attend to our suffering earth by providing opportunities for others to deepen a commitment to the well-being of present and future generations.

To learn more about the Fields of Sinsinawa, click on this link: Fields of Sinsinawa – A Farmer-Led Learning Center

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Since 1993, over 2,500 women have come to the Dominican Literacy Center to learn to read, write and speak English. Many of these women had little or no education in their home countries, but they know that, to succeed in their new country, it is necessary for them to English.

We believe that individual tutoring by learn trained volunteers is an excellent way to impart language instruction. Our trained volunteers help each woman to understand her strengths and weaknesses, and to use those strengths to learn English. The outcome of this tutoring program is women who can communicate and participate totally in their families, their communities, and their workplaces. At the Dominican Literacy Center, we believe that each woman has a right to have a voice in her new country, and we help her find that unique voice. To view and listen to a 2 minute video, click on this link: ESL (English as a Second Language) | Dominican Literacy Center and then scroll down to the “Listen to One of Our Students.” 

Part of the mission of the Dominican Literacy Center is to assist women and men who are studying to take the naturalization test and to become informed and participative U.S. citizens.

Becoming a U.S. citizen is not an easy task. Those who have been a legal, permanent resident for five years or more may apply to become a naturalized citizen--then the studying begins. Applicants must learn facts about civics, U.S. history, and government structure. They must also read, write and speak English.

The path to becoming a new U.S. citizen is long and sometimes intimidating. Volunteers and staff members provide two 12-week semesters of group classes to provide explanation, reinforcement and practice. Volunteers work individually with those who are scheduled to take their naturalization test. Adult students study long and hard to pass this difficult test. To learn more about the Dominican Literacy Center, click on this link: Aurora, Illinois | Dominican Literacy Center and then Click to Watch Our Legacy Video.

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Our Mission: The Center for Veterans Issues, Inc. provides housing and supportive services to help improve the quality of life for ALL Veterans, their families, and the communities in which they live and serve.

Our Vision: The Center for Veterans Issues strives to be the premiere Veteran Resource Organization that helps end homelessness across Wisconsin and the United States.

History of CVI: The Center for Veterans Issues, Inc. was born out of longstanding frustration with a range of negative factors confronting veterans returning from the Vietnam War. After many years of trying to work through a number of efforts and institutions, the Center was founded as a way of providing a consistent, professional, effective, and replicable means of moving beyond the advocacy and addressing problems harming low-income veterans and their families.

Base Core Customer & Impact: Helping any Veteran in need is at the core of the Center for Veterans Issues’ service offerings. Providing comprehensive services from CVI directly or via our partners, improves quality of life.

CVI believes that striving to improve the quality of life for Veterans also improves the lives of their families. A ripple effect is created where these Veterans and their families become valued members of the communities in which they live, which in turn strengthens our state and nation.

How CVI Assisted Veteran and Her Children

Alahna needed support for both her family life with her children and their needs along with wraparound services. Read how CVI came into her life. Click on this link: CVI-Ms-Parker-story.pdf (cvivet.org)   

Other Projects/Programs Offered by CVI

The Heroes Market Program is designed to help address food insecurities that
our Veterans and their families are experiencing.

Heroes Market | The Center for Veterans Issues (cvivet.org)

Vets Place Central: Renovation & Expansion Project

Vets Place Central is located at 3330 W. Wells Street. Currently accommodating 74 veterans in shared rooms designed for single occupancy, Vets Place Central has been a vital resource for the community for nearly three decades.

In 2022, CVI announced plans to renovate and expand Vets Place Central, which serves homeless veterans or those at risk of becoming homeless.

With the redevelopment plans, the facility will undergo extensive renovations and a four-story addition, granting each veteran their own private room while creating improved community spaces for receiving comprehensive support services.
 

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Welcome to the Starfish Foundation

The Starfish Foundation was founded in 1998 as the Starfish Center in Madison, Wisconsin with the mission of promoting individual empowerment, wholeness and personal growth in a safe, inclusive community.

Today, the Foundation is located in Milwaukee, WI and continues to help trauma survivors find healing and support.

Our Mission: To assist emotional trauma survivors to release their grief, rage and shame; and allow joy, productivity and prosperity back into their and their families' lives.

