urban Initiatives is enormously grateful to have partnered with starbucks and hyatt as a part of their Global month of community Service to make a difference in the englewood community and the lives of Urban IniTIAtives participants. We are excited about the possibility of CONtinuinG This partnership to support our beloved schools. urban Initiatives values opportunities for people to experience dIffereNt communities, ideas, and ways of living, and we know thaT these amazinG volunteers benefited frOm theiR work in englewood just as much as the residents and kIds. a special thanks goes out to pauL grosHko, starbucks regional DiRector, for helping to build this growing partnership with urban initiatives.
on a beautiful saturday on April 27th, starbucks and Hyatt volunteers made their way down to englewood to put in a good, full Day of community service. the volunteers gathered At the historic field house iN sheRman park bright anD early tO hear inspiring words from starbucks and hyatt representativEs and from partner organizations urban initiatives, chicago cares, libby elementary and rebuild ChiCago. delicious starbucks cOffee and brEakfast gave tHe volunteers the energy they needed to Tackle their projects.
The volunteers supported two projects with Urban Initiatives partner schools: a soccer tournament in Sherman Park with the soccer teams from Sherman, Libby and Daley and a beautiful mural project inside of Libby Elementary.
The Urban Initiatives soccer players were fortunate enough to see the Starbucks and Hyatt volunteers transform into super fun coaches and cheerleaders! After warming up with a game of Junk Food Tag the kids were split up into small-sided teams and paired with two volunteer coaches for the soccer tournament. Special bonds were formed, as indicated by one Hyatt volunteer coach leading his team in a spontaneous chicken wing dance (baked, not fried of course!). The soccer tournament capped off with the Circle of Love and lots of endearing compliments from kid to volunteer and from volunteer to kid, including, "I really liked how positive you were with your teammates on the field – you even helped up a player from the other team when they fell down" and "You’re the best coach I’ve ever had!"
Another group of more artistically inclined volunteers, although no less enthusiastic, covered Libby Elementary’s hallways with beautiful murals that carry powerful and positive messages. Now, the Libby students will find it hard not to be inspired during a simple walk down the hallway!
The Urban Initiatives kids and their families are grateful to the Starbucks and Hyatt volunteers for making a difference in Englewood and showing that they are truly invested in the Chicago community.