Our 2nd meeting this year brought nominations for 3 non-profits.
Park Lawn - They believe everyone’s life has meaning, value and purpose. They encourage people with disabilities to discover their passion, take pride in their accomplishments, live more independently and thrive.
Margaret’s Village - provide transitional housing for homeless women, children and families, and provide experiences to support them
Beat The Streets - Beat the Streets Chicago empowers youth through wrestling. Girls and boys aged 5 - 23 find opportunity, meaningful relationships and positive role models year-round at our facilities and in our neighborhood programs across the City.
Park Lawn was chosen as our recipient!!
Park Lawn was founded in 1955, when a small group of parents came together to create a brighter future for their children with intellectual and developmental disabilities. In a donated classroom in an Evergreen Park church, these determined parents began teaching their children. As word of their heroic efforts spread, other families joined and soon they established Park Lawn School.
In 1968, they were granted state funding to hire professional staff and construct the first permanent school in Oak Lawn. Shortly after, Park Lawn expanded to include programming for adults and a variety of community day services and residential facilities. Today, over 500 individuals are enrolled in Park Lawn's programs and encouraged to pursue a life of productivity, independence and happiness – the same as everyone else.
We presented our donation to Park Lawn today. They were so welcoming and grateful for the donation. We still have matching donors who will increase our donation but our initial donation is $24,004.70. We were able to tour one of their sites and meet some of the participants.; such a worthy cause.
Park Lawn used our donation to purchase a mini van that will allow their clients to engage with the community in a better way than with a larger bus. It will also allow more communities to visit with the extra vehicle. They are very excited about how we were able to help them.