By Tim Dempsey

 

Greg Hill opened the meeting.  Rick Mittelman gave the pledge, and Greeter Pat Schwartz led us in prayer. No song!

 

-Tom Miller’s daughter gave birth to Tom’s 4^th grandchild. Cigars were conspicuous by their absence!

 

-Elliott bragged about the band Levon, who is playing at the YCC fundraiser in April. He said they were the best band he ever heard at Ravinia!

 

-The latest Winter Fundraiser meeting was held last night. We still need auction items. Steve Risley is donating a wine refrigerator but we need bottles of wine to stock it.

 

-2/17 is Random Act of Kindness Day.

 

Doug Fendon subbed for Bill Taranowski.

 

Today’s program was Jennifer Yonan, Executive Director of YCC, Inc. Jennifer worked for several years at United Way and the Zacharias Center before coming to YCC.

 

YCC, Inc. started in 1974 with a summer program for in school youth. The program was funded with Federal dollars and employed kids in the Lake County Forest Preserves. The program was taken over in 1982 by an advisory board when Federal funds dried up. The Summer Program still exists today, funded by a golf outing and will employ 42 youth this summer.

 

The full time program began in 2001 with six “at risk” youth. Members are ages 16 -24 and receive job training, Education training toward GED or college, and do one day per week of community service. Members are selected from a Mental Toughness program to ensure they are ready to change their lives. YCC has construction and IT tracts. They are training students to work in living wage jobs. The members receive a stipend that is tied to milestones of performance. They earn education awards to pay for training from Americorps. They also receive life skills training including mock interviews and finance.

 

Most members have suffered some trauma and a social worker is on staff to provide counseling. Students learn from their mistakes, own them and learn not repeat them. The members have a motto: “I build, I serve, I am”. Students select a career pathway and move toward that goal. YCC has a food pantry to help disadvantaged members.  Members must be placed in a job after graduation and YCC is required to track them for 12 months.

YCC is currently working on 3 properties donated by the City of Zion. Members work on projects on these properties. The goal is to build affordable housing that puts these homes back on the tax roles. Students can go on to a graduate program to receive an HVAC certificate. YCC has already placed 3 members with TopTec, a local heating and plumbing contractor. YCC’s annual budget is $1.7 mil and will train approximately 44 students this year.

 

Daily: $26 won by Elliott Pinsel.

Progressive: $692 (28 cards). Bob Zamor drew the 9 of clubs. Rollover!

 

-Greeter & Prayer: Rich Schoeneman

 

-Fun & Frolics: Diana Taylor

 

Program: Jesse Greenberg – Director of Medline’s ethylene oxide facility.

 

“Sweat plus sacrifice equals success”. Charles O. Finley