Primary Goal: To offer transformative Healing Warrior Hearts retreats for veterans, facilitating emotional healing. We provide these retreats and other veterans' programs, at no cost to the veterans, by securing funding through donations, grants, and other resources.

We also offer scholarships for the Taking It Lightly and Renewal programs for trauma survivors, ensuring accessibility for all individuals seeking emotional healing and trauma recovery.

The Starfish Story

It was still early.
The mist had not yet cleared from the sea.
In the distance, a solitary figure stood throwing objects out over the water.
Walking along the debris-strewn beach, I looked at the masses of starfish scattered everywhere.
The tide had thrown them in, stranding them on the beach.
As the sun rose higher, they would perish.
Approaching the stranger, I could see that it was the starfish he was picking up and returning to the sea.
Our eyes met.
"Do you really think you can help?
There are millions of starfish on this beach.
You can help so few.
Does it really make a difference?
Does it matter?"
He reached down and picked up another starfish, looking at it intently.
"Oh yes," he replied.
"It matters to this one!"

To learn more about this organization, click on this link: Starfish Foundation | Emotional Healing | Milwaukee WI

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Our Mission

We are co-creating community conditions that are fair and just to drive high levels of health and well-being for all.

We believe that everyone should have the opportunity to be their best self and live their best lives. Together, we are building a legacy of well-being.

Well-being starts with WE.

• We conduct a bi-annual resident health and well-being survey.
• We share that data with our community.
• We work with network partners to identify and co-create innovative solutions to improve health and well-being.
• We work to amplify the ideas that are most effective at creating sustained change.

Our individual health and well-being are largely determined by the community we live in.
Place matters.

Our zip code is a greater predictor of our health and life expectancy than our genetic code. Up to 80% of what makes us healthy and well is determined in our homes, neighborhoods, schools, places of worship and jobs. It is influenced by our policies and our community structures. By improving our community, we can directly improve the health of its residents.

The Greater Green Bay Community

Our work and initiatives support communities within and surrounding the City of Green Bay and throughout Brown County, Wisconsin. From urban to rural, bikes to food, we strive to improve the health and well-being of every neighborhood, every sector, and every person.

To learn more about Wello, click on this link and scroll down to the first 2 minute video: Why Wello – Wello 

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Help Us Write the Next Chapter

The Kenosha Public Library is excited to share that we are building a new library for every child in Kenosha in the heart of the Uptown Neighborhood.

“We see firsthand how literacy is a factor in almost every socioeconomic issue, including parenting, health care, workforce development, and poverty. The Kenosha Public Library’s efforts to increase access to the library and its many programs are helping to strengthen our community and rise to the many challenges brought on in 2020.” Cheryl Hernandez, Executive Director, Kenosha Literacy Council

“Through collaborative, focused efforts, Kenosha Public Library and their Uptown Children’s Library will help young people, along with their families build early literacy and kindergarten readiness skills. The endeavors of the Kenosha Public Library will aid young individuals in laying a groundwork for reading, which will assist them in their transition to school and more intricate materials. By providing these services, the Uptown Children’s Library will help children and their families prepare for the future.” Carolyn Freisch, CEO, United Way of Kenosha County.

To learn more about this forward looking effort, please click on this link: Uptown Children’s Library | Kenosha Public Library (mykpl.info) and scroll down to the 7 minute, 28 second video.

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Hope-Filled Organization: One of the organizations which helped raise funds for the Uptown Children’s Library project as well as many other Hope-Filled Organizations is:

from the founder

“I have always believed in the power of women to make a difference. 100 Extraordinary Women is a unique way to bring women together to support important causes.”

— Jodi Sweeney, Founder of 100 Extraordinary Women™

Our Mission: 100 Extraordinary Women offers nonprofit organizations a unique way to reach women who want to support their work. We build communities of extraordinary women dedicated to doing extraordinary things.

Our Vision: 100EW’s online fundraising platform for nonprofits of any size and area of focus offers a simple way to raise significant funds among women. 100EW empowers women to join together to support causes they believe in and create a bigger impact than they could on their own.

Our Impact: We’ve had the honor to work with dozens of organizations through the 100EW Consulting Program. Collectively, we’ve raised millions of dollars to help make an impact in our communities.

