Holiday Party for Breakthrough - GIFTS NEEDED!

Holiday Party at the Bratschie's!!!

Bring your gift for the Breakthrough Christmas Party! This is how it works:

1. You buy a gift and drop it off at our party (or shop online or buy it and take it directly to Breakthrough).
2. All the gifts end up at Breakthrough next Saturday and are sold to people in the men and women programs, to families of the children's program and to other community members connected to Breakthrough for a fraction of the retail! (Your $50 gift is sold to them for $5 or $10!)
3. These people feel EXTREMELY dignified at that point and they can celebrate Christmas the way I always have!
4. But wait, there's more! That money they pay goes toward college scholarships for kids from the neighborhood! Can it get any better than this????

Please consider helping if you can - this may be the only nice gift some of these folks have under the tree this year. Please bring unwrapped presents for people of all ages to help out some under-resourced families.

- $10 parking across the street (southeast corner of Wabash and 9th)
or
- Roosevelt Red Orange and Green line is 3 blocks away!




http://breakthrough.org/general/60/annual-christmas-store

You can also shop online! Just follow the link above and you will see a Target link on that page!

Many Blessings,
Don (&Amanda(&baby))

How to get connected NOW!

Hello all you wonderful Breakthrough Volunteers! Here are just a few ways you can get connected this month with Breakthrough!

December 10th: Annual Christmas Serving meal at Breakthrough Men's facility. Of course we serve every month, but we do a special sit down serving style meal on our December date and the guys love it! And of course we love them! So it all works out great. We need people so contact Amanda to sign up!

December 12: Christmas Open House at the Bratschie's - bring a gift to help under resourced families in Chicago. Read all about the Breakthrough Urban Ministries Christmas Store HERE.



You can also check out GIFT IDEAS and SHOP ONLINE.

If you can not make the party but want to donate let us know - we can arrange something that fits your schedule.

December 19: Come help us sell the gifts, put smiles on faces, and enjoy the celebration of Christ at the Christmas Store! We need all kinds of volunteers so email Don if you want to help out!

Also, Follow Me on Twitter!

Annual "Big Serve" at Breakthrough Men's Facility

We are excited about our 2nd annual "Big Serve" at the Breakthrough men's facility. This is our chance to show the guys how much we love them and that we are grateful for them being in our lives. We will be doing restaurant style opposed to the typical food line. We will have a hostess seating the guys and we will have a waiter/waitress and a busboy/busgirl at each table filling drink glasses, and waiting on every need the guys may have.

Speaking of the tables, they will be made up with centerpieces, candles (possibly flameless after the fire last year) and menus printed with the dinner options. This will be a three course meal with the guys choosing their options for salad, main course & a variety of side dishes! They will top off the evening with dessert and hopefully someone will be brave and play the piano for a bit.

I will trust in God to once again make the food taste good and we will thank Him for all he delivers for us to share. The kitchen will be bustling with an assembly line of folks each with a specific duty and we will lift it all up to God to make it a special night for these special guys. We are so looking forward to our non-traditional tradition!

We are filling up fast so if you would like to join please drop me an email. Details are below. You can also donate centerpieces, candles, etc. if you would like.



When: Thursday December 10th, 6-9pm
Where: Men's Facility - 402 N St Louis Ave
RSVP: We must hear from you if you plan to volunteer or donate. Please contact Don:
E-mail - bratschie@gmail.com
Phone - 312-545-1023

Holiday Party at the Bratschie's!!!

Mark the date: December 12th!

We are excited to open our home and share some holiday spirit and help contribute to the Breakthrough Christmas Store. Please bring unwrapped presents for people of all ages to help out some under-resourced families.

- $10 parking across the street (southeast corner of Wabash and 9th)
or
- Roosevelt Red Orange and Green line is 3 blocks away!




http://breakthrough.org/general/60/annual-christmas-store

LaunchPAD in full force...

Don and I were at a meeting for Breakthrough's Dream Big project this past week (you'll hear more about that later, I promise) when we heard Bill Curry explaining the LaunchPAD program.

Basically:
After a grueling interview process, 5 young men from the Garfield Park community were selected to stay in the 5 rooms that Willow Chicago furnished through our Living Spaces project.  While staying in those rooms, these 5 guys are going to participate in leadership training programs and continued education.  They will also have access to healthcare and food via the Breakthrough Ministry Center.

