Thank you, Hillshire Brands Foundation!

Media ContactKara Navin Chicago Youth Centers 218 S. Wabash Ave., Chicago, IL 60604 (312) 913.1700 ex. 450 kara.navin@chicagoyouthcenters.org

Chicago Youth Centers receives $25,000 grant from Hillshire Brands Foundation Gift will support CYC’s 21^st Century Learning and Healthy Living Program

CHICAGO, July 25, 2014 – Chicago Youth Centers (CYC) recently received a $25,000 grant from the Hillshire Brands Foundation to support its 21^st Century Learning and Healthy Living Program. This pilot program, which will launch this fall at CYC’s Rebecca K. Crown Youth Center in Chicago’s South Shore community, will incorporate experiential learning and physical activity within the current curriculum. The grant will enable CYC to renovate the center’s gym (including adding a climbing wall) and provide nutrition education, healthy meals and snacks–essential elements for effective learning.

“We are so proud to partner with the Hillshire Brands Foundation for this community-changing pilot program at CYC’s Rebecca K. Crown Youth Center,” said Barbara Mosacchio, President and CEO of Chicago Youth Centers. “Hillshire’s support will make a tangible and sustainable impact in the South Shore community—where food insecurity and children confined by violence are truly pressing issues.”

For many of CYC’s children, neighborhood violence inhibits their ability to play outdoors and practice healthy lifestyles. Additionally, many of the children who attend the Crown Center live below the federal poverty line and lack adequate nutrition. Many rely on programs like CYC's to meet their essential nutrition needs.

“CYC’s 21^st Century Learning and Healthy Living Program offers a unique and compelling solution to the needs within the South Shore community,” said Matthew Pakula, Director of the Hillshire Brands Foundation. “This promising program increases 21^st Century skill development and keeps young people active and healthy.”

In recognition of such a generous contribution, CYC will organize a community event to launch the new healthy living center as part of the unveiling of its pilot program at the Crown Center this fall.

About Chicago Youth Centers

Chicago Youth Centers invests in the academic, social and emotional development of children and teens in underserved Chicago communities to help them realize their full potential. Founded by Elliott Donnelley and Sidney Epstein in 1956, CYC now includes eight neighborhood centers, seven 21st Century Community Learning Centers and Camp Rosenthal. CYC provides youth, ages three to 18, with the following programs: Early Childhood Education, School-Age Child Development, Teen Leadership Development, Camp Rosenthal, Comprehensive Community Based Youth Services and Education Support Initiative. Last year, CYC served more than 5,400 children, parents, and guardians, offering programming ranging from early childhood education to college and career readiness.  Visit chicagoyouthcenters.org for more information.

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