CHAIL MAIL C h i l d r e n ' s H o m e A s s o c i a t i o n o f I l l i n o i s ' Q u a r t e r l y N e w s l e t t e r Direct From Development What's Inside The start of a new year always brings about a time of reflection and planning for the upcoming year. This past year at Children’s Home we have had our share of successes, all while our staff deals with very traumatic situations on a daily basis. There are not enough kudos for what our team here does to change and save the H o l i d a y lives of our kids. Along the way, we would not be able to do what we do without H e a d q u a r t e r s your support and willingness to help us fulfill our mission of giving children a 2-3 childhood and future. 2017 started out full speed with our Go Cubs Go event featuring Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg and former Chicago Cubs catcher David Ross. The night netted D o n o r S p o t l i g h t over $90,000 for the agency. In April, we collaborated with Boys and Girls Clubs 4 of Greater Peoria to host a mini-golf event at Par-A-Dice Hotel and Casino. While playing a round of mini golf, attendees were able to learn about the obstacles our kids face. The summer months saw countless volunteer groups coming in to help with various projects, tours of our Knoxville location and our internal United Way F r i e n d s A r o u n d campaign. Our staff also had a blast at our annual agency picnic held at our T o w n Academy Campus. In August, Maui Jim hosted their annual golf outing. Hundreds of guests were treated to a luau on Sunday night including Hawaiian fire dancers, 5-6 followed by a golf tournament on Monday. While we drifted into fall, Cattle Auction preparation was in full swing. At this year’s event 720 guests were treated to a night of Cubs vs. Cardinals as Hall of Famers Ozzie Smith and Ryne Sandberg B a n n e r joined us. The night raised over $300,000. As fall turned into winter, the Development team worked diligently to prepare for our holiday season, which you E l e m e n t a r y will hear more about throughout this newsletter. S c h o o l 7 Reflecting back, 2017 was a busy year here at Children’s Home. We hope throughout it you came to better understand what our agency does in the community. We are truly so grateful for your support and compassion for our kids H e l p i n g H a n d s and young adults. As we move into 2018, be on the lookout for highlights of local 8-9 businesses who support us. We could not do what we do without their generosity and compassion. As an agency we want to spotlight them and hope you will choose to shop local along the way. We are excited to see what is in store for Children’s Home and the 1,700 kids and families we serve each month. Thank U p c o m i n g E v e n t s you for supporting us in 2017, and hope you’ll continue to do so in 2018. 10 Kaci Hampton Director of Development F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 8 I S S U E 3 , CHAIL HOLIDAY HEADQUARTERS A Note From Children's Home's Development Specialist They say it takes a village to raise a child. This sentiment holds true here at Children’s Home- especially around the holidays. What is considered the most wonderful time of year by many, filled with joy and family time, is often one of the saddest and loneliest seasons for many in our care. Since no one should feel alone around the holidays, Children’s Home hosts its annual Holiday Wish List Program so that each child has a special present, picked out just for them, to open on Christmas morning. This year, 200 more wish lists were submitted than in 2016, bringing our grand total to 935 wish lists. The "village” came up to bat for our kids, resulting in every single wish list being fulfilled and then some. The 124 individuals, families, and businesses who adopted wishlists brought such joy and light to the kids and families they shopped for. However, those 124 individuals fulfilling all those wish lists were only half of the “village”. The other half were the 106 people who dropped off countless bags of presents for 2017 Holiday Statistics Santa’s Workshop, a “store” open to our staff to shop for new clients. It's those who dropped off items for our teenage kids, who make up two- 935 Wish lists adopted thirds of our clients. It’s Banner Elementary School who comes every single year (yes, the entire school visits us) with each smiling 688 PJs donated student carrying a toy to donate. It’s Russell’s Cycling and Fitness out of Washington, IL who donated over 70 bikes for our clients. It’s Santa's Workshop & also the people who dropped off bag after bag 106 Hygiene Product of one of our most dire needs - hygiene Donors products. (Continued on Page 3) Coats, Hats & Gloves 100+ donated 70+ Bicycles donated by Russell's Cycling and Fitness 14 Corporate Groups Carter's in the Levee District donated fulfilling 10+ wish lists 523 Pajamas! CHAIL HOLIDAY HEADQUARTERS (Continued from Page 2) This community simply wanted to help in any way it was most needed, and the countless calls and emails I received reflected that. This time of year is vital to our ability to continue providing for our kids year-round because needs continue after the season of giving ends. This year, we received 6 car seats, 10 boxes of coats from Ridgeview Elementary School, and 688 pairs of pajamas (523 of which were from our local Carter’s). I think the greatest gift of all around the holidays here at Children’s Home is the opportunity to educate our amazing community about what our kids face on a daily basis. The idea of body wash and toothpaste being considered a luxury item is eye-opening to many but it is the reality of so many of our kids’ and their families’ lives. A huge thank you to Ridgeview Elementry School for holding a coat drive for the kids at Children's Home. They collected approximately 10 boxes of coats! Pictured: Todd Jefferson, Principal of Ridgeview Elementary, Kaci Hampton, Director of Development, Holland Nickerson, Development Specialist, and Matt George, CEO of Children's Home. From the Development Office and across this entire agency, we are humbled and blessed to be cared about by so many people in this shared community. There’s no better time than the holidays to feel called to spread joy and love to those less fortunate than us. Similarly, there’s nothing like the start of a new year to bring fresh hope that the impact of our programs and our community’s kindness will be long-lasting and our kids and their families will be better off because of it. This village that we are part of is a powerful one, and we cannot express the level of gratitude and appreciation that we have for everyone who helped make the 2017 Holiday Wish List Campaign and holiday season so wonderful. Thank you! Holland Nickerson Development Specialist CHAIL DONOR SPOTLIGHT: Donna James, Caterpillar Children’s Home could not do what we do without the generosity of the community. Especially around the holiday time, generous donors step up and help us provide a joyous time for the 1,700 kids and families Children’s Home serves each month. Donna James, life-long Peorian and Administrative Assistant at Caterpillar, is one of those donors. This past holiday season, Caterpillar’s Supply Network Division adopted 112 Children's Home kids and families' wishlists, which Donna James spearheaded. In addition to the wish lists adopted, the department collected over $1,200 to purchase everyday needed items and Santa’s Workshop items. Donna commented, “I love supporting CHAIL and coordinating the wish list campaign each year, but... ...I have to give credit and thanks to my very generous co-workers. It is because of their generosity that we can help so many each year." Donna James has been supporting Children’s Home since 2010 when she and her husband adopted wish lists for the first time. The next year, she brought the idea to Caterpillar’s Supply Network Division to adopt wish lists for our kids and families. In that first year, the department adopted 50 wish lists. The following year, the number expanded to 90. Fast forward to 2017, to when the number reached in the hundreds. Since 2011, Caterpillar’s Supply Network Division has supported over 650 Children’s Home kids and families’ wish lists. When asked why she supports Children’s Home, Donna said, “CHAIL is a wonderful organization and they just touched my heart from the minute I heard about them back in 2010. I love the holiday season and I want to make it brighter for others who may be less fortunate.” Donna’s support of Children’s Home doesn’t stop at the holidays.