Cabrini Connections Alumni Fund - 2011 Campaign

The Cabrini Connections Alumni fund founding leaders are Isiah Brooms, Leo Hall, Tangela Smith Marlow, and Tramaine Montel Ford. Every other alumni and parent who makes a donation and tells his/her story will become part of the leadership group who assures that Cabrini Connections will continue to be avaiable to inner city youth, and themselves, for the next decade.

Isaih Brooms graduated from the program back in 1992 and is now working for Westwood College. In 2010 he led the Alumni Fund by offering a Challenge to friend to match up to $600 of his own donations. He raised over $1500.

In total the 2010 campaign raised $2175. Our goal is to double this in 2011 (which means the total shown on the left will be $6500 by December 11, 2011.) We invite others to match this challenge with their own campaigns.

More than 500 students have been part of Cabrini Connections since 1993. From 1965 to 1992, more than 4000 2nd to 6th grade students were part of the Montgomery Ward/Cabrini Green Tutoring Program. I was the leader of that program from 1975 to 1992. With the help of six other volunteers we formed Cabrini Connections to help the graduates of this program have a 7th grade to first job program. We also created the Tutor/Mentor Connection in 1993, to help programs like Cabrini Connections be available to youth in other low-income neighborhoods of Chicago.

We've raised more than $5 million from many donors since 1993, but never have had an alumni fund, where our alumni and parents were telling their stories and working to raise money. Thanks to Isaiah, Leo, Tangela and Tramaine, we launched this fund in 2010. I hope they wiol be joined by many of our alumni, and their friends, in the coming weeks and months.