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Go Blue 4 OHU for Child Abuse Prevention Month!

One Hope United Kicks Off 4th Annual “Go Blue 4 OHU” Restaurant Collective, Dine Out and Do Good During National Child Abuse Prevention Month

Some of the hottest city and suburban restaurants are participating in One Hope United’s month-long event. Diners visiting Go Blue 4 OHU restaurants will have the opportunity to purchase a featured Go Blue food or beverage item with a percentage of sales being donated to One Hope United’s programs to prevent child abuse.

See participating restaurants BELOW or visit onehopeunited.org/goblue  for complete list!

“One Hope United is thrilled to welcome a growing number of restaurants that have joined Go Blue 4 OHU and will be encouraging guests to support the programs that help prevent child abuse in our communities,” says the organization’s new President and CEO, Charles Montorio-Archer.

“These restaurant owners are pillars in our communities, giving back in so many generous ways. They understand that everyone plays a role in providing families and children with a life without limits,” added Montorio-Archer.

Reflecting that giving spirit are owners such as Dino Perez, at Rio’s D’Sudamerica Peruvian restaurant in Bucktown. Perez was a supporter of One Hope United even before becoming one of the founding Go Blue partners five years ago. Perez has hosted a Career Day for OHU’s WINGS program for teen parents, where he helped young women explore career and entrepreneurship opportunities in hospitality.

Another generous restaurateur is the West Loop’s Cafe Ciao owner Julie Chung. Her restaurant may have a small footprint, but she has a giant heart. Cafe Ciao is the organization’s biggest Go Blue 4 OHU supporter for the last two years, donating 100% of proceeds from featured wine flights to One Hope United. Chung and has spent years developing a deep understanding of the organization’s early learning programs, information which she shares with her guests.

The Go Blue 4 OHU Restaurant Collective includes a fun element of competition for any Instagrammer who loves to post and share photos of menu items from their favorite bistros or bars.

You’ll have the chance to win fabulous prizes, including gift certificates from participating establishments by tagging #GoBlue4OHU in their posts. Follow One Hope United on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/onehopeunited/ and see details at https://onehopeunited.org/goblue.

Here is the full list of ways OHU will be recognizing the restaurants and diners who participate throughout the month of April:

  • Most money raised – Awarded to the Go Blue restaurant partner that provides the largest financial contribution to One Hope United
  • Most Go Blue items sold – Highest number of Go Blue items sold by a Go Blue restaurant partner
  • Friend of One Hope United – Restaurant who goes above and beyond to promote the Go Blue campaign to diners and spread the word about the cause
  • Instagram Contest Winner – Diner who visits the most restaurants and tags featured items on Instagram with #GoBlue4OHU (Instagram profile must be public to win) 

Restaurants participating in Go Blue 4 OHU 2019

Keep checking here for new restaurant’s joining One Hope United’s efforts to raise funds to prevent child abuse. All locations in Chicago unless otherwise noted.

  • Ambrosia Euro-American Patisserie (Barrington)
  • Arbella (River North)
  • Beatrix (River North, Streeterville, Fulton Market)
  • Bijan’s Bistro (River North)
  • Bombay Wraps (Lakeview)
  • The Brunch Café (St. Charles, Huntley, Niles, Roselle, Fox River Grove, McHenry)
  • Ciao! Café & Wine Lounge (West Loop)
  • Chez Moi (Lincoln Park)
  • Coco Pazzo Cafe (Streeterville)
  • Cupitol (Streeterville and Evanston)
  • Fabulous Freddie’s Italian Eatery (Bridgeport)
  • Farraguts on Clark (Andersonville)
  • Franco’s Ristorante (Bridgeport)
  • Elgin Public House (Elgin)
  • Gaslight Bar & Grille (Lincoln Park)
  • Gigi’s Kitchen (Bucktown)
  • Half Sour (South Loop)
  • Jellyfish (Gold Coast)
  • McNally’s Irish Pub (St. Charles)
  • MORA (Bolingbrook and Oak Park)
  • Portillo’s (location[s] TBA)
  • Rio’s d’Sudamerica (Bucktown)
  • The Royal Grocer & Co. (Bucktown)
  • Slurping Turtle (River North)
  • Tanta (River North)
  • TRIA (Bridgeport)
  • Victory Italian (River North)
  • Vintage 53 (St. Charles)

One Hope United is excited to welcome DiningOut Chicago, as our media sponsor – Chicago’s premier print and online source for the best reporting on the city’s culinary scene. DiningOut Chicago offers a unique brand of in-depth, thoughtful lifestyle stories combined with highlights of Chicago’s vibrant restaurant landscape. Throughout April, DiningOut will highlight the many tasty options guests can enjoy by participating in Go Blue 4 OHU while helping prevent child abuse.