A lot of the guys in this program have been through some pretty rough lives already - losing family members and relationships and basically just living in a constant war zone.  Bill mentioned that the panel of interviewers had to take some time to debrief and decompress after the interviews because there was so much that was too hard to take in emotionally.  These guys have already been through much ugliness in their short lives and seem to have all the odds stacked against them - and that's where this program helps out.  Ideally, the LaunchPAD program will help give these guys a jumpstart - a clean, safe place to call home for 18 months while they work on their future goals (education, internships) and develop their leadership skills.

These guys moved into their new home this past Friday, 10/9 with the official launch of the program.  We heard that they went out to a show and a nice dinner to kick everything off.  Isn't that fabulous?!  Here's to new beginnings!  WooT!

Living Spaces Next Steps - LaunchPAD to LAUNCH

Thanks to everyone for helping with the Living Spaces project that Willow Chicago sponsored at Breakthrough!  The rooms are put together now and Breakthrough is officially interviewing candidates for the five 18-24 yr old males that will occupy those rooms.

For more information on the program that they'll be going through and maybe even find ways to volunteer your time, click on this link here: http://breakthrough.org/article/52/new-launchpad-program.

The program is called LaunchPAD and will provide holistic training for the 5 young men that get accepted into the 18 month program.

In order to get into LaunchPAD, the young men who are nominated must be enrolled at least part-time in continuing education or work at least part-time in a job where they have opportunity for significant advancement. They must also demonstrate a willingness to invest in the community. The young men go through an interview process, much like they would encounter for a job interview.

'09 Annual Benefit Dinner is Coming Up!

Mark your calendars for Breakthrough's Annual Benefit Dinner this year!  It's just over a month away and if it's anything like last year, it promises to be one of the highlights of your year.  And we are super excited that Willow's own Bill Hybels is going to be the keynote speaker this year! 

Here are the details, taken directly from their website:

Date: Friday, October 30, 2009
Time: Check-In Begins at 5:30pm / Doors Open at 6:30pm
Location: Hyatt Regency, O'Hare map
Parking: Self-parking is $5 for the evening. Valet parking is $25 per vehicle.

Complimentary dinner will be served. 
You will have the opportunity to make a financial donation.

The Annual Benefit Dinner is a huge source of income of Breakthrough Urban Ministries and provides close to 80% of their everyday operating costs for an entire year.  Dinner is complimentary, but donations are accepted.

Don and I are hosting a table again this year and would love to have you join us.  If you would like to sit at our table, just select "Bratschie, Don" from the pull down menu when you register online.  It will be under "Event Information".  Also, if you already have plans or just aren't able to attend, but would still like to make a financial contribution, there's a place to do that online too!  Just follow the link below and click "Make an Online Donation" link found underneath the registration button.  Please let me know if you have ANY questions.  

Here's a link for more additional information and to sign up or make an online donation: http://breakthroughministries.com/events/annual_benefit_09.php.

Living Spaces Project is Finished! :)

The Living Spaces project is officially complete. Here's the fun email that Breakthrough Staff sent out about this project just this morning:

I just wanted to let you know that the 5 private bedrooms at the BMC are now fully furnished! Stop by and see the finished product sometime this week.

The rooms all include a bed, refrigerator, desk, chair, storage, lamp, ceiling fan, alarm clock and a closet...and last but not least...a key to open the door. We are excited about how God will use this program and space to grow strong healthy leaders in East Garfield Park.

The rooms are prepared, and the program is almost ready to get started! Yolanda, Martin, Paul, Antonio, Tony E., Bill, and Madeline are all working together to create the program that will support the hopes and dreams of the young men who will occupy these rooms.

Stop by and see what is developing.

Thanks to everyone for all of your hard work and donations! :)

Birthday Benefit Concert!

Saturday, July 25th from 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM

One of our fellow volunteers, Jana Borchardt, is hosting a benefit concert in honor of her birthday to support the work that Breakthrough Urban Ministries is doing.

The concert will take place at the Lincoln Park Cultural Center - 2045 N. Lincoln Park West. Admission is free, with a recommended donation of $5, and light refreshments will be served.

If you have any questions, please contact Jana at (312) 890-9528.

Support our Runners!

We have eleven runners officially registered to run the Rock 'n' Roll Chicago 1/2 Marathon for Breakthrough Urban Ministries!

To make a donation (in any amount) to one of our runner's fundraising pages, just click on http://www.firstgiving.com/breakthrough and then click on "View all Fundraising Pages" in the box "Want to Donate?" (or just click on the title to this post) and the name of the person you want to support. You can even leave an encouraging message for the friend you're supporting!

