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2011
Society helps children create their own holiday gifts
Jasmine Estrada, 7, of Worth, can’t decide on the perfect mug for her Christmas project. Dozens of youngsters got into the holiday spirit Dec. 10 as they made their own Christmas gifts for family and friends. They created everything from jewelry and key chains to fleece scarves and ceramic trivets.
Together We Cope teamed with the Beta Beta chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma, an educators service society, to produce the annual “Gifts from the Heart” program at Zion Lutheran Church in Tinley Park. The teachers designed the 10 gift projects and provided all the materials to create homemade presents, then worked with children for three hours to complete the items.
Together We Cope staff provided refreshments and wrapped the completed gifts for youngsters to take home.
Hannah Burke, 7, and her sister Leeann, 8, of Chicago Ridge were very excited about the scarves they made for special people in their lives. “I can’t wait till they see these. They’re so warm and cozy,” said Hannah. [pictures] [home]
Meadow Ridge youngsters collect pajamas for Together We Cope
Twenty-two cartons of children’s pajamas arrived at the back door of Together We Cope in Tinley Park just before Christmas, a gift from youngsters at Meadow Ridge School in Orland School District 135.
The school, which serves children in grades 3-5, conducted “The Great Bedtime Story Pajama Drive.” Letters were sent home to parents encouraging them to participate in the program to benefit TWC, a nonprofit agency that assists families in temporary crisis from 22 south suburbs.
The pajamas, in all sizes and styles, were sorted and packed up by members of Meadow Ridge’s Student Council, which sponsored the drive, and then delivered to TWC. Student council members are in grades 4-5 at Meadow Ridge.
“This was a significant donation to our Adopt-a-Child program this year,” said Tina Kessens of Together We Cope.
“We were able to add a pair of warm, snuggly pajamas to every gift bag we prepared for 1,300 youngsters whose families sought help from us this holiday. The Meadow Ridge children were big contributors to that effort.”
The giving spirit
Kathryn Straniero, executive director of Together We Cope, smiles at Caroline Beaudin of Tinley Park as Caroline delivers food she collected for TWC’s food pantry. Caroline collected the food during her 7th birthday party, asking her guests to bring food for the pantry instead of birthday gifts. Looking on is Caroline’s sister, Katie, 11, who raised money for the food pantry. “It is just wonderful to see children working to help people in their community,” Straniero said. “Katie and Caroline are good examples of this giving spirit that seems to come naturally to children.” [home]
TWC at Tinley’s Toyland Parade
More than 100 youngsters donated gifts to Together We Cope’s Christmas toy drive during Tinley Park’s annual Toyland Parade Dec. 3 in the village downtown. Children carried their toys in the parade, then deposited them in the TWC truck at the Oak Park Avenue Metra train station. “I brought a Barbie doll,” one little girl said, “because that’s what I'd like to get this Christmas.” Another child said: “I hope all kids everywhere will have a happy, happy Christmas.” One mother said she brings her children to the parade each year to show them how to share their good fortune with others who might need some help. Together We Cope provided holiday gifts to more than 1,200 area children through its annual Adopt-a-Child program this year. [pictures] [home]
Be a sponsor in our Adopt-a-Child program
Through our Adopt-a-Child program, Together We Cope provides Christmas gifts to our clients’ children--who might otherwise have none--by partnering with businesses, organizations, families, and individuals from our community. These partners “adopt” a family of children who are in our program, purchase the gifts on the little ones’ wish lists, and bring them to Together We Cope, not wrapped - before November 28. Each gift brought to Together We Cope is tagged with the child’s name and family ID number and is contained in a bag with the family’s ID on the outside of the bag. Children receive two gifts valued at $15 each. [More]
Some help from our friends at NAIFA
Several members of NAIFA (National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors) attended Together We Cope’s recent pasta dinner and presented a $1,540 donation to TWC. [More]
Community supports TWC’s pasta dinner
Together We Cope’s annual Pasta Extravaganza and Night at the Races was a wonderful success this year. A large crowd filled the banquet room at Orland Chateau in Orland Park on Sept. 14 for great food and lots of fun with the videotaped horse races. [More]
Together We Cope serves laughs with its pasta
Brian Hicks used to watch amateur comedians take the stage at the Orland Park comedy club where he managed the sound system and think, “I’d like to try that.”
