Would you like to donate a one-time gift? Perhaps make a monthly or annual payment to the Center?
Daring to Make a Difference Over the Edge Contribution?
The services and programs of our organization are designed and implemented with the whole family in mind, and each service is equally important.
Our Vision & Values
Our Vision is to build whole people, whole families, and whole communities, thereby transforming the culture of mission and ministry.
Ways To Give
There are many avenues of giving to support the work of Family Empowerment Centers.
No gift goes unappreciated!
OVER THE EDGE
THE CAUSE
Family Empowerment Centers is at the forefront of creating pathways of opportunity for under resourced individuals and families to experience greater joy and therefore greater hope in their future.
In a time when our most vulnerable families have even greater need, Family Empowerment Centers continues to meet that need by providing food for these families and additional educational support through camps and after school programs.
We are setting a goal of raising $160,000 from this “Over The Edge” event in net income. Proceeds from this event will directly support our food pantry and the myriad of mentoring programs we offer children in our community such as summer soccer camps, summer day camps, football camp for the local High School, and our after school program.
Afterschool Program
$50,000 towards the after-school program.
This program is operated during the school year and runs from 3:00 until 6:00 and benefits under resourced families and children. We are partnered with the Chicago Public Schools and operate a Safe Haven site servicing up to 40 children (k through 8) a day historically. We have served by being an open program during the teacher strike and a site for remote learning assistance during the Covid pandemic. Kids receive extra help with homework, academic advancement opportunities in language arts and math, life skills training, a CPS provided healthy snack and recreational time.
Summer Camp & Youth Programming
$40,000 towards our summer camps programs
These programs are geared toward the continual care of under resourced families and children during the summer months. We operate a 4 week soccer camp, 6 week day camp, and 2 sleep away camps that give children and youth an opportunity to expand their world view by getting out of the city and into the great outdoors. Most will canoe for the very first time when they go to these camps.
$30,000 towards youth programming.
The youth of our city need mentors, coaches and opportunities that create options for success. We strive to meet some of these needs as we continue to track with children heading into High School and provide them with mentoring and growth opportunities. One example is that we take the Sullivan High School football team on a mini camp/leadership development weekend each summer.
Food Pantry
$40,000 towards our neighborhood food pantry
We strive to meet the most basic human needs of having food to eat and secondarily decreasing stress, anxiety, and uncertainty in their lives. We allow those who need these services to choose the products that are best for them ensuring that food will not be wasted and grants them some dignity in “shopping” to meet there needs. We currently serve 55 plus families per week on average with them self-declaring as a household of 4 people on average. Our operations in 2021 alone helped over 1800 families (Approx. 7500 individuals). The food and other supplies we offer are always free to those who come