About One Hope United
One Hope United is a private human service organization that offers a diverse array of prevention, intervention and community-based programs including early education, foster care, adoption, residential, and other support services. What began in 1895 as a children’s home in Chicago now serves 9,000 children and families each year in Illinois, Wisconsin, Missouri, and Florida and employs nearly 800 passionate and talented professionals. For more information, please visit http://www.onehopeunited.org.

Go Blue 4 OHU This April!

Join One Hope United this April in our efforts to prevent child abuse!

Throughout the month, more than 40 local Chicago restaurants are offering specialty menu items for diners to sip, feast on, or imbibe. When diners purchase a Go Blue select menu item, restaurants will donate a portion of the proceeds to One Hope United’s programs to prevent child abuse.

Visit goblue4ohu.org to learn more!

In other parts of Illinois, OHU will also host:

– Prevent Child Abuse Kick Off, Jefferson County Courthouse , Mt. Vernon, April 6, 2-3 p.m.

– Awareness Balloon Release, Jefferson County Courthouse, Mt. Vernon, April 25, Noon-1 p.m.

– Blue Sunday, Centralia Residential Treatment Facility, Centralia, April 29, 2-4 p.m.

For updates on these events, visit us on Facebook.

The month of activities leads right into Hope In Action on Friday, May 4, featuring a performance by Chicago’s Hamilton, Miguel Cervantes, and an appearance by Civil Rights Icon Ruby Bridges!

Get Your Hope In Action Tickets today!

#GoBlue4OHU | National Child Abuse Prevention Month

Doing Good that Tastes Good.
Dine out at Chicago restaurants in April to support One Hope United’s programs to prevent child abuse.

Throughout April, local Chicago restaurants are offering specialty menu items for diners to sip, feast on, or imbibe. Go Blue restaurants will donate a portion of the proceeds from select menu items to benefit One Hope United’s programs to prevent child abuse. One Hope United is one of Chicago’s oldest private human service organizations, working to ensure every child can look forward to a Life Without Limits.

Visit GoBlule4OHU.org to learn how to get involved!

 

Get Involved With GOBLUE4OHU | Calling All Schools!

Grass Lake Elementary School in Antioch, Illinois will be fundraising for OHU using Crayon Coin Banks during the month of April! Would your child’s school be interested in getting involved with our Go Blue 4 OHU campaign in April, Child Abuse Prevention Month?

Contact Marilee LaMattina at mlamattina@onehopeunited.org for more details!

$800 in Pennies? Way to Go Aurora Child Development Center!

The children and families at the OHU Aurora Child Development Center embraced the GO BLUE 4 OHU campaign wholeheartedly. Along with bake sales and raffles, the classrooms engaged in Penny Wars. Each classroom collected spare change throughout the month of April, each room striving to collect the most money. The winning classroom was the Kindergarten Classroom pictured above.

All together, the Aurora CDC raised $800 to support the child abuse prevention programs at One Hope United. Never underestimate the fundraising capabilities of young children!

Collinsville Staff: Raising Awareness

The Collinsville Staff at One Hope United, celebrated GO BLUE month in all programs by raising awareness in the community. Workers in the Family Support Program, Visitation Program, Intact Services, System of Care, Functional Family Therapy, and Multisystemic Therapy all shared knowledge throughout the month with those they came in contact with to acknowledge Child Abuse Prevention Month. This awareness was made by sharing knowledge during community interactions and supporting the cause by wearing t-shirts designed by supervisor, Brionne Rhodes for all staff. These shirts help spread the word of child abuse month and allow the workers to support the cause while the carried out their daily work working with our families in their homes.

Staff all met together on 4/29/14 to share in the support of child abuse prevention month.  Way to go!