To learn about some of the success of this organization, click on this link: Success Stories ⋆ 100 Extraordinary Women

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Our Story

Our story begins as two young mothers, each with her first child: Amy, Mary Anne’s daughter, a beautiful baby girl and Franke, Susan's son, a charming baby boy. To us, our babies were lovely and perfect, but they were also diagnosed “Autistic.” In the 1990s this meant that there was a long list of life experiences the “experts” told us Amy and Franke would never have.

Here's a short version of the list:

• They would not speak
• They would have limited understanding of language
• They would not learn with their peers at school
• They would not drive a car
• They would not go to college or vocational school
• They would not have a job or career
• They would not go to prom
• They would not have a first date
• They would not marry or have children
• They would remain isolated in their own world and not respond to their families with affection
• They would not have friends

As mothers, we didn’t know what the future held,

but we were each determined that this would not be Amy and Franke’s story.

A perceptive pediatrician introduced us, thinking that we could provide support and friendship for one another. We would meet at McDonalds and watch Amy and Franke play on the climbing structure. We began to envision all that their future COULD be. In this future, Amy and Franke would pursue their own interests, they would have engaging employment, they would make friends, perhaps find romance, and they would live in a place of their own, not spend their adulthood in their parents’ basements.

As Amy and Franke grew to adulthood they showed their families so much love and affection. They demonstrated that they understood speech and each has found their own effective way to communicate. They each graduated from high school. They each work and own their own business. Amy making lavender scented products and Franke roasting coffee. They have many friends and are interested in going on dates together. They each live in their own apartment and actively participate in their community.

How did this happen? Through reaching out, connecting and partnership. We reached out to two other families and a dedicated caregiver who shared our vision, the Couches, the Kalscheurs and Kim Crisman. We started to meet weekly at Sjolinds coffee shop in Mt. Horeb to look closely at independent housing options, not only in our area, but nationally and overseas. For our loved ones, there were no independent, integrated options. In fact, many housing programs for the disabled specifically excluded our sons and daughters based on their skill level. We met for two years, discussing what we liked, what we didn’t, what we were learning and what could be wonderful but didn’t yet exist. When we began, no one in our group had experience creating this type of housing. We didn’t even know what questions to ask, or who to ask them of! But we learned.

What we created was more than just a building or an organization, but a set of principles that have guided us at every step.

Principle 1: No matter how challenging your disability is, you can live in your own home.

Principle 2: Low income is not a barrier to living in your own home. 

Principle 3: The community must be truly integrated. People with disabilities have the basic human right to live with all kinds of neighbors, neighbors of different ages, different backgrounds and races, and different family structures.

Principle 4: Disabled people should not have to leave their home community to live independently.

Principle 5: Our model should be replicable by families and groups in any community in the United States. 

Here is what they built:

To read and learn more about this group, click on this link: Caring Community - Housing for All - Home of Our Own - Home

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Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) offers farmer-driven, grassroots grants and education programs. Since 1988, SARE grantees have been putting the principles of sustainable agriculture into practice on farms and ranches in every state and island protectorate.

Farmer-focused research and education

Since 1988, SARE's competitive grants program has been supporting research and education projects that bring new ideas to farms and ranches around the country.

 

SARE is run by four regions (North Central | Northeast | South | West) hosted by land grant institutions. Each region is guided by volunteer Administrative Councils that make grants and set regional priorities. The councils include farmers and ranchers along with representatives from universities, government, agribusiness and nonprofit organizations. Technical reviewers, also volunteers, lend professional and practical experience to help councils evaluate project proposals.

SARE's Four Regions

 

To learn more about SARE the work they do and the assistance they provide to farmers, click on this link: What We Do - SARE

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    d We’re so glad you’re here.

Here you’ll find programs, resources, and connections to help renew your courageous spirit, amplify your inner teacher, and cultivate the stamina to keep showing up for yourself, others, and the causes you care about.

OUR MISSION

The Center for Courage & Renewal exists to nurture deep integrity and relational trust, building the foundation for a more loving, equitable, and healthy world.

Through Circle of Trust^® retreats and other programs rooted in the Courage & Renewal^® approach, we nurture supportive communities of reflection and practice to help people come alive with a renewed sense of purpose, build trustworthy relationships, and cultivate the courage to rise to today’s challenges, making a difference within themselves and their communities.