You can also join our cheering section on the morning of the half-marathon. The race will start on Sunday, August 2nd at 6:30 AM. For more information on the cheering section, please email Don at bratschie@gmail.com. There might even be a t-shirt in it for ya'.

Hunger Walk 2009

Willow Chicago represented at this year's Hunger Walk for the Greater Chicago Food Depository (GCFD). As you can see from our smiling faces and bright green shirts, it was a good day for walking! And the fun location of Montrose Harbor was beautiful too.
Overall - Breakthrough managed to raise over $10,000 (their goal) for the GCFD - a program that helps to support Breakthrough in their ministry to provide food and basic necessities for people that need it. Good job, walkers!

Online Fundraising for the 1/2 Marathon is UP!

We're using Firstgiving as our online fundraising site for the Rock 'n' Roll Chicago 1/2 Marathon this year.

Here's how you do it:
1. Email me at amanda.bratschie@gmail.com and let me know you'll be on the team.
2. Register for the race online at: http://www.rnrchicago.com/register.html
3. Register for your own fundraising page at: http://www.firstgiving.com/breakthrough

and please, DON'T WAIT! This race is on pace to sell out in about a week!

Call me (Amanda) at (312) 613-0202 if you have any questions with registration.

See you on the team! :)

Rock 'n' Roll Chicago 1/2 Marathon

Breakthrough Urban Ministries is now an official charity (bronze level) of the Rock 'n' Roll Chicago 1/2 Marathon and we need runners! If you're thinking of signing up for this race, or already have - we NEED you! :)


RACE DETAILS
Rock 'n' Roll Chicago 1/2 Marathon
Sunday, August 2, 2009
6:30 AM
http://www.rnrchicago.com/


REGISTRATION
Click on this link to register. Register with the code:BREAK to get a $10 discount on the registration fee.
http://www.rnrchicago.com/reginfo.html

The registration fees get higher as we approach race day. Sign up soon to guarantee yourself a spot in the race AND to save some dough!

• $70 (through 4/30/09)
  
• $85 (5/1/09 – 7/26/09)
  
• $95 at Expo

FUNDRAISING INFORMATION
Breakthrough Urban Ministries is using this event to raise funds and awareness for the work that's being done to serve under-resourced individuals in Chicago. (There will be a nominal fee to cover the cost of the racing singlet and administrative costs.)

1. We will have team singlets. More information on that to follow shortly.
2. We will also have an online fundraising page for our runners. Those details will follow shortly as well.
   
3. Please let me know when you register for this race (or if you've already registered and want to run for Breakthrough) so that I can let you know when the fundraising pages are ready and get your size for the racing singlet. (Email me at amanda.bratschie@gmail.com).
   

TRAINING PROGRAMS
Never been in a long race before? No worries! You have a lot of options for training! I've listed just a few below:

Here's a link to two training programs that were recommended on the race's official website - CARA and Chicago Endurance Sports: http://www.rnrchicago.com/training.html

Also, they're offering a free online training program for this race that looks pretty good. Be sure to get the coupon code on this page for the free download:NBChicagoTRAIN
http://training.active.com/ActiveTrainer/listing.do?listing=873&distance=Half%20Marathon.

This is also a really great training program for first time half-marathoners: http://www.halhigdon.com/halfmarathon/novice.htm. It's Hal Higdon's training schedule for novice runners and I've had success using this schedule in past races. (His schedules are simple and easy to use).

Also - we're going to try out some group long runs along the Lake Shore path on Saturday mornings around 7 AM. If you're close to downtown and the South Loop, that would be a great way to make sure you get your long runs in. I'll email more details about that later, but be sure to email me if you're interested! :)

QUESTIONS?
Just ask! You can reach me on my cell phone at (312) 613-0202 or via email at amanda.bratschie@gmail.com. We need 25 runners and are looking for loved ones to join our cheering section too, so be sure to tell all of your friends about this one. The more, the merrier!

the Living Spaces Project is underway!

Hey everyone!

The Living Spaces Project is now officially underway! Consider purchasing an item of furniture for one or all of the 5 rooms that Willow Chicago is furnishing.

Just click on this link: http://www.breakthroughministries.com/furnish/ and shop away! The process is quick and easy and you'll be helping to make a HUGE different in the lives of those who might need a hand to get started on the right track.

And get your family, friends, small groups and even co-workers involved. Maybe your small group can buy a desk together? Or your circle of friends would want to pitch in for a mini-fridge! Ask around and get involved.

