Julian HS Student Recognized by Obama for Service - Featured in Essence Magazine

Shantell Steve, a student at Julian, was highlighted in President Obama’s address to schools on September 8. She’s standing in front of our Summer of Service and Leadership banner for a photo that accompanies an “Essence” article. Shantell helped with the Summer of Service program this summer and is also a Harris Fellows student leader!

See the Essence article here! http://bit.ly/KKGDe

The MGR Foundation implemented the Service Experiences for Summer of Service & Leadership for Julian HS and seven other CPS high schools.

Kelvyn Park HS & Prosser HS @ Norwood Crossing

Today, I was lucky enough to spend the morning with the dynamic duo of Kelvyn Park HS and Prosser HS yet again. We went to Norwood Crossing, a senior housing facility that also supports independent seniors through a variety of services.

Because we had twenty kids, we were able to do a lot of impactful events in a combination of both direct and indirect service. Some students helped to organize the center's library sytem while others helped sort donations at the thirft store. A third group painted a chair for the regional network.

We were able to all come together for the second half of the morning to spend time with several seniors at a cook out! Not only were students able to prepare and serve food, but they were also able to spend some time with seniors from all over the Chicagoland area. It was great to see students and senior connecting through sports and holidays. The clowns that were also in the center and were quite entertaining!

Thanks to Bryan Manasse and Ryan Gauthier from Norwood Crossing for the wonderful morning!

Prosser HS @ Travelling Food Circus

This morning I joined Sgt. Cowen, Jaimie and their wonderful smiling students for another service event. Travelling Food Circus the result of a partnership between the MGR Foundation, Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s and the City of Chicago Police Station 18. Each Monday healthy food is distributed to Chicago’s needy.

Our students spent the morning organizing the donation, providing coffee and treats to patrons and passing out bags of food. It was a super activity for students to engage in direct service. The students could see the effect of a bag of healthful food for a person and their family.

Thanks to Police Station 18 for the space, Trader Joe's and Whole Foods for the food, and Vensa & Martin from MGRF for all the help to make this event possible!

Hope HS @ Greater Chicago Food Depository

Continuing in Kennedy & DuSable's service, Hope High School was able to support the GCFD's operations the following day.

There were still plenty of cornflakes to be packaged and we were able to with other youth volunteers to get several additional pallets out the door and on their way to families in need.

Nearly 500,000 people each year rely on emergency and supplemental food provided by the Greater Chicago Food Depository and its member network of 600 food pantries, soup kitchens and shelters.

Serving at the GCFD prompted some great dialogue about hunger and resources in Chicago, the need for community-based non-profits, nutrition and certainly, what everyone had for breakfast and what makes you a 'breakfast person.'

Thank you to Maya Garcia-Warner & Greater Chicago Food Depository and also to Tony Escobar & Breakthrough Urban Ministries for providing us this great opportunity.

Prosser HS & Kelvyn Park HS @ Hines VA Center

Today I went to the Hines VA Center in Hines Illinois with ten students from Prosser Career Academy and ten students from Kelvyn Park High School. The twenty students spent time hanging out with veterans and passing out bags with toiletries. Not all of the veterans were in the hospital because of recent injuries, some served in World War Two, Korea and Vietnam was well as in Iraq and Afghanistan.

As some of our students are involved with JROTC at their high school, it was really valuable for them to spend time with others who have served in various branches of the military. It was great to see students become engaged in conversations with servicemen who had worked in fields they were also interested in, such as research in aerodynamics or becoming a helicopter pilot.

Some students were interested in which branches they served in and where and others were more interested in discussing sports. The veterans at Hines are not all necessarily from the greater Chicagoland area and there were some hearty baseball discussions. It was especially valuable to spend time with veterans right before the Fourth of July!

