BEACON PLACE NEWS

DID YOU MAKE A NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION TO DO MORE
 TO GIVE BACK in 2016?

Then come make a difference by volunteering at Beacon Place!




         Whether we are helping kids with their homework, providing nutritious snacks and lunches, making crafts, playing games or working with adults on language, parenting, technology, or other life skills, Beacon Place volunteers are making a difference every day by offering support to their neighbors that allows families in our community to make changes for themselves! 

Teens and adults with time and talent to share can find a way to give back to others this year at Beacon Place. We have opportunities during the day, after-school, on weekends, and in the summer - it's really all up to you! Our volunteers include corporate groups, church groups, sport teams, college interns, high school students, retirees, stay at home moms, executives, teachers,.....anyone who has an interest in sharing of themselves, their time, and their talents. 

Don't let more time slip away this year before you act on your resolution to make a difference! 

Fill out our VOLUNTEER INTEREST FORM and let us know how you'd like to get involved!

Currently we are seeking volunteers for the following positions:

SUMMER LUNCH BUNCH PROGRAM VOLUNTEERS - Running from the beginning of June through the middle of August, children can come to Beacon Place to enjoy a nutritious meal on site, and then stay for an afternoon of games, crafts, sports, music and more.  An amazing force of more than 150 high school, college and adult volunteers ensure that there is a camper/volunteer  ratio of approxim ately 5:1. If you would like to be a Beacon Place Summer Lunch Bunch Volunteer,  please complete the   Summer Volunteer Form.

GROUP VOLUNTEERS -   Do you belong to a group that is looking for a volunteer opportunity?  Summer is a great time to volunteer! Your group could consider working at the Summer Lunch Program for a day, sponsoring a special day (for example - Hot Dog Day or Pizza Day) or organizing a backpack food drive for the program participants.  Email to admin@beacon-place.org. if you and your group would like to get involved!



ADULT AND TEEN VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR AFTERSCHOOL HOMEWORK AND SUMMER  TUTORING PROGRAMS - 
At Beacon Place, we work with students all year round who want to do better in school! Adults and teens a re needed to help students in 1st through 8th grade with their homework and enrichment work in math and reading Monday through Thursday 3:00-5:30  pm (adults are needed at 3:00, teens arrive as soon as they can afters-chool).  
Summer Tutors are needed Mon- Thurs 8:30-11:30 June through August. Spring and summer tutors do not need to volunteer every day but can select days and times that work best! 
Email to admin@beacon-place.org  if you would like to help our kids! No experience is necessary! 

 
 




Volunteer Profile:  Meet Maria McGuire


Maria McGuire, Program Manager for the Beacon Place MOMS Program (Moms Offering Moms Support), has been volunteering at Beacon Place since 2013 and her impact has been extraordinary.  Maria began volunteering at Beacon Place in the Summer Lunch Program, and it became quickly evident that  she was a perfect fit for the MOMS group.  Not only is she bilingual, but she has  natural leadership skills and the ability to draw people in and make them feel welcome.  Maria noted that although the "MOMS" in the Beacon Place community come from many different backgrounds and ethnicities, they have discovered that  " they all have the same struggles within their families and the same great desires for their children". She has observed how the moms support one another, she has seen close friendships form, and has been thrilled to witness the tremendous personal growth in a number of the women!  For example, one of the moms in the group has complete her GED and is now enrolled in her first college class!

Maria has recognized that the while the MOMS group supports and encourages one another, volunteers are critical in helping find solutions and resources.  Maria has been involved in providing a variety of learning opportunities that have been requested by the MOMS that have been directed at self-help and self-improvement. She recently coordinated the Cooking Matters classes the women were involved in and is currently helping the MOMS write and design a "Beacon Place Cookbook" filled with recipes that the MOMS have provided.  Maria has brought in speakers that have addressed topics such as budgeting and loans, how to advocate within the school system, health and nutrition, safety in the community,  and mental health counseling.  Looking towards the future, Maria is hoping to offer  former ESL classes for the MOMS. She would also love to help interested moms become more employable and her long term goal is to see on of the women "launch her own business"! 

But Maria is not just committed to the Moms - she enjoys their kids as well! Maria finds time to also help tutor Kindergarten and 1st graders every Monday and Wednesday in the After-school Homework Club!  Like so many of our dedicated volunteers, Maria brings a wide range of contributions to all of the programs at Beacon Place and the families that we serve. Maria is the welcome friend, trusted confident, and mentor that so many women at Beacon Place  lean on. Beacon Place is so lucky to have Maria McGuire on our amazing team of volunteers! Thank you for all that you have done to make the big blue house on the corner someplace so special, for so many! 

