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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
HONORING DREAMS FOR KIDS AS IT CELEBRATES ITS 30TH ANNIVERSARY
WHEREAS, for 30 years, Dreams for Kids has been fulfilling its mission to train and mentor youth to help them create enterprises that provide solutions to critical social issues; and
WHEREAS, Tom Tuohy-experiencing in his own life how important a mentor can be in a young person’s life, and how important it is for youth to learn how much they have to give-created Dreams for Kids; and
WHEREAS, on Christmas Eve, 1989, Dreams for Kids began with its first Holiday for Hope event; and
WHEREAS, since that day, this event has served more than 70,000 of our most vulnerable kids during the holiday season, providing food, gifts, music, dance, crafts, sports, books, and more; and
WHEREAS, Dreams for Kids offers social entrepreneurship lessons that help students explore in real-world contexts, the relevance of essential entrepreneurial skills, doing this autonomously, collaboratively, and in partnership with a vast array of professionals; and
WHEREAS, with the guidance of mentors from the workforce community, students in Dreams for Kids’ curriculum channel their learning into creating social impact enterprises and applying business principles to ventures that drive profit and solve critical social issues; and
WHEREAS, Dreams for Kids’ Youth Enterprise Solutions program instills an entrepreneurial mindset, providing the necessary preparation for the new economy and the complex demands of 21st Century global citizenship; and
WHEREAS, the inquiry and project-based curriculum drives student learning into the world and is delivered by teachers in class and supported by mentors beyond school; and
WHEREAS, one Dreams for Kids’ social entrepreneur started Project I Am, which distributes “Blessings Bags” to homeless people and has partnered with the Heartland Alliance to expand his reach. This child was acknowledged by President Barack Obama and the Obama Foundation for being one of the people to make a difference in society in 2017; and
WHEREAS, Dreams for Kids youth continue to create social enterprises that change lives and instill dignity by replacing charity with opportunity.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Cook County Board of Commissioners does hereby congratulate Dreams for Kids as it celebrates its 30th anniversary; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a suitable copy of this resolution be tendered to Dreams for Kids as a token of our appreciation for its significant, ongoing contributions to those in need.
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