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IN THE COMMUNITY
J.Jill Compassion Fund
Please join the J.Jill Compassion Fund in our shared mission to support women and children in need, and help us spread their message of compassion. In May, J.Jill will celebrate compassion with fundraising efforts to support local organizations, like HOW, that help homeless and disadvantaged women work toward self-sufficiency. Visit your local store! www.jjill.com/compassion
View a PDF about this fundraier here.
Stand By Me
A family event benefitting Housing Opportunities for Women.
This last winter, HOW volunteers Gretchen Oschman and Jennifer Greenow, coordinated a family fundraiser called Beat the Winter Blues at the Skokie Theatre. The evening’s entertainment included Markus Gentry who belted out 50’s and 60’s classics including Elvis, The Drifter’s, Ray Charles and more. Staff, friends and guests rocked out both in the audience and on stage for a hoola hoop contest in honor of HOW’s life-saving work. The highlight of the evening came with a testimonial by HOW client, Tracy Saunders, who shared the challenges in stabilizing both her own life and her daughters. HOW would like to thank Al Curtis, manager of the Skokie Theater, for his assistance in planning the event.
Ride for Aids Chicago
Last June, Keely Jones, formerly a case manager at HOW, participated in the Test Positive Aware Network’s (TPAN) Ride for Aids. It is a two-day bicycling event comprised of a 190-mile ride from Evanston to Milwaukee and back and is geared towards raising money for TPAN’s mission of empowering people living with HIV through peer-led programming, support services, information dissemination and advocacy.
Keely raised over $3,000 for HOW’s programming which serves women and families impacted by HIV/AIDS. “I can honestly say this ride was one of the biggest challenges of my life, and one of the best experiences I have ever had. I was surrounded by amazing people, all working together for an extremely important cause.” TPAN's Ride for AIDS raised an overall total of nearly $300,000 for HIV/AIDS programming, breaking a fundraising record. To learn more about her progress check out her Ride for Aids event website.
Prior to the ride, Keely spent months training and fundraising. In fact, she quickly surpassed her original goal of $1,000 and promptly increased it by a $2,000. “I was humbled and overwhelmed by the amount of money donated, phone calls made, emails sent, mantras said, phone calls through-out, text messages sent along the ride, and more from all of you.”
In a triumphant email Keely wrote, “Thank you again, so very much. I feel extremely blessed and honored to be able to have said I completed the ride, and am even more honored and blessed to have such a generous network of people that contributed to the cause of fighting HIV/AIDS.”
Thank you so much Keely from everyone at HOW!
HOW Board Member Runs 40 Miles to Raise $40,000!
HOW Board Member Extraordinaire and Fitness Champion Sylvie Legere went above and beyond to celebrate her 40th birthday. She ran 40 miles and raised more than $40,000 in support of HOW's mission! Beginning at 5 a.m. on Sunday, September 21st, her route included multiple loops in the Evanston, Wilmette and North Shore communities, and she was joined by many friends and family members along the way. The event culminated in a post-run and house-warming party at Tom and Cece Ricketts home, where guests were treated to a barbeque, crepes, and martinis. "Sylvie's support and accomplishment are absolutely phenomenal," said Britt Shawver, HOW's Executive Director. "What a generous and amazing way to celebrate her birthday!" Click here to contribute to her birthday challenge.
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