Thank you Maria!



Tutoring Students Take On The iPod Challenge


What did most kids do over the winter break? Relax? Sleep in? Catch up on movies and video games??? Not the middle school kids   in the After-school Tutoring Program at Beacon Place!  Twelve, 6th through 8th graders,  spent their holiday break taking on the LISTEN, LEARN and LEAP Reading/ Listening Challenge!  The program was aimed at encouraging the students to explore new books that they may not have had the courage to explore in the past. For every book they read, or listened to on a new iPod loaned to them through Beacon Place, they earned points for themselves and the team that helped them work toward earning an "all you can eat pizza party and movie with make your own ice cream sundaes"!  Just like all else put in front if this great group of kids, they took on the challenge and beat their goal! But we'll let the kids tell you in their own words.....

"On the day of the challenge we sat around a table full of books. Some of us thought we were going to have to read a TON of books. Some of us  were just scared. Maybe it was an experiment. We found out we were getting iPods with audiobooks and at first we were excited because we thought we were going to get iPods to play games and music on. We really had no clue what was going to happen."

 It turned out the iPods were loaded with a  bunch of audio books that we could choose from. It was our challenge to listen to them and write a short summary Some of the books we knew, others we had never heard of. During this project we were motivated by our peers to earn the rewards.
Our peers motivated us because we didn't want to disappoint them because it was a team effort.
The rewards pushed us forward to the finish because 
we wanted to get pizza and a movie!
 
The challenge was a little scary because of the summaries. Some of the books were long. The whole process was challenging because we never had done anything like this even at school!

Overall, this experience was very rewarding. It was fun to try something new. We learned a lot by reading new  books, which developed our vocabulary. Finally, best of all, we get a pizza party and a movie night!"


Updates On Our DePaul Nursing Interns

Enrichment Program Offered by Nursing Interns

Students participating in the After School Homework Club this spring are enjoying an enrichment program offered by Kelsey Foat and Paige Robbins, our nursing interns from DePaul University of Nursing Program/Rosalind Franklin.  This enrichment program focuses on the human body including its structure and function; t eaching is adjusted depending on grade level.                                                 
 

Each week a new system of the body is introduced and the students learn through interactive, hands on teaching methods. Students started out the program by tracing and cutting out  life-size models of their own bodies on paper.  These models will be used throughout the program so students can better visualize where their own organs are located. So far, students have learned about the Integumentary System (the organ system!), the next topic will be the Cardiac System. Realizing that taking care of your organs starts with taking care of your body, the students will also cover general health topics like proper handwashing, etc. 



Beacon Place Welcomes Two New Nursing Interns

In addition to Kelsey and Paige, Beacon Place is thrilled to welcome 2 additional nursing interns from the DePaul University of Nursing Program/Rosalind Franklin.   Both are Master's degree students in Nursing and will work at Beacon Place for the next two years.

Amanda Kell received her Bachelor's degree in Meteorology but realized that her first passion was in medicine and helping others.  She became an EMT three years ago and continues to work part time.  Amanda loves "working with kids" and was attracted to Beacon Place because of the the children's programs and the opportunity to connect with families in the community.


Daniel Lu tz has been a paramedic for four years and his goal is to become a Nurse Anesthetist.  He was also drawn to Beacon Place because of the children's programs.  Since Daniel has 3 children of his own, he is particularly interested in tutoring in the After School Homework Club and using his coaching skills at the Summer Lunch Program.

We look forward to the addition of these two great interns and know their individual talents will have a positive impact on the Beacon Place community.

                  Welcome Amanda and Daniel!!



Beacon Place is Hiring Part-time Workers

Looking for a part-time job? Do you like to work and help people? Do you want to work for a non-profit agency? Beacon Place is currently interviewing to hire our first paid staff! There are several positions open for individuals looking to join our amazing team! We are currently seeking individuals for the following part time positions:

●     Administrative assistant
●    Assistant program manager-volunteers
●    Assistant program manager-client data
●    Program coordinator-education/enrichment
●    Technology program developer
 
To Apply:
Send resume via email to  admin@beacon-place.org. Be certain to include your name on each document. Indicate the complete title of the position for which you are applying in the subject line of your email. Thank you for your interest!