To learn more about this group and how it can help you grow as a contributor to a better world, click on this link: Center for Courage & Renewal (couragerenewal.org)

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WHAT WE DO

Special Spaces is a not-for-profit 501(C)(3) organization creating dream bedrooms for children with cancer.

When a child is diagnosed with cancer, it can change their world. The activities that they used to enjoy may look and feel different. They may not be able to do the things they really love. They don’t play soccer, ride bikes, go to prom or attend school.

Children with cancer spend a lot of time away from others; time in the hospital, visiting different doctors, receiving painful treatments, feeling tired and nauseous, and often times being isolated.

Our goal is to provide these children with a special space where they can not only sleep, relax, and recover, but also play and enjoy just being a kid. A custom bedroom designed just for them. Whether they are dreaming of a princess castle, a butterfly bedroom, a pirate ship or a sports theme, we transform the child’s existing bedroom into a place that only he/she can imagine. A place for them just to be a kid!

This effort is done with teams of dedicated volunteers, sponsors, community partners and donated goods and/or services. The Special Spaces team meets with the family, designs the bedroom and provides all of the needed supplies. Bedrooms may include new paint, furniture, rugs, window treatments, closet organization, medical storage, light fixtures, bedding, painted murals and custom décor. With a “hands on” team, we create a very special bedroom.

Founded in 2004 in Knoxville, TN, with just one makeover, we have grown into a national volunteer organization. We currently have 12 chapters in 10 states. We have created over 1600 dream bedroom makeovers for our very special children. We measure our success not only in quantity, but in the quality of the experience. We are proud to be a high touch, high impact organization that changes the lives of children in our communities.

We do this…. One Child. One Room. One Day….at a time.

To learn more about this organization, click on this link: What We Do - Special Spaces

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Growing Home still going strong after 30 years

Growing Home is celebrating 30 years of helping people with job training and providing access to fresh produce.

Growing Home was founded by Les Brown in 1993. Brown was trying to figure out how to help homeless men. Brown saw gardening and farming as a great tool to help center people and help them obtain transferrable skills. Thirty years later, Growing Home continues to provide access to fresh food through its urban farm, workforce development and service communities that have been disinvested for years.

Growing Home started with a farm in Marseilles, Ill., and moved its operation to Chicago’s Englewood community in 2002. The organization provides paid job training to those who are the hardest to place, which includes people out of work for many years and young people who might not have much work experience. It also focuses on job placement, partnering with employer partners to ensure people who participate in the program receive gainful employment and are able to move up in the work world.

Participants in the program are paid $17 an hour, compared to the $15 an hour minimum wage. The organization always strives to maintain its pay rate to at or above minimum wage.

Janelle St. John, Executive Director of Growing Home, said the organization is in a unique food space, where it has a USDA certified organic, urban farm, located in Englewood, which is a food insecure neighborhood. Growing Home is a high production farm, which grows an average of 100 varieties of produce every year. According to St. John, Growing Home’s farm can grow up to 25,000 to 40,000 pounds of food, depending on what is being grown.

Since 2019, Growing Home has committed to distributing no less than 50% of the food it grows to Englewood or
communities similar to it. It does this through the Farmers Market, which is held every Thursday on 59th and Wood Street; pop-up events, where it distributes produce at a discounted rate and partner with the Chicago Food Depository. They also deliver food to two local food pantries; and Englewood CSA, where up to 30 residents receive boxes of food at no cost to them every other week. To read more about Growing Home, click on this link: https://citizennewspapergroup.com/news/2023/may/17/growing-home-still-going-strong-after-30-years/

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THE MISSION: To save lives and protect health by providing access to quality, community-owned, sustainable health care including primary care, surgical care, and public health in chronically underserved and under-resourced communities in the Dominican Republic & Haiti.

HEALTHY LIVES: At Community Empowerment, we’re more than essential healthcare providers. We believe in treating the root causes of health inequities to improve community wellbeing and build a foundation for healthy living. We work with local leaders to identify risk factors, such as a lack of access to clean water, healthcare education, or infectious disease prevention. Then we source partners or raise funding to tackle the problem.

 

 

GUIDING PRINCIPLES:

Community ownership and collaboration. Ensure community trust by creating a community board that works with CE in the planning and implementation of medical care and business strategy.

