In response to the growing demand for social services in our community, a new chapter has been inscribed in the tome of our endeavors. With the benevolent aid of private donors, we have conjured forth a program to address the needs of our migrant brethren and those seeking succor in various domains. The creation of this department stands as a beacon of hope, illuminating the path towards a brighter tomorrow, where our community is nurtured with care and compassion.
On December 20th, 2022, we hosted our 24th annual Christmas event. GAPCC was able to give out 1,650 toys and 400 coats to 170 families and 500+ children. After the 5 hour long event, we still had pallets of toys and holiday items, so we worked with Grace and Peace Church to ship the remaining items to an orphanage in Panama. So not only are families within the Austin community being blessed, but families in Panama are also receiving blessings.
Thank you to all of our volunteers. We could not have blessed this many families if it weren’t for each and every one of them. Additionally, thank you to our donors and partners. We would not be the outreach organization that we are without your support!
Next year will mark our 25th anniversary and we are so excited to serve and celebrate with you all again! Get ready for #GAPCCChristmas2023
We are excited to announce that GAP Community Center is the recipient of an @MBKAlliance Freedom Summer 2022 Fund grant! Through our GAPademics summer program, we accepted @mbk_alliance’s charge for community organizations to create safe spaces for boys and young men of color this summer! We will use our grant to continue our work by creating a safe community at our Summer program filled with amazing activities and fun classes! These funds will be going directly toward supplying materials and resources for our Summer Program!
We are excited to announce the GAP Community Center has been awarded a grant for $10,000 from Safe and Peaceful Communities! This is our 4th year receiving this grant to help continue our GAPAdemics Summer Program. Safe and Peaceful Chi supports neighborhoods that are hit hardest by gun violence. Historically, as the weather begins to get warmer, crime in our area begins to increase. This fund aims to support, “activities that bring neighbors together to help make their communities safer this summer and early fall,” and our Summer Program does just that. Thank you Safe and Peaceful Communities!
GAP Community Center is pleased to announce that the Chicago Region Food System Fund has awarded $25,000 to support the GAPCC Food Bank as part of their emergency response to the wave of COVID cases related to the Omicron variant. The GAPCC Food Bank continues to experience a surge of clients utilizing our Food Bank in the early months of 2022, likely related to disruptions caused by omicron and rising prices. These funds go directly to hiring additional workers to facilitate food distribution every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, when we feed upwards of 1,000 individuals each week.
Learn more about the Fund here.
GAP Community Center is pleased to announce that Conagra Brands Foundation has awarded $50,000 to GAPCC to continue the work of our Food Bank. This is the second grant awarded by Conagra Brands in two years that will provide a crucial base of support for our work to feed upwards of 1,000 families a week and employ some of the most vulnerable members of our community, including returning citizens and others involved in the justice system. GAPCC is grateful for the continued support of Conagra Brands Foundation!
Learn more about Conagra Brands Foundation here.
GAP Community Center is pleased to announce that the Health First Collaborative has awarded $30,000 to extend our work in education, outreach, and vaccination initiatives to fight COVID-19! In particular, this funding will deepen our partnerships with local schools to educate parents about the vaccine and increase access to the vaccine for children. GAPCC is grateful for this opportunity to continue working with a network of local organizations through the Chicagoland Vaccine Partnership.
Learn more about Health First Collaborative here.
Our Food Bank is continuing to grow in clients every week! We are serving over 300 families most Tuesdays!! In the first quarter of this year, we have served 28,800 families - that’s 631,095 pounds of food! We are so blessed to be able to do this work in our community. Consider partnering with us! We always need extra hands in the Food Bank.
Saturday, December 11th, we had our Annual Christmas Store event and it was a great success! Clients were able to come and pick out Christmas gifts and clothing for their children while the kids played in the Winter Wonderland. We had face painting, cookie decorating, and Christmas coloring pages for them. 96 families came through to gather gifts for their children - that’s almost 300 kids served. Thank you to our partners, supporters, and volunteers that helped make this day possible!
Thank you to the Donley Foundation for a $20,000 grant to support our GAPademics After-School Program! Generous donations like these allow us to continue to serve the youth of our community: providing cooking classes, soccer lessons, homework help, and fun activities that promote friendships. We look forward to our partnership with the Donley Foundation. Thank you again!
This past week we distributed 650 turkeys to our community for their Thanksgiving dinners. We passed out the turkeys through our weekly Food Bank with help from volunteers from Grace and Peace Church. With the current food shortage, we know Thanksgiving may be difficult for many this year, so we are thankful that we have the opportunity to bless our community in this way.
Last weekend we partnered with Grace and Peace Church and 25th District to host a Fall Fest in our community. We gathered at Cragin Park to distribute clothing and COVID-19 vaccines to those in need. There were several other organizations there handing out free goodies, as well as information for job opportunities. Overall, it was a very successful day. We are thankful for the opportunity to serve our community in this way.
