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.

On Thursday, January 27^th, Dr. Matthew Gifford, a Chicago-based Optometrist and volunteer mentor for Gads Hill Center, conducted free vision screenings for teens in Gads Hill’s New Horizons, Teen Connection and Building Leaders programs.  He and his team assessed the students’ vision and recommended follow-up visits at his office for those students he determined needed corrected vision.  Dr. Gifford will provide free eyeglasses to those students who need them.

 “Dr. Gifford’s donation of such a valuable service to our community will help us to ensure that our kids have the tools they need to succeed in school.  We are grateful to Dr. Gifford for his dedication, skills and generosity,” said Barbara Castellán, CEO of Gads Hill Center.

On Friday, January 28^th Officer Harry Mercado, a G.R.E.A.T (Gang Resistance Education and Training) Instructor for the Chicago Police Department, visited with the kids in Gads Hill’s Club Learn program to conduct a workshop on bullying.  The children watched a video and then took part in a discussion about their experiences.  This workshop is one of the many ways the Club Learn program seeks to promote positive behavior in the lives of the kids we serve.

Join us on Thursday, May 12th for an evening to celebrate with our honorees:

Chapman and Cutler LLP – Corporate Partner Award

Chicago Police Department, 12th District – Community Partner Award

Joseph J. Anselmo – George W. Moss Founder’s Award

 Click here to purchase tickets or a table or to make a contribution

To view a copy of the invitation, click on the link below

Gads Hill Gala 2011 Invitation

If you are interested in donating to the event silent auction, click on the link below for more information:

Silent Auction Donation Form

Gads Hill Center 501c3-02-11-09

Thank you to our sponsors!

James Neaylon, III, Employer &

Employee Insurance

Kaplan Early Learning Company

 Matthews Roofing

State Farm

The Boeing Company

Media Sponsor

For more information about the event, please contact Gretchen Crone

at 312-226-0963 ext. 242 or gcrone@gadshillcenter.org.

Chicago, IL On Wednesday, November 17^th, Wendy Hernandez, a Child Development Specialist for Gads Hill Center’s Early Head Start program, was honored as one of 20 recipients of the Coalition Recognition Staff Award during a ceremony at the Ramada Lakeshore Drive in Hyde Park.  This award is given annually to recognize outstanding staff at each Coalition member agency.  

 “Wendy has been an exemplary guide for our program providers. She has demonstrated superior dedication to the organization and has worked non-traditional hours to get the job done.  We are proud to have her as an employee,” said Barbara Castellán, Chief Executive Officer of Gads Hill Center.