Innovation. Leverage innovative products, practices and services to holistically treat as much of the population as possible.

Integration: Create partnerships with US and government agencies, NGOs and private companies to provide resources for primary medical care.

Sustainability: Empower community leaders to sustainably deliver and finance medical care through a community-based enterprise and partnerships with respective Ministries of Health.

MEET THE TEAM: Community Empowerment is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois with satellite teams in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic and Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The teams work together on all initiatives across our four partner communities.page 4 of the page 

To learn more about community empowerment, click on this link: Community Empowerment (community-empowerment.org)

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Greater Good Science Center

University of California, Berkely

Our Mission: The Greater Good Science Center studies the psychology, sociology, and neuroscience of well-being and teaches skills that foster a thriving, resilient, and compassionate society.

Based at the University of California, Berkeley, one of the world’s leading institutions of research and higher education, the GGSC is unique in its commitment to both science and practice: Not only do we sponsor groundbreaking scientific research into social and emotional well-being, we help people apply this research to their personal and professional lives.

Since 2001, we have seen at the fore of a new scientific movement to explore the roots of happy and compassionate individuals, strong social bonds, and altruistic behavior—the science of a meaningful life. And we have been without peer in our efforts to translate and disseminate this science to the public, including through our award-winning online magazine Greater Good. Click on this link to Greater Good.

Though much of our work draws on psychological research, its scope is wider than the individual’s. Instead, we try to support cultural shifts in the ways people view human nature, understand the sources of true happiness, and value their connections to one another—all to promote a kinder and more compassionate society.

To achieve that overarching aim, we focus on these long-term, large-scale outcomes:

• A shift in conventional wisdom about human nature, so that the public views kindness and compassion as no less “natural” to humans than selfishness and aggression.
• Greater awareness about the keys to social and emotional well-being, including the factors most likely to cause people to act on their instincts for kindness and compassion.
• Greater demand for programs that foster the social-emotional well-being of their participants, driven by greater awareness about the research-based benefits of these programs.
• Deeper understanding within educational institutions of how—and why—to support social-emotional development, nurturing a new generation that is better equipped to deal with conflict, handle stress, and widen their circles of kindness and compassion.
• Higher levels of emotional well-being within institutions—specifically in families, schools, workplaces, and the health care system—better preparing people to respond to others with care, equanimity, and generosity.

To learn more about the Greater Good Center, click on this link: Greater Good Science Center (berkeley.edu)

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Mission Statement: Premier resource for youth, adults and seniors of all abilities to make a difference in our community through volunteerism.

Vision: We envision a community where every person discovers their power to contribute to the well-being of the community through volunteering; while offering various, needed programs to the community.

Volunteers are the Heart of the Community

For a wide range of volunteering opportunities in Racine County, we have a database of opportunities that
you can search and explore. This database is FREE to all users, including agencies who would like to utilize the database to advertise their own volunteer opportunities. To see the database of opportunities to volunteer, click on this link: Opportunities | Volunteer Center of Racine County, Inc. (galaxydigital.com)

Here is a partial list and brief description of some of the Volunteer opportunities in Racine County:

Community Service: We serve as the point-of-entry to community service in the area. We are accredited by the Racine County Court System to validate and record court-mandated community service hours. 

Skill Bank: Skill Bank is a service for residents of Racine County who are 55 years and older who need minor work done to their homes or yards. Our workers provide services as volunteers and donations are offered between the worker and the homeowner.

MyRIDE: MyRIDE is a complimentary transportation service for 55+ Racine County seniors who are no longer able to drive themselves. Service includes rides to medical appointments, grocery shopping, running errands and more.

Youth Volunteer Corps: We engage youth in team-based service experiences that build life and work skills while inspiring a lifetime ethic of service.

AmeriCorps RSVP Seniors: AmeriCorps RSVP Seniors offers one-stop-shopping for people 55+ who want to find fun and fulfilling volunteer opportunities in their local community. AmeriCorps Seniors will help you find the
service opportunity that’s right for you!

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SNOW CITY ARTS

Snow City Arts inspires and educates children and youth in hospitals through the arts.