One of the most important changes I was able to observe was a change in the students from nervous and unsure to confident and curious. At first, they were uncertain what questions to ask and why these veterans might want someone to sit and talk to them for a few minutes. However, once they became to realize that not everyone had family close they became more interested in providing companionship and company.

One big thank you to all of our veterans for their service to us and to Kim at the Volunteer Services department for making this day a success!

Kelvyn Park HS @ Ronald McDonald House

YUM! Cheeseburger Casserole was on the menu at Comer Children's Hospital's Ronald McDonald House this Wednesday.


Students from Kelvyn Park HS put their culinary skills to the test chopping, dicing and mixing to put together a three course lunch for the families of children receiving treatment at Comer Children's Hospital.


While our casserole was cooking, Assistant House Manager, Cathy Berk, took us on a tour of the amazing house that accomidates 22 families with all the comforts of home. With 4 RM Homes here in Chicago and over 200 total around the world, she explained that many families need only to stay a couple of days but families could stay the course of treatment required with one family staying at their location for a full year.


Students were struck by the homes beauty but also the thoughtfulness of the designers, house managers and volunteers to create such a supportive environment with customized storage pantries, game rooms, business center, every kind of support to make families feel comfortable.

Thank you to Cathy Berk and Ronald McDonald House Comer Children's Hospital for allowing us the opportunity to serve!

Kennedy HS & DuSable Campus @ Greater Chicago Food Depository

Over 40 students from both Kennedy HS and the DuSable Campus served the greater Chicago community at the Greater Chicago Food Depository this afternoon. The GCFD is dedicated to ending hunger in Cook Country by providing both immediate assistance and education for community member and partner agencies. Through food pantries, soup kitchens and focused aid to needy neighborhoods, the GCFD is able to reach nearly half a million people a year.

Our students spent the afternoon working in the ‘clean room.’ This is an area of the warehouse were bulk items can be safely sorted into smaller sized bags. Our students sorted corn flakes into eight ounce bags. Different students were responsible for putting the cornflakes into bags, weighting the bags, then sealing them, next some students labeled the bags and finally a last group of student packed the bags into boxes.

Together our students made 2,688 bags of 8 oz cornflakes or 1446 pounds of food! Not only was this activity fun for the students, but we were able to see a massive volume of work completed!

Thanks to Maya Garcia Warner, the Volunteer Services Coordinator and the Greater Chicago Food Depository for allowing to spend the afternoon at the distrubtion center!

Michelle Clark @ CCIL

Take two at CCIL was another success! As the group from Clark HS was slightly larger, students were able to split into two groups. One group stayed in the Community Pantry and passed out bags to over 100 patrons. The rainy weather did not encourage patrons to wait in line, but rather they trickled in over the three hours.

Because there was less of a rush, students were able to spend more time talking to each patron and helping to provide them with healthful food. Two girls set aside a whole turkey and waited to give to a grandmother with two small granddaughters with her. It was powerful to see these students thinking about getting food to suit each patron’s needs.

Meanwhile, the other group of students went into the kitchen to help serve lunch to those who live at CCIL. The transitional housing facility is home to families, single men and single women. This particular batch of students as also involved in direct service as they were able to provide a healthy and tasty meal to residents.

Another round of thanks to Chris at CCIL for making this a wonderful event for another group of our students!

Hope HS @ Bronzeville Nursing Center

Hope High School's First Summer of Service Event!

Mr. Grigsby and his super group from Hope High School headed straight into their first service event on Friday.

Bronzeville Nursing Center features over four floors of senior care and Hope students split up to cover each floor with activities support.

Interacting with residents through Bingo games and simple companionship Hope students were naturals making fast friendships with many residents who greatly appreciated another pair of eyes on their Bingo cards so they could win cookies and cupcakes.

Thank you to Angie Byrd and Bronzeville Nursing Center for allowing us to spend time and support your wonderful residents.