So the Mokena resident stood up and told jokes to an audience for the first time 12 years ago at that club, the former Riddles Comedy Club. He had so much fun that he did it a few more times at Riddles, then began showing up at other comedy clubs in the Chicago region. [More]
Together they brewed up a Cope-asetic event
This brew master has used chili, chocolate and even peanut butter (“whatever floats my boat,” he says) in creating new beers for customers at Rock Bottom Restaurant and Brewery in Orland Park. He put those skills to work Aug. 11 for Together We Cope when the restaurant offered “Cope-asetic” in $5 take-home pint glasses to benefit the nonprofit agency based in Tinley Park. [More]
Helping others get back to school!
They did it again! Another much-needed and timely donation from the Sterling Brothers. When the brothers heard that Together We Cope’s Back to School Program still needed to raise more school supplies to help their clients’ children get back to school with the right stuff they found a way to help. With mom’s assistance they rounded up about a carload of rulers, pens, pencils, markers, spiral bound notebooks, etc... and as soon as they could get a ride, they personally delivered the supplies to Together We Cope. Thanks again, brothers! Their mother told us that the boys are really enthusiastic about helping other youngsters get ready for their return to the classroom. [More]
Brewing up a good time
A big crowd gathered at Rock Bottom Restaurant and Brewery in Orland Park recently to raise funds for Together We Cope’s mission to assist area families in temporary crisis. Rock Bottom offered Cope-asetic, a special brew for the evening that was offered in take-home pint glasses to benefit TWC. Together We Cope offered prizes in several drawings throughout the evening. [More]
Together We Cope honors 3 for volunteer efforts
Three south suburban residents were honored Aug. 21 for nearly 3,000 hours of volunteer work at Together We Cope during 2010. The special recognition awards were presented to them during the agency’s annual volunteer picnic in Oak Forest, where more than 100 area residents were honored for their work with TWC. [More]
A Fast Bike
The average time on the sales floor for a kids’ bike at Nu2u is, “not very long.” And sometime even less than that. Sometimes much less. On Tuesday morning around eleven o’clock as shoppers were coming and going as usual -- searching for bargains and hard to find items a green Chaos bike was put out on the sales floor. It was never-ridden and better than new because a Together We Cope Volunteer named Andy had just finished tweaking, and fine-tuning all the cables and moving parts. [More]
Volunteer or register for the 2011 Race Around the World Duathlon
On the morning of June 26, 2011, more than 650 athletes, hundreds of their friends and family members, and countless spectators and volunteers are expected to converge on the Oak Park Avenue Metra station (Oak Park Avenue and South Streets) in downtown Tinley Park to experience the 11th annual Race Around the World Duathlon. Together We Cope provides volunteers to help with this event and all proceeds will benefit TWC. [More]
One relieved mom and two happy kids
Max and Emma stopped by the Together We Cope Pluck-A-Duck tent for a few minutes last Sunday, during Tinley Park’s annual Caribbean Block Party. They had to. Their parents brought them. Max and Emma’s parents also brought two dollars which they used to buy two raffle tickets at the TWC Pluck-A-Duck. [More]
Everyone a winner at Pluck A Duck!
Even the hardest-working volunteers were winners last Sunday at TWC’S Pluck-A-Duck. JOHNNY DWYER (5) and MARTY DWYER (3) were so hot— they volunteered to help round up the ducks and to make double sure that none were hiding on the bottom— they both dove right in. [More]
Golf with the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors
The annual NAIFA-Chicago Southland and Will Grundy Golf Outing will tee-off at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, June 21st. The National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors-Chicago Southland is a wonderful sponsor of Together We Cope and a portion of the proceeds from this outing will benefit TWC. [More]
Stogies and Bogeys Golf Outing
Nice Day, Good Food, Great Sponsors! The weather was perfect for golf. We counted 95 golfers in attendance. [More] |
Together We Cope • 17010 South Oak Park Avenue, Tinley Park, Illinois 60477 • 708-633-5040 
