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Phyllis Nutkis, Grants Manager The ARK Jessica Katz, M.N.M., Development Manager The ARK Phyllis Nutkis and Jessica Katz, from The Ark, Rotary Club of Skokie Valley's grant recipients, were the guest speaker at our June 2, 2020 weekly Zoom Meeting. Phyllis Nutkis is ARK's Grants Manager, and has been at The ARK since 2004. Shes is also a writer, and a former kindergarten teacher. Jessica Kats is the development manager at The Ark, where she started working this past April. She was raised in Skokie, and has a master's degree in nonprofit management from Regis University. The ARK was founded in 1971 through the efforts of an Uptown doctor and a local rabbi, who were approached by a group of young Jewish community members advocating for the doctor's clinic to provide more services to the poor. The idea quickly gained many supporters, and in March, 1971, The ARK opened as a free medical clinic in Albany Park. Soon, The ARK's cause began attracting large numbers of volunteers who were interested in contributing their time and professional skills to help their less fortunate neighbors. Throughout the years, services and programs were added one-by-one; a kosher food pantry was opened; rent and utility bills were paid; a free pharmacy opened. The ARK grew, it followed the Jewish population from Albany Park to Devon Avenue. The ARK moved again in 1991 to its current facility on California Avenue, and in 2011, a second office was opened in Northbrook, to meet the needs of the growing Jewish population in the northwest suburbs. Since that time, The ARK has grown exponentially, engaging the services of more than 2,000 professional and lay volunteers, who provide an array of medical, legal and social services for Chicagoland Jews in need. The mission of The ARK is to help Chicagoland Jews who are facing adversity navigate toward self-reliance. ARK professionals, volunteers, and donors provide free, comprehensive services within a framework of Jewish values and laws. |