Arloa at Willow Chicago 4/26

Our own lovely Arloa Sutter (the founder of Breakthrough Urban Ministries) came to our Willow Chicago campus and agreed to be interviewed as part of our service this past Sunday (4/26). She did a great job talking about the work that Breakthrough does and even the vision she has for Breakthrough in the future (the Familyplex Center).

And, of course, she left us with a an encouraging challenge: 'get out there and do it'. There's something so "duh" about that statement. If we see needs, we should meet them. She also stated the beauty of really being able to see God clearly work in the lives of the poor and downtrodden. If this is the first time you've heard Arloa speak, it's a common theme that she addresses. And one that is so wonderful and almost understated. She makes it so that you can't help but WANT to love the seemingly unlovely, even if only to catch a better glimpse of God.

Thanks, Arloa! I always love hearing you speak! :)

(And for young, married couples out there - Arloa will be speaking to the Young Married Creekers group next Thursday night, 5/7. Call me if you want more information on that. We're trying to pack the house with people interested in meeting and being with Arloa!)

April Meals - Seder Dinners

This April, we're going to do something a little different for both of our meal opportunities at Breakthrough. We're going to host a speaker from the group Messiah in the Passover to give a presentation about a traditional Passover Meal (AKA Seder).

Steven Slava Ilchishin will be joining us at both the Men's facility on 4/9 and the Women's Facility (Joshua Center) on 4/17.

If you've experienced one of these meals and/or presentations before, you know how cool this can be. Please, let us know if you can join us. We'd love to have you. But, as always - remember that space fills up quickly at our Monthly Meals, so remember to sign up as soon as you can if you're interested.

Arloa is coming to speak at Willow Chicago!

Hey everyone! Arloa Sutter, the founder of Breakthrough Urban Ministries, has agreed to take part in the service on Sunday, 4/26!

Arloa is a wonderfully inspiring person. Please take this opportunity to get to meet Arloa and shake her hand!

Interested in Running a Half-Marathon?

We're currently trying to build a team to run a Chicago half-marathon to raise funds for Breakthrough Urban Ministries. This is the first year for this - so we still have a lot of kinks to work out - but be patient with us. I promise - it'll be worth it! :)

There are several half-marathon options in Chicago this summer. The one we're officially using as a fundraiser for Breakthrough is the rock 'n roll half marathon on 8/2.

I'm building a Google Groups page to get everyone together that's interested. If you're game, please send me an email at amanda.bratschie@gmail.com and I'll get you invited to that group ASAP!

And invite friends that you know are up for the challenge! :)

Compassion Ministry Meeting - 3/29

Hey volunteers -
Willow Chicago is holding a get together for all the branches of our Compassion Ministry. This is a great opportunity to fellowship with others and learn more about all of the ways that Willow Chicago is serving others in our communities. :)

Sunday, 3/29
Noon
Chuch Office (226 S Wabash Ave, 10th Flr)

Bring your appetite for good food!

Attn: Small Groups!

If your small group is looking for a service opportunity, consider serving a meal together at Breakthrough Urban Ministries!

Every month, the Volunteer Coordinators at Breakthrough have a list of several open nights that, for whatever reason, don't have a group coming in to serve dinner. As a single, one-time commitment, your small group can fill in and serve dinner together on any of the available nights.

After finding an open night that works for your small group - just get together and plan the menu. It usually works great to have each person or couple bring a specific dish. Plan to feed about 40-45 people (30 guests at Breakthrough, 10 volunteers - or however many are in your small group, and 2 staff).

A typical meal might look like this:
7 PM - you'll be at Breakthrough - prepping the meal and setting the condiments and tables. 8 PM - dinner is served! Try to clean as you go because after the guys eat, they'll start their chores right away and you'll get kicked out of the kitchen. Your group should be out of there and on your way home by 9 PM.

Also, Don and I are more than happy to help with any questions you might have or ideas you might want to bounce off us. We'll even join your group on your service night if you want us to and help you navigate the kitchens. And you can even go directly through Breakthrough to arrange it if you don't want to deal with us. :)

The Volunteer Coordinator Intern right now is Kara Emmering. You can reach her at:
Office: 773.722.1144
kemmering@breakthroughministries.com

New Home Starter Kits

One of the many really cool things that Breakthrough does is to give New Home Starter Kits to individuals that are able to get their own place.