Kelvyn Park @ Cob Connection & Foreman @ Kilbourn Park Organic Greenhouse

A week ago we were concerned our Environmental events would be rained out, but this week were hoping our students could handle the heat! But a heat index of 100* can't stop these students. They are tough service learners.

On Thursday, students from Foreman and Kelvyn Park literally headed 'into the field' to serve with two incredible organizations transforming their local communities.

Foreman High School students went to Kilbourn Park Organic Greenhouse, an amazing center for organic gardening, classes, events and education that makes us think a bit more about where our food comes from, how its grown and what we eat. Students helped prepare the steamy greenhouse for youth programs begining next week.

Kelvyn Park High School students went to McCormick YMCA which has provided the Cob Connection with a city-lots for urban agriculture development. Cob Connection in addition to transforming vacant lots into urban farms and gardens also uses the experience as job training for youth and their families and then donates the food grown to local food pantries - creating a sustainable, locally-grown system for food development.

Cob Connection is also preparing for youth programs next week and Kelvyn Park students were able to get a great deal done building out an entire row to be ready for planting.

Thank you to Kirsten Akre, Gardener from Kilbourn Park Organic Greenhouse and Chad Bliss, Executive Director from Cob Connection for allowing us the opportunity to serve in your green gardens!

Michele Clark @ Austin Town Hall

Today as part of their Education, Culture and Recreation offering, students from Michele Clark High School visited the Austin Town Hall Center Chicago Park District.

There they had the opportunity to interact with Day Camp youth and engage them in activities for the morning. Designing foam visors with their names and designs, playing games and coloring filled the morning with smiles and creativity.

Michele Clark High School youth did an amazing job of leading and interacting with youth of all age groups. Coming well prepared, the students even had extra activities left over when the morning was complete. This was the group's first service opportunity and all the students agreed - it was easier and a lot more fun than they imagined.

Thank you Austin Town Hall Center for inviting us to craft for the morning with your fantastic campers!

Taft @ Two Lil Fishes

Today I spent the morning with Taft High School at the Two Lil Fishes Soup Kitchen. Our twenty-one students spent their time engaging the patrons in rousing games of Scrabble, Monopoly, dominoes and blackjack. Candy and a deck of cards really opened up the doors of communication between the students and patrons.

Some discussed favorite basketball players or current events from a shared Red Eye. Jokes were passed between patrons and students. Students were not needed to support the food service part of the day (Isaac and his team have it down) so they were able to meaningfully connect with the patrons that so many others ignore daily.

Two Lil Fishes is an organization that focuses on feeding the needs of the homeless, not just filling them with healthy meals but also providing emotional support. Our students helped that mission by spending some valuable time with patrons before the Thursday lunch service.

Over the course of the morning, we were able to spend time with between 20 and 30 patrons. It was hard to leave the patrons, and they seemed like it was hard for us to leave as well, when the bus came to pick us up.

Thank you Isaac for letting Taft High School and the MGR Foundation spend the day at Two Lil Fishes!

Julian HS @ Share Your Soles

Julian High School students got up bright and early on Thursday to head over to Alsip, IL and the Share Your Soles distribution center. Shipping out 25,000 pairs of shoes per container, Share Your Soles provides new and gently used shoes to countries around the world in extreme poverty.

On Thursday, students were working to sort and clean shoes for an emergency delivery to Sri Lanka. After learning more about the organization through a video on its founder and mission - it was right to work sorting finding pairs, shoes by type, untying laces and preparing the sneakers to be washed (a process that takes two weeks to wash and fully dry!).

Its incredible to see the generousity of donors with thousands of pairs

of shoes filling the warehouse, and also how easy it is to help - just a pair of shoes you don't wear anymore can make a huge difference in the health and wellness of a child, mother, father or brother. Students were touched by the kindness and simplicity of service and discussed how they could lead a collection effort at their school.

Thank you to Mona and the Share Your Soles team for having us twice to your distribution center and allowing us the opportunity to share in your mission!

