COMMUNITY CONNECTION IN THE METROPOLITAN FAMILY
We had many exciting opportunities to celebrate the achievements of our clients and communities throughout the year!
Family Fun Day
Family Fun Day at the Southeast Chicago Center gave staff in our Behavioral Health and Mental Health Juvenile Justice program the chance to celebrate clients and their successes.
DuPage Gala
This year’s DuPage Gala highlighted how our services wraparound clients’ needs, such as with Elizabeth, who was able to secure behavioral health and housing services for herself and children in working with MFS and our partner agencies.
Youthbuild Youth’s Visit to State’s Capitol
Last month, our YouthBuild leaders and staff visited Springfield for the Illinois YouthBuild Coalition’s conference and construction challenge, where they both constructed projects and met with elected officials to advocate for program funding.
Altgeld Leaders Trip to DC
Members of our Altgeld Gardens Youth Leadership Program participated in a whirlwind trip of the nation’s capitol, visiting monuments, museums, memorial sites, the historic Howard University, and more! All gained a broader view of life and opportunities beyond Altgeld.
Week of the Young Child
During the nationally celebrated Week of the Young Child, children and teachers at our Bensenville Early Learning Center and St. Andrews Head Start, both in DuPage County, created instruments, planned a “concert,” and invited their parents to attend the concert to conclude the week!
Healthy Families Summer Graduation
Our Healthy Families program celebrated its summer graduates at our North and Southeast Chicago Centers! Healthy Families provides holistic services to moms to promote their children’s well-being from birth through age five, educating about changes as their baby grows.
We Grow – Seeds of Change Award
MFS was honored to be jointly recognized, along with our We Grow Chicago partners Imagine Englewood If, Teamwork Englewood, and Grow Greater Englewood, for the Seeds of Change Award, presented by our fellow partner agency Growing Home, in May 2023. The award recognizes “long-standing partners who work collectively to resolve pressing issues in our neighborhoods.”
Sones de Mexico/Violin & Guitar
Classes Launch
Children ages 9 and up enjoyed the opportunity to take Spanish-language violin and guitar classes at our North Center this spring, taught in-person and online by professional musicians from the Grammy-nominated Sones de México Ensemble!
MFS Mural at Salt Shed, External Affairs Team Visit
Chicago’s Salt Shed venue is known for hosting concerts, but in February 2023 its exterior hosted a special Metropolitan Family Services mural, designed by MFS’ Senior Graphic Designer Kin Bariso! Special thanks to Wintrust Chicago for its support.
Mpower the Night
Our 41st Annual Mpower the Night welcomed Board Members and nearly 400 guests back to MFS with an in-person celebration of community connection!
Vaughn Bryant in Crain’s − “Complexity of Crime in Chicago”
”It’s a double-edged sword because to survive in some of these communities, you feel like you have to be armed. But if nobody’s armed, then at least people aren’t dying,” says Vaughn Bryant, Executive Director of Metropolitan Peace Initiatives, in a Crain’s Chicago Business feature on the complexities behind crime rates across Chicago: https://www.chicagobusiness.com/crains-forum-safer-chicago/chicago-violence-problem-debate-safety-inequality
Legal Aid Society/Equal Access to Justice Luncheon
The 2022 Equal Access to Justice Award Luncheon celebrated the pro bono contributions that empower LAS’ programs, highlighting those of our honorees, Laura J. Schumacher and AbbVie, and Discover.
David Tropp,
New Governing Board Chair
We were pleased to welcome our incoming Board of Directors Chair, David S. Tropp, Executive Vice President, CBRE, Inc., here pictured with immediate past Board Chair Ashley Duchossois Joyce! A Board Member since 1994, David’s leadership has guided the agency’s numerous real estate transactions and contributes greatly to MFS’ Head Start Oversight Board.
Midway Center Expansion
& Jones Center Build Out
As we expanded our Midway Center and built out our Jones Center, we were pleased to offer participants in our Illinois Youth Investment Program the chance to participate in the construction! Special thanks to our program partner Bowa Construction.
Sones Interview & Performance
Our North Center’s Fiesta Mexicana Summer Day Camp with Sones de Mexico Ensemble provided a fun opportunity for youth to learn guitar, dance, singing, and folk crafts in an immersive, Spanish-language experience to connect with Mexican culture. Special thanks to the Ralla Klepak Foundation for Education in the Performing Arts for making the Camp possible!
DuPage Home-Based Early Learning
Last summer we congratulated the young graduates of our DuPage Center’s Home-Based Early Learning programs! We loved celebrating this milestone with them and their families.
End of Year Celebration/
DuPage/Bensenville
Early Learning Families enjoyed a fun end-of-the-year celebration at our DuPage Center’s Bensenville Early Learning Center.
