Catalysts for Good: Raising Awareness

By: Madeleine

Maddie is a participant in Allowance for Good's Spring 2016 Emerging Leaders in Philanthropy class in the Evanston location.

Through our discussions on human rights and the sustainability development goals, I was able to learn more about how the UN and other governmental bodies approach human rights abuses around the world. The sustainable development goals, created by the UN, were surprisingly optimistic and confident. However, I believe that these aspirations, although they are a significant step towards preventing and ending human rights abuses, need to provide further comprehensive steps in order to complete the goals they outline. Although they provide various statistics and goals surrounding the issue at hand, realistic preventative methods are needed to further their aspirations. I also thought it was very interesting and innovative how the UN develops new and improved goals as global problems change, and the world’s focus shifts.

ELP Evanston class focusing on a new lesson.

I am very passionate about refugee resettlement and outreach programs, specifically within Chicago. This year, I have been working with a friend at the Ethiopian Community Association of Chicago, an amazing non-profit that provides refugee resettlement resources, English classes, tutoring programs, and a multitude of other services to the refugee and immigrant population in Chicago. I have been able to raise awareness about this issue by connecting my classmates and peers with ECAC through the after-school program at the center, and giving presentations on the issues refugees in Chicago face to my teachers and classmates. I can continue to spread awareness on the refugee crisis by learning more about the assimilation process in school and through the center, as well as engage my community and friends with organizations like ECAC in the future. 

ELP Evanston class in discussion.

For my Global Awareness Project, I want to focus on a different issue. Sofie and I are going to focus on hunger and accessibility to food, and have begun the process to gather and donate all leftover lunch food from our school’s cafeteria (that isn’t sold). The food will be donated to Breaking Bread Ministries, which holds soup kitchens every week, near our school. The food will be donated daily, after all lunch periods, and will help to support the church’s important efforts to lessen hunger within the Chicago area.