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Fundraising
Clinical
Fundraising Events
Gala Event -
5th Annual Portraits of Possibility Gala
2007 Gala Sponsorship Brochure (Right-click to download.)
Once again, Our Children’s Homestead is gearing up for our signature event, the “Portraits of Possibility” Gala. Last year, our black-tie gala surpassed our wildest expectations and we can’t want to reach even higher in 2007, attempting to exceed the $100,000 that was donated in 2006. The Fifth Annual “Portraits of Possibility” Gala will be held in downtown Chicago at the beautiful Crystal Ballroom at the Millennium Knickerbocker Hotel. This year we will be dancing along with the Jeff Sandler Orchestra, who has performed for the Chicago Bulls, Naperville Jaycee’s Last Fling and at our gala last year.
Actress and author Victoria Rowell (“Diagnosis Murder,” “Young & the Restless”) will be honored this year for her dedication toward foster children and will receive our annual Commitment to Children Award. Rowell herself is the product of foster care and the founder of The Rowell Foster Children’s Positive Plan. She recently released a book on her experiences, The Women Who Raised Me.
Last year actress Lauren Holly was our special honoree for her commitment to children and adoption. Holly, and her husband Francis Greco, have adopted three boys and made a lifelong dedication to helping children who otherwise would not have a home. This year, Holly will return as our Honorary Chairwoman.
Co-chairing the gala will be Lou Mastro and Dr. Maria Rago. Both individuals have been involved with Our Children’s Homestead for years and have very strong ties with the Naperville community. They bring their experience, energy and passion to this event to make it a success.
Dr. Maria Rago is a licensed clinical psychologist and serves as the director of the eating disorder program at Linden Oaks Hospital. She also has a private practice and recently helped open up a transition home in Naperville for woman who are being discharged from the hospital and trying to go home.
(Mary) Lou Mastro is currently the president of Linden Oaks Hospital in Naperville, a 110-bed psychiatric hospital. She also serves as a vice-president for Edward Health Services Corporation in Naperville. Mastro, MS, RN, is a senior executive with over 25 years of hospital experience. Mastro recently has been appointed Chair Elect for the Naperville Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.
To make “Portraits of Possibility” a success, we need your help. There are a variety of ways you can ensure this is our best event ever.
5th Annual Portraits of Possibility Gala Underway...
5th Annual Portraits of Possibility Gala
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Millennium Knickerbocker Hotel Chicago
Honorary Chairwoman: actress, Lauren Holly
Sponsor the Event*
$25,000 Premiere Event Sponsor
$15,000 Platinum Sponsor
$10,000 Gold Sponsor
$5,000 Silver Sponsor
$1,000 Dream Sponsor
$500 Vision Sponsor
*Complete details in the Gala Sponsorship Brochure
Attend the Event
2007 Gala Invitation (Right-click to download.)
Premiere VIP Table: $3,000
Table of Ten: $2,000
Individual Tickets: $225
Donate an Item
Your donation would be greatly appreciated and acknowledged in the event program. Past items have been donated:
- Vacation/weekend getaways
- Spa packages
- Airline miles
- Celebrity souvenirs
- Restaurant tours/certificates
Our Children’s Homestead would like to thank the Millennium Knickerbocker Hotel, Dr. Maria Rago, Lou Mastro, Lauren Holly, the Jeff Sandler Orchestra and everyone else involved for already getting “Portraits of Possibility” off to a great start.
Sponsorship and Advertising opportunities.
2007 Gala Sponsorship Brochure (Right-click to download.)
Look for more information to come!
For further infomration on this event please contact ksamp@ourchildrenshomestead.org.
Gala Event -
4th Annual Portraits of Possibility Gala
Guests Made Dreams a Reality at the 2006 Portraits of Possibility Gala
Nearly 250 philanthropists came together on Saturday, October 14, 2006 to enjoy a spectacular evening to raise money for the abused, neglected and troubled children under the care of Our Children's Homestead at their 4th Annual Portraits of Possibility Gala. When guests arrived to the Millennium Knickerbocker Hotel, they caught up with one another over a glass of wine or champagne provided by Barefoot Wine and browsed over 30 silent auction items ranging from a once in a lifetime fishing trip in Everglades National Park to a 24 person tour around Chicago on an Antique 1965 Mack Pumper Fire Engine.
As guests entered the ballroom and were seated for dinner, they were serenaded by the beautiful sounds of the Tremper Golden Strings, a unique strolling violin group composed of children. The evening was generously supported by the various corporate sponsors that included: Stark Investments, Sara Lee Corporation, Taipan Wealth Advisors, Clarendon Hills Bank, and Neumann Homes.
