Community Partners
The Chicago Fire Foundation and our community partners are dedicated to enriching the lives of the Chicagoland community. The following is a list of our current charity partners. We are excited to work with these organizations and continue our outreach into the community.
URBAN INITIATIVES
“Urban Initiatives is a nonprofit organization that runs a health and education soccer program, called the Work to Play Program, in the Chicago Public Schools (CPS). By actively engaging participants in extracurricular activities at a young age, Urban Initiatives empowers youth to live a healthy lifestyle, value education, and enhance their personal and social development. The Chicago Fire Foundation is proud to partner with Urban Initiatives to utilize a collaborative, whole child approach to development in order to provide children with the opportunity to reach their full potential.”
AMERICA SCORES CHICAGO
America SCORES Chicago partners with schools to provide a high-quality, team-based program that integrates soccer, poetry, and service-learning. The Chicago Fire Foundation is proud to partner with America SCORES Chicago to help grow the sports of soccer by providing children in underserved communities in the Chicagoland area with the opportunity to experience the beautiful game
BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF CHICAGO
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Chicago provides hope, stability and opportunity for more than 13,840 young people per year throughout 32 Clubs in the Chicago area. Each Club is supervised by caring and trained professionals who engage kids in more than 200 activities each year. Club leaders and staff members believe their work is an opportunity to positively shape the future of America. Boys & Girls Clubs’ programs have taken members from the Clubhouse to the White House; from the game room to the corporate boardroom; and from the drum corps to Orchestra Hall. The Chicago Fire Foundation is excited to partner with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Chicago and support its mission to enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens.
CHILDREN’S MEMORIAL HOSPITAL
Children's Memorial Hospital is Illinois' only freestanding hospital exclusively for kids. Ranked #1 in almost every major pediatric specialty, they provide superior pediatric healthcare in a compassionate, family-centered environment. Through this partnership, the Chicago Fire Foundation will work with Children’s Memorial Hospital’s Institute for Sports Medicine to provide funding for its Knee Injury Prevention Program (KIPP) which is designed to lower the risk of ACL injuries in athletes.
COMMON THREADS
Co-founded by Art Smith, Oprah’s former personal chef, Common Threads began out of love for family and good food; two basic ingredients that link all people e together. Its mission is to educate children on the importance of nutrition and physical well-being, and to foster an appreciation of cultural diversity through cooking. Children who participate in their programming come to their kitchens and embark on a world adventure as they prepare nutritious meals rooted in diverse cultural heritages. By using the power of food they can bridge cultural boundaries and strengthen our bond as a global family through the simple process of preparing and sharing a meal with others. Through this partnership, the Chicago Fire Foundation will help Common Threads serve approximately 1,000 students primarily those from various low-income neighborhoods in Chicago. One Kid + One Kitchen = One World Discovered
GATEWAY GREEN
Gateway Green is a non-profit organization that believes beauty and sustainability go hand in hand. For nearly 25 years, Gateway Green has been dedicated to making Chicago a more beautiful and “greener” place to live. Through this partnership, the Chicago Fire Foundation will support Gateway Green’s endeavor to greening and beautifying the expressways, gateways, and neighborhoods of Chicago. On April 22, 2010 the Chicago Fire partnered with Gateway Green, MLS W.O.R.K.S. and the Village of Bridgeview to host a special tree planting at TOYOTA PARK in honor of the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day. Check out the Earth Day Tree Planting photo gallery!
MIDTOWN EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION
Midtown Education Foundation is an after-school and summertime enrichment program that serves thousands of students in grades 4-12 in the Chicagoland area. Since 1965, Midtown has helped thousands of inner-city kids become better students and better people through its academic and character education programs. Through this partnership, the Chicago Fire Foundation will help contribute to Midtown’s success in graduating 98% of its students from high school where 89% of alumni go to college.
RAUNER FAMILY YMCA
The Rauner Family YMCA is dedicated to creating a place where everyone feels they belong and strives to help its members grow physically, mentally and spiritually. Since its opening in 2006, the Rauner Family YMCA has reached over 7,000 individuals in the Pilsen, Little Village, and Back of the Yards communities. The partnership between the Chicago Fire Foundation and the Rauner Family YMCA will help promote youth soccer and wellness which influence the lives of children, teens and adults.
