Association House is proud to announce the addition of a new member to our Board of Directors, Noam Avidov, Director of US Business Strategy at IMC Trading.
As a member of our board, she will provide leadership and insight for the execution of our efforts of being a community resource to Chicago through educational, vocational and health programming.
Shortly after her addition to the Board of Directors, Noam highlighted what inspired her to take the next step in furthering Association House’s mission.
As the city of Chicago enters phase four of the state reopening plan Association House provides the following updates to programming and building access for participants:
All participants that will enter Association House will be screened.
Masks are to be worn inside the building and social distancing guidelines posted throughout the building are to be followed.
Behavioral Health has resumed Visions programming groups with restrictions. The Drop-In Center is currently hosting outside activities with restrictions. For more information about Behavioral Health Services, please call (773) 772-8009.
Workforce Development is offering Work$Ready, a free, online, job readiness training for individuals who are seeking employment. For more information visit here.
Mental Health First Aid will resume providing virtual training workshops in July. Please check our Eventbrite calendar here.
Updated April 6
Association House High School’s schedule and resources have been released. They are available here.
Updated March 19
Services temporarily postponed for Technology – Open Lab and Know Your Status – Walk-In Rapid Testing.
Association House High School students can go to any CPS school to receive boxed meals during the closure. AHHS is not providing any food service.
Association House high school is celebrating 30 of our students who are taking a step toward their college education by enrolling in classes at Wright College. We hosted a pep rally and invited parents of the students who are in our dual enrollment courses to a celebration, which included breakfast, a brief overview of the program and a speech by the Dean of Wright College.
The Behavioral Health division of Association House is adding the SMART Recovery Distance Training Program to continue to aid participants who graduate from the Visions program.
As you know, last winter Association House experienced a flood
that impacted 25,000 square feet on multiple floors, which required restoration
efforts that occurred throughout 2019.
Prior to reconstruction, Association House had to relocate staff
and participants of the affected areas throughout the building in order to
ensure services went uninterrupted.
Diana, a resident of our Buena Vista group home, has received assistance with her moderate intellectual disability at Association House for years. With the help of AHC, she increased her competency areas and even held a job, which has allowed her to save money for an annual trip to celebrate her birthday. Her past trips included cruises and island adventures, but this year’s 77th birthday trip was especially meaningful.
Letty Sargant has found a passion for giving back to Association House for the past 20 years through her church. As a member of Friendship Presbyterian Church, who has partnered with us for many decades, she has led initiatives, including volunteering with the afterschool program; donating food for our food pantry; and, participating in the annual Holiday Smiles Toy Drive. Through Friendship’s annual toy drive efforts, church members have adopted more than 700 children over the last two decades with Letty’s leadership. Here’s a bit about Letty and Friendship Presbyterian Church’s giving in her own words.
In December 2018, Symone applied to AHC’s Financial Careers Training (FCT) program. She dreamed of becoming an entrepreneur and saw FCT as a step towards that. Her goal in joining the program was to gain customer service and financial literacy skills that would prepare her for owning her own business. Symone had prior work experience as a sales associate, receptionist, and production worker, but was ready for a more stable career in banking, in the meantime.
During the intake process, it became clear that Symone presented a few barriers to employment: she did not have stable housing and at the time was living in a shelter. Symone was connected to Income Support Services (ISS), where she received assistance in meeting her basic needs, including applying for public benefits. She qualified for Illinois’ Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the ISS Specialist helped her complete and submit an application. The ISS Specialist also helped Symone obtain transportation, allowing her to get to and from class easily, and assisted her in obtaining business attire for job interviews.
By taking advantage of AHC’s wraparound programs, Symone successfully completed FCT and landed a job as a Relationship Banker with TCF Bank.
“I needed my education to go further in life, and that was the promise I made my mother. When I was blessed with my son, I didn’t have a babysitter. I didn’t have daycare close enough for me to get him there because I wasn’t working.”Nancy faced the reality of many students with children, the lack of options in childcare, which affects both education and financial opportunities. In 2018, Nancy came to Association House High School as a senior and enrolled her children in the Family Literacy Program (FLP), on-site childcare, early childhood education, family literacy activities, and parenting workshops to engage two generations at once.
The
summer is drawing near a close and Association House is fully into the back-to-school
spirit.
Tuesday,
September 3, staff and faculty of Association House High School welcomed more
than 120 students back to our hallways for the start of another school year.
