Happy Holidays - Tis the Season

Thank you to everyone who made a year-end donation to support Cabrini Connections and the Tutor/Mentor Connection in 2010. I hope you'll read El Da'Sheon Nix's article about how we're reaching out to friends, family, co-workers to ask for help in finding year end donations. Read the Tutor/Mentor blog articles to see how we're trying to build a support system that would make tutor/mentor programs available to more inner-city youth.

Donations can be made at http://www.giveforward.com/tistheseason . You can also just print this form and sending it to us with your donation. You can also use the PayPal Donation form. We even accept donations of securities.

There are many ways to help us help these teens. We hope your spirit is touched by the work we're doing, and you'll do as much as you can to assure that the funds are available to keep doing this in 2010.

This is a list of donations received since December 1. We thank everyone for their generosity during these difficult economic times. Happy Holidays!

Bill Iwami
Kiera Kelly and Ed Madden
James Dohren
Northwestern Memorial Hospital
Mr. & Mrs. Richard Hamilton
Chris Kalabogias
Tom Kittler
Mary Alice Gresham
Karen & Kevin Lobdell
Maryann May
Steve Alley
Henry & Peggy Troast
Gena Schoen
Randy and Sharon McCullough
K. Ryan
Kenneth Goldstein
Marquette Bank
Eric and Jill Schiller
John T. Porter
Thomas E. Keim
Anna Dowdle Harter
Jim and Margaret Morsch
Barbara and Daniel Roos
Mr. & Mrs. Cliff Bregstone
Joyce Dunn
John and Mary-Glynn Boies
Loretta Kaplan
R. Fine, in honor of Ilene and Jay Pomerance
Deanna and Paul Danao
Paul Lukas
Schlomo & Oi Crandus
Melissa Moore
Dick and Carol Wray
Carrie Guenter
Rebecca and Keith Danahey
Richard and Sharon Whyte
Joseph Baird
Barbara V. Goschi
Sean & Lilly Wieber
Melinda Schramm, in memory of Cary Schramm
Larry & Carroll Bross
Ilene Fine & Jay Pomerance
Mayo C. Walcott
Carol Ebel
Jennifer (Pines) Lineen
Grant Brown
Prologis Foundation ($10,000 grant)
Gift in honor of Ilene Fine and Jay Pomerance
Pat Hillmann & Richard Shields
Wayne & Anne Coloney
Jill Allread
Hewlett Packard matching gift
R. Lee Christie
Joan Dowdle
Gerald Deneen
Norma Berke
Artemis Parrish
Tracey McGee
George Vinyard
Chase Peyton
Gift in the name of Mary Esther Schmid and Walter Jones
BlueCross BlueShield of Illinois, Inc. ($5000 grant)
Ernest Sammann
Peter Goschi
Christopher and Sarah Franklin
Chris Japhet
Julie and Charles Haapala
Judith and Mark Davis
Ruth Iwami
Russell Vandenbroucke
Robert Huster
Kurt Kittner
Joe Rivera
Mark Hamende
Sue McMillin
Ernest and Dolores Komornicki
Jeff Curto
JellyChicago (Dec. 11 party)
James C. Stephen
The Wintrust Financial Corporation (Grant of $15,000)
The Walsh Foundation (Grant of $5,000)
EcoPhones ($27.50 from phone rebate program)
William M. Criscione
Pauline Narens
William Sullivan
Dr. Scholl Foundation (Grant of $5,000)
The Siragusa Foundation (Grant of $5,000)
Jack and Sari Schoen
Dr. & Mrs. Robert Pines
Michael Heyman
The Royal Order of Experience Design
(see Holiday Card from The Royal Order - play entire version and see support for Cabrini Connections)
Sara Caldwell (founder)
Rep. Constance Howard
Mark Grimes
Christina Jordan
John DeWitt
Claudia Crilly Belucci (first staff at Cabrini Connections)
Andrew Evans
Bill Dunn
Zeke and Elaine Dzugan
Gary & Suzanne Rovner
Inez Marie Welch
Derek Casteel
Gus Constan
Susan Nice
Paul & Ann Witt
Eldon & Frieda Andrews
Michael and June Blood
Mike Ozmeral
Cenan and Patricia Ozmeral
Mike & Vicky Trakan
Mark and Nicole Parrish
Jane L. Cray
Raymon and Jane Hung
Richard and Lucy Gaven
Daniel and Emily Bassill
Pat and Donna Dowdle
John and Jill Levi
John and Suzanne Martens
Charles Ohara
David and Lola Hundley


