December 31 marked the culmination of Chuhak & Tecson’s 25th anniversary year, and with it, the culmination of “25 Ways of Giving Back”—the firm’s yearlong community service initiative reflecting its commitment to the people and communities of Chicagoland.
Throughout 2012, Chuhak & Tecson attorneys and staff teamed up to complete 25 service projects in honor of the firm’s clients, friends and strategic partners. Projects ranged from serving meals to the homeless, to shaking cans at Misericordia Candy Days, to providing estate planning documents for Chicagoland police officers, firefighters and first responders.
In the firm’s largest project, about 75 employees spent a weekday afternoon packing food at Greater Chicago Food Depository. Attorneys, secretaries and staff members were divided into two teams—one team packed 13,500 pounds of summer sausage and the other packed 5,775 pounds of pasta to be distributed to local food pantries for people in need.
“Volunteering at the Food Depository was a truly incredible experience for the firm,” said Principal Ed Josephson. “The food packing exercise enabled us to foster team-building among our employees, while simultaneously helping to make a difference in the Chicago community.”
It was fitting for Chuhak & Tecson to celebrate its Silver Anniversary with “25 Ways,” as community service has been a core value of the firm since it opened its doors in 1987. Through “25 Ways,” the firm hoped to inspire others to make 2012 a year of service as well. Friends and family members of firm employees participated in a number of service projects, and the firm also received outside support from the general public. Other local law firms even stepped up to hold their own “Jeans Days” after hearing about the firm’s first event, which benefitted Chicago Legal Clinic.
One of the hallmarks of “25 Ways” was the variety of projects firm employees could participate in. Monetarily, the firm donated and collected over $8,000 for organizations across Chicago, including Elim Christian School, Bridge Communities and My Brother’s Kitchen. Additionally, the firm collected over 1,700 teddy bears, books, food items, school supplies and pieces of clothing for organizations like Young Women’s Leadership Charter School and Volunteers of America of Illinois.
The service initiative wrapped up with two events in December. The firm held a Jeans Day, with employees donating a total of $630 to the American Red Cross to benefit victims of Hurricane Sandy. In a holiday-themed activity, employees baked and donated cookies to Advocate Hospice, which helps patients with terminal illness live each day to the fullest.
“2012 has been an exciting, inspiring, rewarding year for Chuhak & Tecson,” Josephson said. “We are proud of what we have accomplished and the effort put forth by our loyal and dedicated employees.
“We look forward to continuing service to the people of Chicagoland.”
Chuhak & Tecson’s yearlong community service initiative continued with four events in October and November.
Event Partner: Soldiers’ Angels
In October, firm employees crafted 25 blankets for Soldier’s Angels just in time for the winter. The blankets were distributed to soldiers overseas to help keep them warm during the upcoming months.
A volunteer-led organization, Soldiers’ Angels provides aid and comfort to military personnel, veterans and their families. To date, the organization has sent hundreds of thousands of care packages and letters to soldiers deployed overseas, has provided care to military personnel in VA facilities, and has distributed voice-controlled laptops to more than 6,000 severely wounded soldiers, among other projects. For more information, visit soldiersangels.org/.
Event Partner: Young Women’s Leadership Charter School
On November 8, Young Women’s Leadership Charter School partnered with Chuhak & Tecson for the firm’s seventh Women Helping Women Mix-and-Mingle. The firm also held a Jeans Day November 9 to benefit YWLCS. Collectively, Chuhak & Tecson employees and the 120+ Mix-and-Mingle attendees made financial contributions and donated supplies to the school—468 packages of pens, pencils and markers, 90 reams of copy paper, and dozens of binders, notebooks, rulers, erasers and crayons to the school.
Now in its 13th successful year, YWLCS educates 350 students in grades 7-12. The only all-girls public school in Chicago, YWLCS emphasizes math, science and technology and graduated 95 percent of the Class of 2012. Ninety-eight percent of these alumnae have gone on to colleges, universities or other post-secondary options. For more information, visit ywlcs.org.
Event Partner: Chicago Bar Association
Chuhak & Tecson attorneys and staff participated in the Chicago Bar Association’s Wills for Heroes event November 10. Approximately 20 employees provided basic will and estate planning services to Chicago firefighters and police officers.
Since 2001, program participants have prepared more than 6,000 estate planning documents for first responders. The Chicago Bar Association runs Wills for Heroes every other month. For more information, visit chicagobar.org.
