Donors Come Together To Provide Holiday Gifts for 600+ Lawrence Hall Youth!

CHICAGO, IL

Lawrence Hall donors helped raise funds and collect gift items for a record breaking 600+ Lawrence Hall youth during the agency’s 2018 Holiday Wish List Drive. Lawrence Hall’s annual Holiday Wish Drive collects gift items & donations to purchase gifts for youth in Lawrence Hall’s programs, newborns – 24 years old, and ran this year from November 1st through December 7, 2018. The drive, which ensures each Lawrence Hall youth has an item to open for the Holidays, begins with each young person filling out a wish list in Lawrence Hall’s five core programs: Project Work (Workforce Development), Foster Care, Therapeutic Treatment, Education and Transitional & Independent Living. “It’s truly an incredible demonstration of people coming together, powered by generosity, to make holiday magic happen for each of these kids,” said Laryssa Sykes, Development Coordinator at Lawrence Hall.

Chicago community support was on display at the Holiday Gift Wrapping Party held on Tuesday, December 11th at Lawrence Hall’s Main Campus in Lincoln Square, with volunteer attendance at it’s highest turnout ever. “It’s truly heartwarming to see how much this event has grown in the past couple of years! We had people coming from all over the city of Chicago to help us wrap presents,” noted Ms. Sykes.

The gifts were delivered to Lawrence Hall’s program sites on Friday, December 14th and Monday, December 17th. “There are going to be some VERY happy kids,” Ms. Sykes said with a smile, “We’re so grateful for every single person who made this holiday magic happen. No action was a small one and everyone played a key role in making sure our Lawrence Hall youth felt supported, special and hopeful this holiday season. From the folks who shopped for individual kids or on our Amazon Wish List, to those who showed up to wrap on Tuesday, this would not be possible without you. We continue to be humbled, amazed and overjoyed by your kindness.

Participating organizations included: Kenilworth Union Church, American Legion Auxiliary, The Reva & David Logan Foundation, Northwestern Medicine, Chicago Northshore Elks Lodge No 1316, BMO Capital Markets, LM Events & Catering, Novak Construction, American Library Association, Stratosphere Networks, BrookWeiner, JLDC Construction, MiQ Digital, Emmanuel Episcopal Church of La Grange, PEAP Neighborhood Block Club, William Blair, Accuity and Alex Brown: A Division of Raymond James.

(Volunteers at the Gift Wrapping Party held at Lawrence Hall’s Main Campus on Tuesday, December 11, 2018)

(Lawrence Hall staff with 130+ winter coats donated by The Reva & David Logan Foundation)

(IS Department at Northwestern Medicine which fulfilled 30+ Lawrence Hall Youth Wish Lists & Collected General Donations)