Thank you to those who are helping in other ways

* JellyChicago for making us the charity to support in your Dec. 11 benefit
* Next Computer World for putting a link to us on your web site.

Cabrini Conenctions Recognizes Mike Kolberg

“The theme for National Volunteer Week, commemorated April 19-25, is "Celebrating People in Action." The theme captures the meaning behind this signature week – honoring the individuals who dedicate themselves to taking action and solving problems in their communities.”


Continuing with "Celebrating People in Action" at Cabrini Connections this week, I would like to recognize 2nd year volunteer Mike Kolberg. Mike Kolberg started here at Cabrini Connections on Arpril 3, 2008 and has been making his mark on the program every since. Mike is currently matched up with Cabrini Connections' student standout, Savon Clark, and they have truly been a perfect pair from the start.

During the summer at Cabrini Connections, students and volunteers have the opportunity to utilize the program space and all program resources to continue on the positive track, and Mike and Savon took advantage of that opportunity nearly every week of last year's summer. Mike Kolberg assisted Savon with his algebra in an attempt to be prepared for the upcoming school year.

Mike, has also taken an active role in our fundraising efforts by simply supporting the work of students and by attending nearly all of our major fundraising events. Mr. Kolberg most recently attended Cabrini Connections' Art and Film Festival that took place on April 4th and purchased not only some student produced art work, Mike also purchased the This is What I Know dvd that was created by the students from the IYP Club.

Mike has and continues to be a standout volunteer in the Cabrini Connections' program and continues to find ways to assist in our fundraising efforts, as we continue to work towards provided the necessary services for the youth and volunteers that participate in the program.

For these reasons, I would definitely like to recognize Mike Kolberg!

Thanks for help with 2008 Fund Raising!

Thanks to the help of many volunteers, board members and friends we raised nearly $20,000 from our December Holiday Fund Drive. If you have not given, it's not too late. Click here to make a donation.

In addition, we received grants from the following corporations and foundations ranging from $20,000 to $50,000 each.

• Oprah's Angel Network
  
• SunTimes Judge Marovitz Lawyers Lending a Hand to Youth Program
  
• Polk Bros. Foundation
  

Additional grants received in December, ranging from $2,000 to $10,000

• Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co. Foundation
• BlueCross BlueShield of Illinois, Inc.
• Hewitt Associates Foundation
• ProLogis
  
• Dr. Scholl Foundation
• Schwarz

In total we raised more than $443,000 in 2008 vs $437,539 in 2007. In-kind donations in 2008 were $23,100 vs $44,000 in 2007. See the complete corporate and foundation donor list.

As we enter the middle of January, we start from the beginning, in the efforts throughout 2009 that will generate this same level of revenue to support our operations in the coming year. We have no pledges or promises. Which means we must do good work and hope that 2008 donors will support us again, while introducing the work we do to new donors, who will provide dollars to replace those 2008 donors who do not repeat.

It takes a village of volunteers, leaders and donors to help Cabrini Connections keep its doors open each week supporting the growth of kids from 7th grade to high school graduation, and through college or vocational school, to jobs and careers.

While we support this process in one neighborhood, through the Tutor/Mentor Connection, we aim to help kids in all high poverty neighborhoods have access to similar programs.


We thank all who volunteer time and talent to tutor/mentor kids, and to organize activities at Cabrini Connections. We thank everyone who helps raise the money needed to do this work. Please continue to tell the story of your involvement and our vision. Together we can raise funds needed in 2009 and beyond, and innovate new and more effective ways to influence the decisions and learning habits of the kids who have become part of our family.