Working closely with the Family Services and Child Life departments and Chicago Public Schools in-hospital teachers, we deliver one-on-one arts education to children and youth at our four Chicagoland partner hospitals:

• Rush University Children’s Hospital
• Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital
• Children’s Hospital University of Illinois
• Cook County Health

What We Do

Snow City Arts’ professional teaching artists engage children and young adults in inpatient and outpatient pediatric units at our partner hospitals through in-person and virtual workshops in visual arts, media arts, music, creative writing, theatre, and dance. Teaching artists collaborate closely with SCA program leadership, each hospital’s Child Life staff, and in-hospital teachers to create and deliver rigorous, standards-based arts curriculum that is differentiated to serve each child’s individual needs.

Working with Snow City Arts, children and young adults in hospitals experience the joy and empowerment of artistic self-expression, discover new talents and interests, and engage in creative decision-making activities in an environment where personal choice can often be limited. 

Snow City Arts also works with in-hospital teachers, the Chicago Public Schools Department of Arts Education, and the CPS Office of Diverse Learners Supports and Services (ODLSS) to ensure that students are eligible for classroom credit, stay on track with their learning, and even improve their grades.

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PROJECT HAPPINESS LSMO

In 2016, during a heated Presidential election, I was extremely frustrated to see our great nation so divided. It broke my heart to see people I knew and loved unable to rationally communicate about politics. I knew that soon my own street would be filled with signs that would only create additional division in a neighborhood filled with folks I cared about. I realized then that we needed to create a campaign of our own to lift people's spirits, fill their hearts with joy, and bring a smile to their faces as they traveled down our busy street. Project Happiness LSMO was born! It has been more fun than I ever imagined. Our neighbors gathered to create signs with fun sayings. We placed them in every yard on our block. It immediately slowed folks down and placed smiles on their faces! It soon caught the attention of the local news and the local paper. It was working; we were spreading kindness and raising spirits!

In 2019, we decided to turn this project into an official charity so we registered with the state and became a 501(c)3. I am not going to lie it is a lot of work, but we are learning every day.

In 2020, we were overwhelmed by the demand for signs from people in our community. In 2020 my family & I created over 1,500 signs! It was unbelievable! We raised enough money to make some significant contributions in our city. It was an amazing year for our project. We heard so many kind words from so many people. During quarantine we kept signs out daily. Since the world had come to a complete stop your visits to "the box" entertained us so much. We met so many wonderful people. That year we also worked to build our Board of Directors, see our "Board Members" page to learn more about who we are.

To this day our sign project continues to grow. Each time the signs are planted in yards across Lee's Summit they delight drivers and catch the attention of many people in our community.

As we move into 2024 we are excited to continue to make a difference with our positive messaging. We know that encouraging words are important to everyone that sees them and you never know who needs motivation.

If you ever have any questions or if you would like to start a campaign in your neighborhood please reach out.

Thank you for helping us make this world a better place.
Your friend, Jennifer : )

Jennifer is Jennifer Hunsinger - Founder/President of LSMO

For more information about Project Happiness in Lee’s Summit, click on this link:

Project Happiness LSMO - Home

4 LSMO Program Participants

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CHILD FRIENDLY CITIES INITIATIVE

When we make our communities better places for children,

we make them better places for all.

The UNICEF Child Friendly Cities Initiative (CFCI) brings UNICEF together with local stakeholders to establish safer, more just, equitable, inclusive and child-responsive cities and communities.

With guidance from UNICEF, communities in the United States are developing action plans to ensure local policies are prioritizing the best interests of children and youth.

Here is a three minute video which explains some important aspects of the Child Friendly Cities Initiative: https://www.unicefusa.org/what-unicef-does/respect-children/child-friendly-cities

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After School Matters empowers Chicago’s teens.

After School Matters inspires Chicago’s teens to discover their passions, develop skills for life beyond high school, and make friends along the way.

After School Matters provides out-of-school opportunities for teens across Chicago to connect, create, and thrive

Our History: After School Matters has been serving Chicago teens for 30+ years.

After School Matters began in 1991 as Gallery 37, a summer arts education program for Chicago teens located in tents on a lot in Chicago’s Loop. It soon expanded from that downtown location to bring the successful program to Chicago neighborhoods and in 1995 started a partnership with Chicago Public Schools to deliver the programs in Chicago high schools.