The kits are different styles and usually have donated items in them - but they all contain at least the following items:

• 2 plates
• 2 cups
• 2 saucers
• 2 bowls
• 2 knives
• 2 forks
• 2 spoons
• 2 placemats
• 2 dishtowels
• 2 dishcloths
• 1 bottle of dish soap
• 2 towels
• 2 washcloths
• 2 bars of soap
• 1 body lotion
• 1 toothbrush
• 1 toothpaste
• 1 shampoo
• 1 conditioner
• 1 deodorant
• 2 rolls of toilet paper
• 2 boxes of facial tissue
• 1 can opener
• 1 all purpose cleaner

Point being? Donations of the above items are always welcome and used for the New Home Starter Kits. If you have some of the above items or find a good deal on them while out shopping, pick 'em up! Just bring them by the Breakthrough Ministry Center then next time you come out to volunteer. It'll be much appreciated! :)

Who said February is horrible?

February was a great month for Willow Chicago at Breakthrough! Our dinners at both the men's and the women's facilities were delicious and provided true community for several guests and volunteers alike!
Thanks again for all the hard work. We seriously have the best volunteers around! :)

Also - there are so many exciting and new things happening because of Willow Chicago's support of Breakthrough. As you've probably already heard - we're going to host 2-3 "drives" each year to help supply Breakthrough with items that they desperately need. The first drive (currently timeframed between March and April) is to help furnish SRO rooms - so stay tuned for further information on that wonderful project.

Upcoming Events for Breakthrough!

Hey everyone!
There's some really exciting stuff coming up at Breakthrough Urban Ministries in this coming year.

In particular, Willow Chicago is going to head up a few initiatives. Here's just a few:

• Furnishing the SRO Rooms - Breakthrough has 5 SRO rooms, these rooms are set aside for 18-24 year old males to have single room occupancy. Meaning? Young adults just starting out get a chance to have their own place while getting on their feet. This is a great program and an awesome opportunity for any Interior Designers out there! :)
• More meal leaders! If you have a passion for cooking and want to lead your own night or meal at Breakthrough, let us know! We have tons of wonderful volunteers that we can coordinate for you and will help you with anything you might need. You only need to plan the menu and make the initial groceries purchase. Time commitment? 3 Months. (One meal/month).
• Run the Chicago half-marathon to benefit Breakthrough! We're in the process of growing our running team and would love to have you join too! Even if you're a brand new runner - I promise, it'll be a great time. And you can definitely run 13.1 miles while raising funds and awareness for the great work that Breakthrough Urban Ministries is doing.
  

Just let me know if you have interest in ANY of these great opportunities!

Need a Soccer Coach!

Do you know of anyone who is really into soccer and who may be interested in starting a homeless men's soccer team? Breakthrough Urban Ministries is considering teaming up with ChiTown soccer to try it out. Just need the coach/manager!

Tribune Article - from 2/3/09

Women's Dinner, 1/16/09, was full of BLESSINGS!

Rebecca blessed us all with some wonderful home-style Irish cooking. :) It was fantastic and the women loved it too, though some were a bit pensive at first.

Jana also blessed us with some guitar playing and songbooks. It was a really sweet time and the ladies seemed to really enjoy it - most of the guests even requested some of their favorites. We hope to keep music as part of our dinners there.

If you play the guitar and would like to join us, please just let me know.

Thanks! :)

Men's Dinner - 1/8/09 was DELICIOUS!

AND SO MUCH FUN!

The menu consisted of shrimp, cheese ravioli with choice of sauce, corn casserole (thanks, Lauren!), cheesy potatoes, rolls and even a peach cobbler whipped up at the last minute (thanks, Herman!). The guys ate until they were full and everyone had a good time.

Also - I've decided to start giving updates about some of the guys. A lot of them are making really great changes in their lives and it's important to celebrate these with them:

• Alan is doing great in his program and has some potential investors checking out some websites that he's helped to build.
  
• The gray-haired guy with the crutches (does anyone know his name?) just got his own place! He signed the lease yesterday! WooT!
• Cedric knows magic! Did anyone else know this? He wowed us with all kinds tricks. I still don't know how he did the card trick.
  
• Vince is doing great in his program too! He either just graduated - or is graduating soon.
  
• Ed is going to join us at 5 Loaves this coming Sunday.
  

If you heard some good news from one of the guys that you want to share - please leave a note in the comments section. :)

Women's Dinner is Switching Nights

An email has already been sent about this, so it's probably old news for most - but just in case someone may have missed it...

Our monthly serving opportunity for the women's facility has been changed from the third Monday of every month to the third Friday of every month.

Although the next dinner at the Women's Facility (aka Joshua Center) is now Friday, January 16th - we already have all the volunteers we need for that dinner. Our next opportunity is Friday, February 20th. Be sure to let me know if you're interested in joining us. :)