 



 
Thank you to all who generously supported the Beacon Place Fall Fundraiser: 
Changing Lives, Giving Hope!

B y year end we had raised more then $80,000 as a part of our the Beacon Place Fall Fundraising campaign which will be used to support our growing programs and expanding agency!!  Thank you to all who generously supported this campaign! 

Many of you have supported Beacon Place since our 
founding in late 2012, and since that time your generosity has enabled us to serve more than 600 children and families, provide more than 10,000 meals, 1,200 backpacks of food, provide year round tutoring for kids, weekly meetings for moms, and countless hours of awesome programming for kids, families, and adults including special presentations, field-trips, parties and events. 

Your generosity is truly a demonstration of neighbors helping neighbors; friends creating visions of hope and dreams for tomorrow, for a com
munity seeking to change. 

                   Thank you for your belief in the mission of Beacon Place! 
 


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ABBVIE FOUNDATION AWARDS 
   
Grant to Beacon Place

Thank you to the AbbVie Foundation for their continued generous support of Beacon Place! In late 2015, Beacon Place was awarded a grant from the AbbVie foundation to support our agency expansion. Funds from this grant will be used to support the expansion of our agency as we add our first paid staff in 2016. We are actively interviewing for several positions and hope to be hiring our first staff member from within our local community! The AbbVie Foundation has consistently demonstrated their support of the work that Beacon Place does in the North Chicago and Waukegan Community and we have welcomed many AbbVie employees who have found an 
opportunity to volunteer on-site at Beacon Place! 


Thank you AbbVie for all that you do for your local community!

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 Thanks to the Lake County News Sun - HELP THEM TO HOPE Fund


Beacon Place was recently selected as one of 6 local social services organizations to receive a grant from the HELP THEM TO HOPE Organization! This fund was started more than 50 years ago by a small group of pressmen at The News Sun who conducted an in-house collection for people in need. In 1959, the fund was opened to the public and since then has generated over $2 million in direct contributions to assist the needy. 

Thank you to all who have supported this amazing fund and for the generous support this grant  provide to support all of our growing programs!

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To Our Friends at SHRI Yoga

It was a beautiful evening Friday January 15 at the SHRI Yoga benefit for Beacon Place! Thank you to all who attended - wives, husbands, mothers, daughters, friends and sisters! The nearly 30 attendees raised $1,000 for Beacon Place and it was a wonderful experience with Zoe Nitsun and Mariann Fishbein leading the class and Marian McNair sharing her voice and crystals bowl for a peaceful end to class! Heidi Aloush brought her fabulous Daisy Fitness Wear and is donating a portion of all sales to Beacon PlaceP! All of this incredible generosity is another great example of neighbors helping neighbors!!
Thank you and Namaste~



A MESSAGE FROM BARB,
 OUR BEACON PLACE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR......

Anne Durot, Tutoring Program Manager,  is pictured here with her dear friend Hiromy, age 9, who brought her flowers and a card to thank Anne for all that she has done to help her succeed in school.  Special bonds are a part of being a volunteer at Beacon Place!

Volunteers - the "Heart" of Beacon Place 

During the cold months of winter,  we are so blessed to be holding programs for our community in our beautifully renovated Beacon Place community center that offers a warm, home-like environment, to all those who walk through our doors.  Four days a week we welcome children who continue to work diligently on their homework and have an eager desire to master their math facts, read books, share a meal together and develop friendships. Our moms meet together three times a week and special activities and events are always on our calendar! 

While our space is wonderful, it is truly our dedicated volunteers who are the key to our ongoing success. Each day I am amazed at the dedication, love, and compassion our volunteers demonstrate towards their neighbors in this community. I see the kids run and hug our dedicated program managers; they give high fives to the tutors when they accomplish something special; I see the moms laughing and talking with each other and with our volunteers; and I see the community come together to work on projects and activities where we all work and learn together. So often I leave at the end of my day at Beacon Place, feeling lucky to be surrounded by so many amazing people who have chosen to share their time and talents with others. 

As our programs grow, we need more volunteers. Will you consider joining us this year? Will you be the one the kids run to each day with a hug and a smile? All it takes is one visit. Come and stop by to see our programs in action and to see if there is a spot here for you. 


I hope that you will join us - 

Barb




Beacon Place
603 S. McAlister
Waukegan, IL 60085
224-572-9330