Chicago, IL On August 2, 2011, Gads Hill took part in the 28^th Annual National Night Out event in partnership with the Chicago Police Department, 12^th District.  This national event, sponsored by the National Association of Town Watch (NATW), is held each year to raise awareness of crime and drug prevention, generate support for local prevention programs, strengthen police-community partnerships, and send a message to local criminals that the community is organized to fight back.  Last year’s event involved 15,000 communities worldwide with 37 million participants.

The event, hosted by Gads Hill, featured Kohl’s Interactive Story Bus, a fire engine for the children, Robbie the Clown, Puppet Patrol, face painting, Jump N Fun, and free.  The 12th District Police Department also conducted a roll call to demonstrate their strong presence and commitment to protecting the community.

“Gads Hill is proud to be a part of this national crime and drug prevention initiative.  Our organization serves as a safe haven for many of the children and families in the neighborhoods we serve.  We have a strong partnership with the local police, and truly value their efforts to keep our kids safe,” stated Barbara Castellán, CEO of Gads Hill Center.

 Chicago, IL On August 2, 2011 from 5pm-8pm, Gads Hill will take part in the 28^th Annual National Night Out event in partnership with the Chicago Police Department, 12^th District.  This national event, sponsored by the National Association of Town Watch (NATW), is held each year to raise awareness of crime and drug prevention, generate support for local prevention programs, strengthen police-community partnerships, and send a message to local criminals that the community is organized to fight back.  Last year’s event involved 15,000 communities worldwide with 37 million participants.

The event, hosted by Gads Hill, will feature an interactive story bus, a fire engine for the children, Robbie the Clown, Puppet Patrol, face painting, Jump N Fun, a petting zoo, and free food including hot dogs, hamburgers, popcorn and snow cones.  The 12th District Police Department will also conduct a roll call to demonstrate their strong presence and commitment to protecting the community.

“Gads Hill is proud to be a part of this national crime and drug prevention initiative.  Our organization serves as a safe haven for many of the children and families in the Pilsen neighborhood.  We have a strong partnership with the local police, and truly value their efforts to keep our kids safe,” said Barbara Castellán, CEO of Gads Hill Center.

Gads Hill Center will be hosting its first health fair on July 15, 2011 from 3-6pm at our Child Development Center located at 2653 W. Ogden. Please join us for this free event where we will connect you with mental health, dental health and nutrition resources. There will be give-aways, food, music and much more! 

 “The staff of our Parents as First Teachers program provides outstanding service to families, helping them to understand their critical role in their child’s early learning development.  We are proud to have them as part of our organization and congratulate each member of the program’s staff for a job well done,” said Barbara Castellán, CEO of Gads Hill Center.

Parents as First Teachers staff from left to right: Guillermina Ibarra, Erika Jimenez, Azucena Gonzalez, Kilyam Marquez, Lucila Trujillo, Olga Hueramo

On Thursday, May 12 Gads Hill Center hosted its annual gala, Recipes for Success, Strengthening the Fabric of Families at Galleria Marchetti on Chicago’s Erie Street.  Here, they honored three supporters who have demonstrated a passionate commitment to the mission of Gads Hill.   This year’s awardees were Commander Dennis P. Keane and The Chicago Police Department, 12^th District, Gads Hill Board Member Joseph J. Anselmo and Chapman and Cutler LLP.

More than 250 community leaders, corporate partners, current participants and supporters came together to raise over $81,000 and to celebrate the significant contributions of those who have made Gads Hill Center a thriving resource on Chicago’s southwest side. 

 Major sponsors of the event included Adams Street Partners, Chapman and Cutler LLP, Comcast, Jewel-Osco, MB Financial Bank, AT&T, Midwest Generation, Fifth Third Bank and Sinai Health System.

 Event Co-Chairs Cristina Villazan of Comcast and Angel Beltran of Talmer Bank and Trust said, “This event honored the contributions of these awardees and celebrated the success of Gads Hill’s programs.  We are pleased to be a part of this celebration and Gads Hill Center.”

Event Committee: left to right: Back Row: Jorge V. Cazares; Matthew Crossett; Christopher Sherman; Second Row: Sylvia Aldrete; Maria Herrera; Patty Cazares; Cristina Villazan; Barbara Castellán, CEO of Gads Hill Center; Janet Gryzlak; Vicky Arroyo; Beverly Wyckoff; Jana Armstrong; Front Row: Jennie Filicky; Donnica Austin-Cathey; Annette Rivera; Denise Stennis; Elizabeth Rivera; Delia Gutierrez McLaughlin

Event Awardees: left to right: Joseph J. Anselmo, Gads Hill board member; Barbara Castellán, CEO of Gads Hill Center; Commander Dennis P. Keane, Chicago Police Department, 12th District; Timothy P. Mohan, Managing Partner, Chapman and Cutler LLP

On Saturday, April 30 more than 100 Comcast employees, community members, Gads Hill staff, kids and families gathered for Comcast Cares Day at Gads Hill Center.  It was a fun day of spring cleaning, painting, planting, gardening and other improvement projects that brightened up the center.

Comcast Cares Day is a national day of service held annually for the past ten years.  This year, 6000 Comcast volunteers worked on 89 service projects throughout the Chicago region.

On Saturday, April 16, Gads Hill hosted a community pancake breakfast sponsored by Bisquick.  More than 200 individuals including Gads Hill families, staff and supporters enjoyed a delicious pancake breakfast prepared by students from Kendall College.  Gads Hill was pleased to welcome several honored guests for the event including Mayor-elect Rahm Emanuel, Alderman Danny Solis, State Senator Antonio Muñoz and Jesus G. Garcia, Cook County Commissioner for the 7^th District.  Local radio personality Jesse Camargo, “El Tigrillo”, from La Que Buena 105.1 served as the emcee, and Telemundo celebrities Tsi-Tsi-Ki Félix and Alfonso Gutierrez participated in fun-filled pancake games.     

Click on the link below to read a clip from abc news!

http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/politics&id=8077160

On Tuesday, March 15 Gads Hill hosted Mayor Richard M. Daley for a press conference about the City’s Youth Ready Chicago Program, a program Gads Hill participated in last summer.  During the conference, Mayor Daley announced that the program will provide more than 14,000 jobs for young people in Chicago this summer and discussed the many benefits of providing youth with summer employment opportunities.  Follow the link to read more http://mayor.cityofchicago.org/mayor/en/press_room/press_releases/2011/march_2011/0315_summer_jobs_.html

On Thursday, January 27^th, Illinois State Senator Kimberly Lightford visited with youth from Gads Hill Center’s Teen Connection program.  During her visit, Lightford spoke about her experiences and the history of her political career.  The students also had the opportunity to engage Senator Lightford in a question and answer session on current events.  For those youth who aspire to have political careers one day, this was an excellent opportunity to receive first-hand knowledge from someone within the field.

 “We were happy to have Senator Lightford volunteer to speak with students in our Teen Connection program.  She is a champion for education issues, and a great role model for kids,” said Barbara Castellán, CEO of Gads Hill Center.