From L-R: Corinne Fish (SOC) Tammy Wick (VS), Brionne Rhodes (Supervisor), Brigette Spellbring (Intact), Rebecca Chavez (Intact), Cherrel Beck (FSS), Amy Sanders(Intact), Kristen Kinnear (SOC), Tina Reed (VS), Michelle Rommerskirchen (FSS), Kara Lowry (FFT), and Jayne Wetzel (FSS)

11th Annual Blue Ribbon Event a Huge Success!

On April 13, 2014 One Hope United – Northern Region held its 11th Annual Blue Ribbon Event to Prevent Child Abuse at the Lehmann Mansion in Lake Villa, IL. And what an amazing day it was!

Over 200 people attended the event, raising nearly $90,000 to benefit OHU’s child abuse prevention programs. The highlight of the event was Keynote Speaker, Steve Pemberton, Chief Diversity Officer and Regional VP at Walgreens, who enraptured the audience with his personal account of being in the foster care system and the wonderful people in his life who helped him along his journey.

Also in attendance were six boys from the CARE Residential program who assisted with the raffles. They thoroughly enjoyed the day and responded positively to Steve Pemberton’s inspirational remarks, which told a story not unlike their own.

In addition to the popular raffle items, the day featured a live auction. One of the items to receive the highest bid was a Garden Party with food and champagne to be served at the winner’s home for 20 people, generously donated by Mike and Mary Smith, Cindy Lusignan and Nancy Miller. The guest servers at this Garden Party will OHU Board Member Howard Schnitzer and nine-year-old Abby Bergl, whose tireless fundraising efforts for OHU over the years and have raised close to $30,000! Howard’s apron read “Abby’s Assistant” and Abby’s apron read “Howard’s Boss.” This Garden Party sold for $2500!

Thank you again to all who attended this day filled with hope and inspiration, laughter and a few tears, old acquaintances and new friends. Please take a few moments to peruse our online photo album. We’ll see you in 2015!

GO BLUE Community Spotlight: Blue Ribbon Walk

One Hope United – Hudelson Region partnered with local agencies in Mount Vernon, IL to sponsor a Blue Ribbon Walk to raise awareness for Child Abuse Prevention month on Thursday, April 3, 2014.

Despite the threat of rain showers, over 100 community members and 12 OHU employees took part in this important event.  Also in attendance were OHU Foster Grandparents, who enjoyed being able to show their support for children in Jefferson County.

“This walk is a great way for us to kickoff Blue Ribbon month at OHU and in Mount Vernon.  There are so many children in Jefferson County dealing with abuse and neglect and because of events like this walk, we are able to bring awareness to this important issue. We are looking forward to all of the other great activities we have planned for Child Abuse Prevention month.” said Jayme Godoyo,  OHU Fund Development Officer.

Thank you to everyone who came out to support our GO BLUE campaign and join with OHU as we work together to strengthen families and communities.
go blue walkgo-blue-walk4 go-blue-walk3

Putting Feelings Into Words

Steven*  is a 16 year old involved in Comprehensive Counseling services through OHU Charleston.  When he started counseling he was a shy young man who struggled with talking about his feelings related to his family’s dysfunction.  Steven’s mother was already receiving counseling services through One Hope United and he observed her depressive symptoms improving.  Witnessing first hand her relief from depression, and having her spend more time with him, encouraged Steven to ask his DCFS case manager to refer him for counseling services too.

When he began meeting with his counselor he knew he wanted to feel better about himself and his family’s situation but it was hard to put his thoughts and feelings into words.  Steven kept in mind if it worked for mom, it can work for me. He quickly engaged and was able to share that as the oldest sibling in the family, he felt responsible and guilty for not protecting his younger brother from harm which led to DCFS being involved with his family.  His counselor helped him process his feelings and challenge his thought distortions.

Through this process he became more verbal and outgoing in session and quickly made progress to achieve his goals he set forth for counseling.  The counselor noted as he opened up in sessions, he was reporting an emergence of being more outgoing at school and in other settings.  As the counselor was finalizing discharge planning with him, he shared a conversation he had with a group of peers at school about a book series he was reading.  He had an a-ha moment in session and stated with excitement, “I’m really more like the other kids now than I am different.”  Through counseling, Steven was able to resolve his feelings about himself in relation to his family, but also experienced personal growth and insight as a maturing young man.

*Name has been changed to protect the privacy of the family.  Photo above is a stock image.

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