Event Partner: United Cerebral Palsy of Greater Chicago
To make the holidays brighter for local children, firm employees participated in a holiday gift drive sponsored by the United Cerebral Palsy Association of Greater Chicago. About 30 firm members brought in toys to be gifted to nearly 45 children suffering from disabilities.
Founded in 1951, UCP offers a variety of programs and services to advance the independence of children and adults living with disabilities. For more information, visit ucpnet.org.
December has arrived and Chuhak & Tecson, P.C. is closing out its yearlong community service initiative with an appropriately holiday-themed activity—cookie baking.
Firm employees are baking and donating homemade cookies for families served by Advocate Hospice. A division of Advocate Health Care, Advocate Hospice helps patients with terminal illnesses manage their pain and live each day to the fullest. Learn more about Advocate Hospice: http://www.advocatehealth.com/hospice.
Cookie baking will serve as the 25th and final event in Chuhak & Tecson’s 25 Ways to Give Back service initiative. In honor of our clients and our silver anniversary, the firm is participating in 25 community service events throughout the year. Projects include everything from volunteering at senior centers, to preparing a meal at Ronald McDonald House, to a backpack collection for underprivileged youth. For more information and ongoing updates, visit 25 Ways We’re Giving Back.
Chuhak & Tecson’s “25 Ways to Give Back” program continues with a Jeans Day to benefit victims of Hurricane Sandy.
On Jeans Days, employees who contribute at least $10 to a selected not for profit organization can wear denim to the office. Donations collected will go to the American Red Cross, which continues to assist millions of people in the Northeast who have been affected by Hurricane Sandy.
Almost 9,000 Red Cross volunteers have been deployed to the East Coast to assist with relief efforts. The organization has already distributed millions of food, clothing and relief items to those in need. To donate to the Red Cross’s Sandy efforts, visit https://www.redcross.org/donate/index.jsp?donateStep=2&itemId=prod10002.
The Red Cross Jeans Day will serve as the 24th event in Chuhak & Tecson’s 25 Ways to Give Back service initiative. In honor of our clients and our silver anniversary, the firm is participating in 25 community service events throughout the year. Projects include everything from volunteering at senior centers, to preparing a meal at Ronald McDonald House, to a backpack collection for underprivileged youth. For more information and ongoing updates, visit 25 Ways We’re Giving Back.
Through December 6, Chuhak & Tecson employees are participating in a holiday gift drive hosted by United Cerebral Palsy Association of Greater Chicago. About 30 attorneys and staff signed up to bring in new toys for disadvantaged children in the Chicago area.
Founded in 1951, UCP offers a variety of programs and services to advance the independence of children and adults living with disabilities. To make a donation to UCP’s holiday gift drive, visit http://www.ucpnet.org/holiday.php.
UCP’s holiday gift drive will serve as the 23rd event in Chuhak & Tecson’s 25 Ways to Give Back service initiative. In honor of our clients and our silver anniversary, the firm is participating in 25 community service events throughout the year. Projects include everything from volunteering at senior centers, to preparing a meal at Ronald McDonald House, to a backpack collection for underprivileged youth. For more information and ongoing updates, visit 25 Ways We’re Giving Back.
More than a decade ago, nearly two dozen career professionals, civic leaders and philanthropists—women with a common vision—pooled countless hours and resources to create a remarkable school in the Bronzeville neighborhood of Chicago.
Women, especially women of color, had long been underrepresented in the math and science career fields, and research was showing that girls perform better in math, science and technology in a single-sex environment. These facts inspired its 23 founders to establish the Young Women’s Leadership Charter School, now starting its 13th successful year with 350 students in grades 7 to 12.
Young Women’s Leadership Charter School will be recognized and showered with school supplies on Thursday, Nov. 8, at Women Helping Women’s Fall Mix-and-Mingle at Lloyd’s Chicago. Hosted twice a year by the women attorneys of Chuhak & Tecson, WHW is an after-hours networking group that integrates wine and hors d’oeuvres with business development and philanthropy.
Each mixer benefits a different not for profit organization serving women, or women and their children. The girls’ school, in a sense, encompasses both.
“YWLCS offers a transformative education to the young women who will be tomorrow’s leaders,” said Deniece Fields, school director. “As the only all-girls public school in Chicago, we empower the next generation of young women leaders to succeed in college and beyond.”
The designation of the school as WHW’s guest of honor is well-deserved, said Valerie Freireich, a principal at Chuhak & Tecson. Having partnered previously with wonderful outreaches to women veterans, teen mothers, and abused and homeless women, the WHW group opted to go a different direction this time.