Simultaneous Service

One of the great things about Summer of Service is stopping and thinking about how many people are serving throughout Chicago at the same moment.

At 10:30AM, on Thursday June 25th, there were 5 school groups serving at the exact same time

• Sorting and washing shoes at Share Your Soles
• Working in the Greenhouse at Kilbourn Park
• Crafting with campers at Austin Town Hall Center
• Sharing a game and a smile at Two Lil Fishes
• Preparing the garden with Cob Connection at McCormick YMCA

And this is literally only the half of it! As Chicago Cares has just as many high schools serving around Chicago with us too!

Foreman @ CCIL

The students from Foreman High School spent the morning volunteering at the Chicago Christian Industrial League. Located in Lawndale, this transitional housing facility is home to single men and women as well as homeless families.

While they provide social services to their residents they also provide bags of food the local needy. Each Wednesday volunteers help put together sacks of dry goods, fresh vegetables and meat that are then distributed to those who need them.

The twelve students representing Foreman High School spent the morning packing some of those bags and distributing them, providing water to waiting patrons and passing out popsicles to children also waiting in line.

After a quick lunch break, students heard the story of one former patron who had been homeless and is now a counselor at CCIL. By hearing one man’s story, the students were able to see how their work today could affect the life of another.

Over the course of the day, our students helped distribute bags to over 150 patrons; delivered water and cleaned up the community pantry.

Thanks to Chris and CCIL for letting us spend the day in the Community Pantry!

Kelvyn Park @ Share Your Soles

To kick off service events for Summer of Service and Leadership, Kelvyn Park High School went to Share Your Soles. Students spent the morning unpacking, sorting and dividing donated shoes. These shoes come from all over the Chicagoland area to the processing warehouse were our students served. Shoes must be discarded if torn, ripped or excessively worn. The shoes that were sorted will be washed, dried and sent to needy areas around the world, such as Sri Lanka and Ghana.

The work that our students did today ensures that recipients get shoes that serve them well and that they can accept with dignity. Even though sorting shoes might not feel like it makes a huge difference as each pair is inspected before it reaches it destination. It was great to see students discussing the need to serve others with respect. We discussed the role that volunteers should take as one that recognizes and values the worth of those they serve.

The students from Kelvyn Park look forward to their other service events over the five week course. Those other opportunities include a trip to the McCormick YMCA to work in a community garden with COB Connection and a day serving lunch at the Ronald McDonald House at the University of Chicago.

Post-its & Preparations

There's a bulletin board next to my desk that's covered in post-it notes.

Each one is a confirmed service opportunity for a group of Chicago Public High School incoming freshmen. From a blank board a month ago over the board is now nearly full. Passing co-workers and interns stop and read the board each day and comment on the changes, "I've never been there!" and "They're going here?! That's AWESOME!"

It is awesome.

In partnership with Chicago Cares, CRFC and Chicago Public Schools - Service Learning Department, students are able to complete their 40 hour Service Learning Requirement and Freshman Connection Program in our collaborative program, Summer of Service & Leadership.

To those involved its more than completing requirements and much more about youth engaging in direct service in their local communities, discussing policy, developing youth leaders and each school creating a civic engagement project or initiative that they lead.

Looking over the post-it notes, it is exciting. VA Hospitals, Nursing Homes, Domestic Violence Shelters, Forest Preserves, Community Gardens, Community Food Pantries, Parks, Youth Centers. Beyond the variety of places, the excitement is the incredible amount of potential for a student to connect with someone or something that will change them, empower them, or humble them.

In the next five weeks, over 200 CPS Students will be engaging in some of their first direct service and in doing so discover strengths, weaknesses, people and opportunities. This could spark to new interests, hobbies, jobs, careers or if nothing more simply new mindsets about the people they serve and seeing themselves as active participants in their community.

We hope you'll check back regularly, see what they're doing, hear from them and follow our Summer of Service and Leadership.