December 2022 Community Connections

Gateway Foundation was the grateful recipient of a $10,000 grant from Live Free 999 this fall, to contribute towards capital improvements at Kedzie House, our recovery home in Chicago’s Humboldt Park neighborhood. Live Free 999 was founded by Carmela Wallace to honor her son Jarad “Juice WRLD” Higgins, who grew up in Homewood, Illinois. Through his music, Jarad shared the emotions that tormented him. His art has resonated with and helped countless fans who struggle with depression and anxiety. Live Free 999 seeks to carry on his legacy with programs that provide preventative measures and positive avenues to address mental health challenges and substance dependency, including grant-making. We invite you to listen to some of Jarad’s music and to join his mother and Live Free 999 in supporting recovery work with a personal gift.

Gateway Foundation is proud to announce grant support provided by the DuPage County Transformation Partnership, a collaboration between DuPage County and DuPage Foundation. Funding supports and strengthens our Intensive Outpatient Program for individuals with substance use disorder in Downers Grove. This award comes at a critical time of the unprecedented alcohol and drug addiction epidemic currently facing our nation and represents a vital commitment by our partners and Gateway to provide effective and accessible treatment. 

This quarter, Frank Davis, Interim Senior Director – Community Corrections, was awarded the prestigious International Certification and Reciprocity Consortium Board of Directors Excellence Award for exemplary work, commitment, and dedication to IC&RC and the field of Substance Use and Recovery Professionals. Gateway is proud of Frank and the recognition by his peers in this international network of over 50,000 professionals.

Dianne Robinson, Program Director for Adult Services at our Lake Villa site in northern Illinois, was named the 2022 Pamela Frazier Counselor of the Year by the Illinois Association of Addiction Professionals this September at IAAP’s annual award luncheon. Dianne is a dedicated professional who has prioritized meeting each patient’s unique treatment needs since she began her tenure in 2001. Gateway is thrilled to see Dianne publicly recognized by the sector with this prestigious award. 

Dianne shared, “I started over 20 years ago at the Lake Villa site. I knew this would be the place I could make a difference. I made a decision to return to school to get my degree and certification. I am grateful for the support I received from my Gateway Foundation supervisors over two decades; they encouraged me to finish my education and obtain my license. It is a joy to come to work daily and see the physical and mental progress in our patients over the course of their treatment.  I take every opportunity to remain teachable in my journey to evolve professionally.”

We salute Winston Henry, an alumnus and 28+ year veteran employee of Gateway Foundation, as he assumes the role of Executive Director of Caseyville and Swansea. After an extensive search for this key leadership role at two busy sites in the Metro East Area of Illinois, near St. Louis, Winston was promoted this fall from his most recent position as Program Director of Outpatient Operations in Central and Southern IL. 

President, Gateway Operations Gregg Dockins says: Winston has worked as a line staff and supervisor, in both community and correctional settings.  He has continuously applied himself in both personal and professional growth opportunities, and has served in progressively more responsible managerial roles as his career has evolved.  In so many ways, he has been preparing for this next step for his entire career. 

This month the Board of Directors welcomed its newest member, Jennifer Vidis, Deputy Commissioner, Chicago Department of Public Health. Jennifer’s career has been devoted to service in the public sector and her unwavering commitment to accessibility and inclusion.  She has served as a Policy Fellow at Chapin Hall, University of Chicago; Chicago Public Schools’ Executive Director of the Office of Alternative Education Options; and as Executive Director of Cook County Department of Human Rights, Ethics and Women’s Issues. Vidis is an alumna of Georgetown University Law Center and Smith College. Welcome, Jennifer!

The Young Professionals Board welcomes Arielle Townsel and Claire Demos. Arielle recently completed her Master’s at the Harris School for Public Policy at the University of Chicago and currently serves as the Director of External Affairs for the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago. Claire is an attorney, and also a professional photographer who generously documented a day of service recently at Gateway Foundation’s Chicago Independence site.

Please contact charitable@gatewayfoundation.org if you are interested in joining this group of young philanthropists. And save the date for the annual virtual Trivia Night on February 23, 2023!

Gateway Friends and Family,

Thank you to everyone who supported our mission-driven work in 2022. We hope you will continue to support our work as we enter Gateway Foundation’s next chapter in 2023. Please consider an unrestricted gift in your end-of-year giving, as this allows us the most flexibility to put funds where they are most needed.

I invite you to reach out to me to discuss what motivates you to support our work and find the most meaningful way for you to do that as well as answer any questions about ways to give.

May your winter be filled with love, health, and many other reasons to be grateful.

Deirdre Harrison CFRE, Director of Advancement
dharrison@gatewayfoundation.org
312-663-1130 ext. 2269

Illuminating Recovery Annual Luncheon

Monday, March 13, 2023 @ The Exchange

Tickets available January 15 | Live Streaming Available