The keynote speaker for the evening was Rev. Richard Baker who spoke about his life as a foster child, the challenges he faced and how all the attendees that evening could help children who are in that position today especially those under the care of Our Children's Homestead. Richard asked each person to contribute the Dream Builder Fund which was established as a way to provide money for the children’s “dreams” not covered by State funding. It allows every child to pursue dreams of a life that is safe and secure with a stable foundation. Tutoring for children who are behind in school due to many disrupted placements, specialized vocational classes for our older teens, clinical camps for our medically complex children and so many other services are examples of how this Dream Builder Fund is utilized.
At the conclusion of the program actress Lauren Holly was honored for the commitment she has made to children and adoption. Lauren, and her husband Francis Greco, have adopted three boys and made a lifelong dedication to helping children who otherwise would not have a home. Lauren gladly accepted her award and showed extreme gratitude to all the people in the room that night who were committed to making a difference in the lives of foster children to help them all find a safe and secure place to call home.
Guests ended the evening dancing to the sounds of the Jeff Sandler Orchestra and rejoiced on a successful conclusion of the event. In total, close to $100,000 was fundraised for the programs that support the foster children and families associated with Our Children's Homestead.
If you couldn’t make it out to this year’s Gala, you missed out. This event continues to get better with every passing year. Stay tuned for further details on the 5th Annual Portraits of Possibility Gala to be held next year on Saturday, November 10th 2007. For more information on Our Children's Homestead or other ways to get involved please visit our website at www.ourchildrenshomestead.org
Our special guest for evening, honored as the recipient of the 2006 Commitment to Children Award, was actress Lauren Holly who currently stars in the CBS’s top-rated drama series “Navy:NCIS.” Each year this award is given out in special recognition of the dedicated individual(s) whose leadership, character & example have made a difference in the lives of children. Lauren Holly has gone the extra mile for children by adopting three boys with her husband. In March 2006 Lauren was quoted in People Magazine saying, “It always made me sad that there were kids who didn't have homes.” We applaud Lauren, and her husband, for making this commitment and were pleased to honor them at last years event.
(Please click here to read more about Lauren Holly)
Information and photos from the 4nd Annual Portraits of Possibility Gala
Information and photos from the 3nd Annual Portraits of Possibility Gala
Information and photos from the 2nd Annual Portraits of Possibility Gala
Putt For A Purpose -
The second annual “Putt for a Purpose” mini-golf event was help on May 19 and OCH would like to thank all of the families that were able to donate and putt around at Lost Mountain Adventure Golf on a beautiful, sunny day. Scaling things down from a full 18-hole event allows children and non-golfers to get into the swing and donate their time and money. We had 27 community sponsors and over 100 mini-golfers enjoy a day of fun and food, with Sweet Baby Ray’s in Wooddale providing a fantastic meal.
Photos from the 2006 Putt for a Purpose.
Clinical Programs
Respite -
Respite programs provide temporary relief for families. Additional family benefits include allowing the family to engage in daily activities thus decreasing their feelings of isolation, providing the family with rest and relaxation; improving the family’s ability to cope with daily responsibilities; maintaining the family during crisis situations and helping to prevent abuse and neglect.
OCH provides families with an in-home respite program that is funded through the Department of Human Services. There are several advantages to home-bases respite:
- The child is most comfortable in their home and does not need to adjust to a new setting
- The parent/caregivers are often more comfortable if the child does not have to leave the home
- The home is already equipped for any special needs the child may have
OCH or the family can identify a potential respite worker. All potential workers must have a background check and fingerprints completed. OCH pays the worker directly and there is no cost to the family for the child with the disability. IF the worker agrees, the family may leave other children in the workers care as well, but will be responsible to pay him/her $1.00/hour/child.
To qualify for the DHS respite program, a child must have on of the following diagnoses that must be verified by a doctor:
- Autism
- Epilepsy/seizure disorder
- Cerebral Palsy
- Mental Retardation (developmental delay of at least 30%)
DHS Specialized Home Placement Program -
OCH currently has 5 developmentally disabled adult clients that reside in licensed foster home. These clients have resided in these homes for many years are truly part of these families. A case manager ensures that the client’s needs are being met in the home that they are involved in a workshop or vocational program, and participate in recreational activities. The client is assessed for their appropriateness to move into a supervised independent group home setting and can be transitioned there.