It's a celebration!

Our annual Year-End Dinner is tomorrow! I am very excited to see over 200 students, parents, volunteers, staff, board members, donors, and others come together in celebration of yet another fantastic year of tutoring and mentoring at Cabrini Connections. It is hard to put into words how much this year has meant to me, but I guess I've been doing that all along here on my blog. Thank you so much for reading!

Whether this is your first time or you're subscribed via e-mail (special shout-out to you guys!), I really appreciate your attention. Through me, you are giving our students attention and that is a tremendous blessing. In describing the impact of our program, I often try to have people imagine a 12-year-old in 7th grade, who may live in poverty or have other hardships, being instantly connected to almost 100 caring adults (our volunteers) as soon as he or she walks in our doors.

We provide networks for youth who otherwise may not have them. It is a service which so many other people take for granted. As soon as you begin to imagine your life without connections, you begin to understand the impact of a program like Cabrini Connections.

By reading this blog, you are part of our kids' networks, and when the time comes, I hope you will answer the call. If anything I write ever resonates with you in a special way, or you see a possible connection elsewhere, please leave a comment and let me know. And if you would be so generous as to consider making a donation, either one-time or ongoing, 1) you will be supporting a program recognized by the City of Chicago for Outstanding Performance in Youth Development for 2008-2009, and 2) I will thank you endlessly!

If our doors close, they close on 64 kids and countless future participants with great potential. We can't let that happen. Thank you for the support!