“Education is a fundamental part of life and we’re pleased to support the mission of Young Women’s Leadership Charter School,” Freireich said. “Research tells us that girls sometimes become less vocal, less involved in science and math because of the presence of boys in the classroom. Having a school that focuses on these subjects in a single-sex environment is a great asset for the young women of Chicago.”
Enrollment at YWLCS is nonselective and lottery-based, so girls often come in one to three grade levels behind. Nearly all are from low-income families, but with a 12:1 student-to-teacher ratio, there is ample opportunity for students to receive personal attention. In spite of the obstacles, 95 percent of the senior class graduated last spring, and 98 percent of these alumnae are now in college or another post-secondary option.
Our primary goal is to ensure girls graduate and go on to college,” Fields said, adding that the school’s “signature initiatives” are an active college prep program, leadership classes for grades 7, 8 and 12, and school-wide leadership programming.
YWLCS receives public funding, but it’s not enough to cover the costs of giving students a quality education. That’s where a helping hand is needed from groups like Women Helping Women.
“We are so grateful for our strong network of corporate supporters, including Chuhak & Tecson, who are inspirations for our girls,” said Fields.
Chuhak & Tecson’s popular Mix-and-Mingles offer women entrepreneurs, decision makers and potential strategic partners the opportunity to streamline their schedules by networking, developing business and working for charity, all at the same event.
“The approach of Women Helping Women is three-fold, and I think the combination of those things is what gives it its effectiveness,” Freireich said. “All of our attendees are professionals, including business owners, so this is a wonderful way for them to network while serving the community. Over the course of our last six Mix-and-Mingles, we’ve received passionate feedback about the business development successes that have emerged across a variety of industries and the way in which the group is empowered to change the lives of others.
At each Mix-and-Mingle, guests are asked to bring a donation for that event’s community partner. Suggested donations for YWCLS include the kinds of things a school can never have too many of—No. 2 pencils, ballpoint pens (blue, black and other colors), color markers, colored pencils, dry-erase markers, five-inch binders and reams of copy paper, both white and color. Cash donations also are welcome.
The mixer will be held Nov. 8 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Lloyd’s Chicago, 1 S. Wacker Dr. If you would like to receive an invitation, please contact Katie Walsh, marketing coordinator, at (312) 201-3447 or kwalsh@chuhak.com.
First responders are usually called upon to help those in need. This Saturday, the tables will be turned when Chuhak & Tecson attorneys and staff lend a helping hand to Chicago firefighters and police officers in need of estate planning services.
Approximately 20 firm employees will participate in the Chicago Bar Association’s Wills for Heroes event November 9. By providing basic will and estate planning services, these employees will help first responders effectively plan for their families’ futures.
The Chicago Bar Association runs Wills for Heroes every other month. Since November 2001, program participants have prepared more than 6,000 estate planning documents for first responders.
Wills for Heroes will serve as the 22nd event in Chuhak & Tecson’s 25 Ways to Give Back service initiative. In honor of our clients and our silver anniversary, the firm is participating in 25 community service events throughout the year. Projects include everything from volunteering at senior centers, to preparing a meal at Ronald McDonald House, to a backpack collection for underprivileged youth. For more information and ongoing updates, visit 25 Ways We’re Giving Back.
Chuhak & Tecson’s yearlong community service initiative continued with two events in September.
Event Partner: Chicago Volunteer Legal Services Foundation
On September 14, Chuhak & Tecson attorneys, staff and their families participated in the 19th Race Judicata, benefitting Chicago Volunteer Legal Services Foundation. The 5k walk/run supports the Foundation’s mission of providing free legal services to low-income Chicago residents.
Founded in 1964, CVLS has provided pro bono legal services to more than 18,000 Chicagoans. The organization is comprised of nearly 3,000 volunteers who donate their time in order to assist people who otherwise would not have access to legal representation. All proceeds from Race Judicata will go toward general operating costs of CVLS. The race is one of several fundraisers sponsored by CVLS each year. For more information, visit cvls.org.
Event Partner: PAWS Chicago
In September, firm employees donated over $500 and more than 30 pet care supplies to PAWS Chicago. Donated items include leashes, dog bowls, cat toys and cleaning supplies.
Located in Lincoln Park, PAWS Chicago finds new homes for thousands of homeless pets each year. Since the organization’s founding in 1997, the number of homeless dogs and cats euthanized annually in the city has dropped more than 50 percent. PAWS provides a number of services in addition to adoptions, including a spay/neuter clinic and community outreach program. For more information, visit paws.org.