As the program expanded to include after-school offerings in interest areas beyond the arts, it officially became the nonprofit After School Matters in 2000. Working with both independent instructors and community-based organizations, ASM now offers more than 24,000 program opportunities each year, at 338 sites across the city

Since our founding, teens have earned a financial stipend for taking part in their program, helping to lower potential barriers to participation and teaching them the value of their time. Our instructors are professionals in their respective fields, giving the teens hands-on learning and providing important mentorship.

With programs in the arts, communications and leadership, sports, and STEM, there is something for everyone at ASM. Here are two examples of the many programs which are part of ASM.

                                         To learn more about ASM, please click on this link: https://afterschoolmatters.org/

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We invite you to be a part of our Annual Celebration on April 9, 2024, 5:30pm–8:00pm at Strawberry Creek. We are excited to announce that Green Bay Packers Players and Management will be joining us as part of their Tailgate Tour! Let’s “Celebrate Hope” with the Packers. Help us meet our goal of raising $50,000 to fight Hunger and Homelessness. This enjoyable and exciting evening will include:

• Meet & Greet Packers Players & Management
• Heavy hors d’oeuvres & Cocktails
• Raffle and Silent Auction
• Live Music by The John Crawford Jazz Band

Call 262-658-1713 for more information.

About the Center

Shalom Center is a 501(C)3 in Kenosha County serving as the only homeless shelter, largest food pantry, and longest running nightly meal program. Shalom Center is a community resource that provides housing, food, guidance, and support to individuals and families in need across our community. Our mission is simple: serve the community through food, shelter and supportive ways. We believe that this mission will help realize a greater vision: self-sufficiency by maximizing the potential of people we serve. To learn more about the Shalom Center and its programs, click on this link: https://www.shalomcenter.org/

A new addition to the Shalom Center is Hope Hub Community Center.

The 10,500-square foot addition will serve as a community center plus provide a much-needed warming and cooling shelter. Case management along with washers, dryers, showers, and food will be onsite. For those in need, the new facility will have housing and homeless diversion professionals to help connect them with vital services.

“HOPE HUB Community Center will enable people to get the services, the case management, the wrap-around services that they need to continue to make a better life for themselves,” said Wendy Cross, Community Center Director. “Individuals and families in our community often just do not know where to go to get help. The new center will function as a one-stop shop.”

The opening of HOPE HUB is another exciting and historic event for Shalom Center. An anonymous donor underwrote the $2.4 million addition. “That is a person who believes in our mission, vision and goals,” stated Tamarra Coleman, executive director of Shalom Center. “We can’t thank that anonymous donor enough. Because of that commitment we are going to be able to help so many more people.” The addition was designed by Kueny Architects and built by Bane-Nelson.

To learn more about the HOPE HUB, watch a 2 minute video by clicking on this link: Shalom Center unveils new Hope Hub with ribbon cutting ceremony (tmj4.com)

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Our Mission: Nourish. Connect. Thrive.

West Suburban Community Pantry (WSCP) creates opportunities for our neighbors to thrive by providing nourishing food and access to supportive resources. 

Together with our community of supporters, partners, and volunteers, we are a place of nourishment and stability that our neighbors can count on. 

Serving over 110,000 individuals in FY2023, WSCP is integral to helping people in DuPage and Will Counties receive the nutrition they need to lead full lives. We work to break down barriers to food assistance, implement new services to best help people in our community, encourage volunteerism, and educate about existing needs.

West Suburban Community Pantry is working with several food distributors to rescue quality produce from being thrown away and redirecting it to its customers and other area food pantries. (photo provided by West Suburban Community Pantry)

A History of Helping Hands

In 1970, Roger and Barbara Schmith transformed a small pantry in the closet of a local church into a community supported organization.

As it gained support, grew in size, and finally earned 501(c)(3) status as the Woodridge Community Pantry in 1992, so too did the recognition of the need across the surrounding counties. In 2010, we became the West Suburban Community Food Pantry to serve all of DuPage County, and we now offer aid to Will County too.

Many things have changed in 50 years, from instituting school breakfast programs, to partnering with organizations who offer classes but, one thing has stayed the same: no one is turned away. For we’re all just a crisis away from the same circumstance.

To view and listen to a 3 minute video about the West Suburban Community Pantry, click on this link: https://wscpantry.org/about/#mission