6th Graders Support Hawthorne while Helping Others

We received an email shortly after a group of Hawthorne students made dinner at LPCS.  The following is an article that appeared in their school newspaper.  We thought it was so nice we wanted to share it with you!  Happy reading!

On Sunday, May 22, the participants of the 6th Grade Help Hawthorne, Help Others Signature Event volunteered at The Lincoln Park Community Shelter (LPCS) to cook a savory meal of turkey chili, cornbread and coleslaw for its residents.  LPCS is a social service agency that has been in existence for 25 years and serves adult men and women who are experiencing homelessness.

The 6th graders enjoyed working together to prepare a delicious dinner that served 40 residents. Together they diligently chopped vegetables, mixed batter and stirred the chili pot to create a memorable dining experience. After 90 minutes of preparation, the Hawthorne students and the residents of LPCS sat down together to share a meal and talk about common interests, although baseball seemed to be the main subject. The kids and residents truly enjoyed each others company, and the 6th graders learned a valuable lesson about giving back and gained a new perspective on homelessness.  At the end of the evening, the children received a standing ovation for a job well done, and many residents asked them to return for another visit. The experience was very rewarding and uplifting for everyone.

The Lincoln Park Community Shelter relies on the support of volunteers throughout the community. To learn more about the shelter and how you may become involved, please visit lpcsonline.org.

Volunteering and Service

This past week, I was able to attend the National Conference on Volunteering and Service in New Orleans.  More than 4600 people attended the conference from all over the country, and all walks of life.  It was wonderful to see so many people come out in support of volunteers and the work that they do.  Both the mayor of New Orleans and the Governor of Mississippi expressed their heartfelt thanks for all of the work volunteers did to repair the region post-Katrina. Hearing stories of how volunteers have come together in their communities during times of need reminded me how lucky we here at LPCS are to continue to be supported by such an amazing community.  So a big thank you to all of our volunteers and supporters! 

The best part of the conference, learning that the Windy City is the host site for next year's conference!  Congrats on the honor Chicago!

 

--Heather Pressman, Community Relations Manager

It's Awards Season for LPCS!

Staff and Board members accepting the Emergency Fund Award

It's raining awards at LPCS!  This spring, the Lincoln Park Community Shelter has been honored with not one, but two awards!  On May 3rd we were honored with the Emergency Fund Award, which is bestowed to an organization that improves the lives of people in the community we serve.  A few weeks later on May 18th at the annual symposium hosted by North Park University's Axelson Center for Nonprofit Management, the Lincoln Park Community Shelter was honored with the prestigious Alford-Axelson Award for Nonprofit Managerial Excellence! This is a competitive field each year, with previous winners such as The Night Ministry, The Cara Program, and Deborah's Place. The Axelson Award winner was announced at a luncheon honoring the efforts of all of the finalists.  The award was announced via video.  Check it out!

A New Kind of Art Project

Over the month of April, guests of the LPCS and students from the School of the Art Institute worked together to create a collaborative art project.  At the start of the project, no one knew what they were going to create.  The group met once a week for 5 weeks, talking about different ideas and concepts they could work on.  Three different ideas were presented to the guests of the LPCS (not just those in the class), and in the end the group decided the project of choice was to create a new mural for the LPCS dining room.  The next step in the process was to come up with a couple of different design concepts to choose from.  Again, all guests of the LPCS were asked to vote on which concept they liked the best.  "The Sky's the Limit" was the winner!  But this wasn't going to be any ol' mural--it was going to be an interactive mural!  Using a layer of special paint, the group created a magnetic background.  Guests and students then created individual magnetic pieces that can be moved and changed by whoever walks by. 

The guests loved working on the project.  Haley, one of the SAIC students, had this to say: " I am so glad that I was able to have the opportunity to work with my classmates and [the guests of LPCS] to carry out our mural project....It was exciting to see to hear everyone’s ideas each week, and watch them unfold as the mural became realized....I hope that the space remains as dynamic as it was in the beginning, and that people will continue to engage with it and feel the same sense of empowerment as we did."

Thanks to everyone who participated in the project--what a great collaboration!   

Next time you are at LPCS, be sure to stop by and check out the mural, and if you feel inspired, have fun with it!  

The Sky's the Limit completed mural

More photos can be viewed here:  http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150183308596968.306292.12785941967&l=737c6c5719

Metamorphosis Party a Success!

Thanks to all of the wonderful supporters who came out on Friday night to this year's Metamorphosis Party!  More than 200 party-goers enjoyed festive food and delicious desserts by the Entertaining Company while bidding on great live and silent auction items.  A few bidding wars broke out, but in the end everyone went home happy!  DJ Shaka23 was on hand to spin a mix of songs that entertained the whole crowd.  At the end of the night, more than $92,000 was raised to directly support the programs and guests of the Lincoln Park Community Shelter. 

The goal of the night was not only to raise funds, but also to honor the work of longtime supporters of the organization with the Compassion in Action award.  This year's honorees were the leaders of the four founding congregations of LPCS: Pastor Jeffery Doane from Lincoln Park Presbyterian Church, Reverend Tom Henry from St. Pauls UCC, Father Tom Hickey from St. Clement Church, and the Reverend Linda Packard from Church of Our Saviour.  The Compassion in Action Award was established last year to recognize exceptional contributions to LPCS since its founding 26 years ago.

2011 Compassion in Action recipients with LPCS Executive Director. 
From left, Rev. Tom Henry, Rev. Linda Packard, Erin Ryan, Pastor Jeff Doane, and Fr. Tom Hickey

Save the Date for the Next Great Party!

Mark your calenders now for this year's Taste of Fall tasting event!  We already have commitments from several of the vendors who were there last year including Pastoral Artisan Cheese, Wine & Bread and Cabot Creamery Cooperative.  This year's event promises to be even bigger and better than last year!  Stay tuned to this blog and the LPCS website for more details and to purchase tickets. 

Thank you volunteers!

As a volunteer driven organization, we depend so much on the dedication and passion of the many individuals and groups who so generously donate their time and talents to Lincoln Park Community Shelter. And though we appreciate their efforts every day, National Volunteer Week is a time that really allows us to reflect and be thankful for these priceless people who make the mission of empowering homeless men and women to make life changes an attainable goal. Our volunteers are fun. They make our job fun. They are passionate, and their passion translates into the effort they put forth.

So to the committee members, meal makers, tutors, track activity teachers and all the other men and women who have become a part of our community, we would like to take this opportunity to say thank you!