Category: News

Gads Hill Center’s Child Development Center will be hosting a Recruitment Fair on Friday, August 6th.  Come out and learn more about Gads Hill’s programs for 0-5 year olds and enjoy complimentary food, a raffle for gift certificates from local businesses, activities, games, and more!

When: Friday, August 6, 2010

Time: 4:30-6:30 p.m.

Where: Gads Hill Child Development Center at 2653 W. Ogden 2nd Floor

Please click on this link for more information

Club Learn kids entered their drawings into a contest at GHC supporter Adams Street Partners.  Adams Street assembled a team to run in the JPMorgan Chase Challenge and wanted a special t-shirt.  Out of the 3 dozen submitted, Michelle Ramos’s drawing was chosen to grace the back of the shirt.   Seen here is Michelle, her mom, and Gabriella Penn from Adams Street Partners showing off the winning drawing.  Michelle received a certificate of appreciation and a gift of the “Captain Underpants” series of books.

Gads Hill Center congratulates Virginia Martinez, long time Gads Hill Center board member, for having received the Citizen of Action Award from the League of Women Voters of Illinois at their annual State of the State luncheon that took place on June 2d. 

Ms. Martinez, a Legislative Staff Attorney for the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF), has spent most of her career working in non-profit organizations and has been a strong advocate for Latinos, women and children.  

 The League of Women Voters presents the Citizen of Action Award to a member of the community who advocates for better public service, the rights of individuals and for a stronger democratic process.  Virginia Martinez exemplifies this dedication and commitment to public service through her work for MALDEF as well as through her volunteer service on the boards of Gads Hill Center, the Oak Park River Forest Community Foundation and the Illinois Maternal and Child Health Coalition.

On Thursday, May 6 Gads Hill Center hosted its annual gala, Strengthening the Fabric of Families, A Legacy of Leaders at Galleria Marchetti on Chicago’s Erie Street.  We honored two individuals who have demonstrated a passionate commitment to support the mission of Gads Hill.   Joan W. Newman, Partner and Head of Human Resources at financial firm Adams Street Partners and Edwin Gonzalez, a Gads Hill alum and a current group leader for GHC’s Club Learn program for 5-12 year olds.

Over 300 community leaders, corporate partners, Gads Hill alumni, current participants and supporters came together to raise over $65,000 and to celebrate the significant contributions of those who have made Gads Hill Center a thriving resource on Chicago’s southwest side. 

Our annual gala will be held May 6,2010 at 5:30pm at the beautiful Galleria Marchetti located at 825 W. Erie Street.  Join us for a Hollywood-inspired evening with cocktails, dinner and our Legacy of Leaders, as we salute those who have made a difference in the lives of children and families of Gads Hill Center.

GHC Gala Invite 2010

This year’s honorees are:

Corporate Partner Award

Joan W. Newman, Adams Street Partners

George W. Moss Founder’s Award

Edwin Gonzalez, Gads Hill Center

Outstanding Gads Hill Center Alumni

To purchase tickets or to contribute to the event, please click on the link below:

https://id3484.securedata.net/gadshillcenter.org/merchantmanager/index.php

For more information, contact Gads Hill Center at (312)226-0963 ext. 242

or info@gadshillcenter.org

As part of this year’s NCLR Annual Conference in Chicago, NCLR recognized Midwest Affiliates that have 40 or more years of service to the community. This recognition is in appreciation of agencies including Gads Hill’s long-standing dedication to our community and the vital services that the organizations have provided for decades.

Gads Hill is proud of our 111 years of service to communities on Chicago’s southwest side and salutes our sister agencies also in long service to communities in the midwest.

A list of the agencies honored is available here.

Xavier Salvado, Gads Hill’s New Horizons Program Coordinator presented New Horizons/Nuevos Horizontes at the Tutor-Mentor Leadership and Networking Conference, held at Northwestern University’s School of Law May 28-29th, 2009. He Joined a panel discussion during the second day of the conference titled “Mentoring Program Strategies – Issues and Best Practices”.

Gads Hill is excited to be a part of sharing and building best practices with other programs to improve services provided througout the Chicago area and the nation. Read more about the conference here: tutormentorconference.org.

Gads Hill staff and families participated in Chicago’s annual Dia De Los Ninos parade in the Pilsen neighborhood in April, 2009.

Find out more by clicking here.

Here are some pictures:

Chief Executive Officer Barbara Castellán (4th from left) joined colleagues who represent Illinois’ National Council of La Raza affiliates in Washington, D. C. last week to advocate for the issues of the families we serve. The group is pictured at a meeting with Illinois Senators Richard Durbin and Roland Burris.

GADS HILL CENTER HELPS TEACH KIDS HOW TO PLAY TENNIS

New QuickStart Program Presented at nearby Harrison Park

On Thursday October 16th at Harrison Park, Gads Hill Center teamed up with Chicago’s Midtown Tennis Club and the United States Tennis Association to give neighborhood children the opportunity to try a new tennis program called QuickStart. For the mostly Latino children who showed up, it was the first time that anyone had ever taught them how to play tennis.

Gads Hill Center has been serving the out-of-school educational needs of neighborhood children and families since 1898. QuickStart Tennis supports Gads Hill’s skill-based curriculum that helps children develop teamwork and other life skills.

QuickStart is a program aimed at children ages 10 and under that introduces kids to tennis in a new way. Instead of trying to teach kids how to play using standard sized nets and rackets, QuickStart uses equipment that is more appropriate for smaller children. Children from Gads Hill lined up for a chance to learn.

“Every kid plays soccer,” said Lizette Torres, Director of Youth Services at Gads Hill, “so why not give them an alternative? After purchasing a racket, tennis is really an inexpensive sport. You can find a court at almost any park.”

Special guests included Alan G. Schwartz, the TCA Holdings Board Chairman, local alderman Daniel Solis, two time women’s double Olympic gold medalist Mary Joe Fernandez, Lizette Torres, Gads Hill’s Director of Youth Services, Tony Gonzalez, the Supervisor at Harrison Park and Kurt Kamperman, the CEO of the USTA, shown in the above picture from left to right.

At Gads Hill Center, tennis is going to be incorporated into Club Learn’s program. “We feel that tennis will help our children think more positively about team work and pursuing their dreams,” said Barbara Castellán, Chief Executive Officer. She believes that tennis will teach leadership skills, life skills, and sportsmanship: all important values that Gads Hill believes children should have.

For more than 100 years, Gads Hill Center has supported low-income families in Chicago’s southwest side to bring about long-term, positive change.

Families have found a safe haven at Gads Hill through the educational, social and emotional support offered. The incorporation of a tennis element into existing programs will provide yet another way to reinforce positive values and provide social and emotional support for children. With generous support from local governments and private donors, Gads Hill continues to strengthen its services to meet the needs of a greater number of children and families now and well into the future.

For more information about the event or other questions, please contact Noah Kippley-Ogman at 312.226.0963 x241 or email him at nkippleyogman@gadshillcenter.org