On Wednesday, July 20th WGN Radio celebrated “720 Day” in honor of the WGN Radio Neediest Kids Fund, a fund of the McCormick Foundation. Thank you for helping us support non-profit agencies that feed hungry children and provide stay-in-school programs for at-risk youth. Check back soon for an updated 720 Day fundraising total.
Click the audio links below to hear some of the inspiring stories of the Neediest Kids Fund from 720 Day.
Steve
& Johnnie kick-off 720 Day with an interview with Cynthia Schmidt, Chief
Development Officer & Marketing Director for Association House of Chicago.
The WGN Radio Neediest Kids Fund supports their Out of School Time for Teens
program, a year-round structured program that offers at-risk kids a safe haven
after school and during the summer, encouraging them to become well-rounded,
educated young adults that are contributing members of our community.
Greg
Jarrett talks with Jillayne Benjamin, Director of Programming for Common Threads.
The mission of Common Threads is to educate children on the importance of nutrition
and physical well-being, and to foster an appreciation of cultural diversity
through cooking. Programming includes after-school cooking and gardening classes,
a summer camp, and special events and activities. In 2011 the Neediest Kids
Fund is supporting the summer camp program, which provides two three-week sessions
to 160 low income youth, ages 8 to 11.
David
Hiller, President and CEO of the McCormick Foundation, stops by the studio to
chat with Greg Jarrett about the unique partnership between the McCormick
Foundation and the WGN Radio Neediest Kids Fund and how we’re working
together to create impact in the Chicagoland community.
Mike
McConnell welcomes Marci Koblenz, president of Center for Companies That Care.
The Neediest Kids Fund supports their AIM High College Completion Program, which
matches small teams of employees from participating companies with individual
students in 9th grade to engage in a long-term mentoring relationship throughout
the high school years and college. Through mentoring, AIM High students are
guided through the college selection, application and financial aid process;
learn to conduct themselves in the professional world and understand the requirements
of holding a job; receive ongoing encouragement and academic support from their
mentors; and learn to think critically, become resourceful, and self-advocate.
Garry
Meier talks with Jim Zeckhauser, Program Manager of Project Prepare at Youth
Guidance , and Erika Soria, a Project Prepare alum. For more than 25 years,
Project Prepare has been providing at-risk Chicago Public School students learning
opportunities designed to develop current and future career interests. The support
offered through Project Prepare has ensured that low-income and at-risk students
are empowered with the skills and resources they need to make a successful transition
from middle to high school, graduate from high school and move on to post-secondary
education or employment. In addition to counseling and case management supports,
Project Prepare’s four-year curriculum includes an 18-week career awareness
workshop, job readiness training, job placement services, college application
seminars, financial aid support, college fairs, part-time employment opportunities,
job shadowing and youth leadership development.
