CEL's Chefs' Night benefits adults with developmental disabilities
The Center for Enriched Living will hold its annual Chefs' Night from 5:30-8:30 p.m. Monday, May 6, at Lincolnshire Marriott Resort, 10 Marriott Drive, Lincolnshire.
The evening will offer tastings from local restaurants, bakeries, wineries, breweries and more. Tickets are $90 per person. For tickets and a list of participating restaurants, visit www.centerforenrichedliving.org/events/chefs-night.
We spoke with Center for Enriched Living Marketing Communications Manager April Booze to get some more information about CEL and the event.
Q: Can you give us a general overview of what the Center for Enriched Living does?
A: The Center for Enriched Living (CEL) has been providing life-changing opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs) for the past 50 years.
CEL provides social enrichment programs, day programs and employment opportunities for more than 450 people a year, from teens to seniors, who come from 50 Chicago-area communities. CEL programs include art, technology and fitness classes; summer camp; dances; and even vacations.
CEL also runs the REACH Adult Day Program to help members continue learning and growing after they exit the school system, and the organization partners with local businesses to provide job opportunities and help reduce the 85 percent unemployment rate among adults with IDDs.
CEL operates out of its 20,000-square-foot Riverwoods facility, as well as a Hoffman Estates location that launched in 2017. The organization is looking to expand and has started meeting with parents and schools in Naperville, which has the highest population of people with IDD in Illinois, to determine the types of services that are most needed.
CEL believes every person with a developmental disability should be treated as an equal, valued and contributing member of the community. CEL works to give ALL people, regardless of their abilities, the chance to be fully included in the community — as a neighbor, consumer, co-worker, employee and friend — so they can achieve personal fulfillment and enjoy a good quality of life.
Q: How long has CEL been active? How was the organization founded?
A: Last October, we celebrated our 50th anniversary. CEL began in 1968 when two mothers approached a social worker at a local community center, asking for help in finding after-school programs for their children with developmental disabilities.
With the social worker's assistance, the two children were then integrated into programs at the community center. The word got out that there was a program for people with developmental disabilities, and CEL was established.
As these programs grew and evolved, they began to include social and independent-living activities for people of all ages with developmental disabilities.
Today, our programs are focused in three main categories:
• Social enrichment: Social isolation is one of the biggest issues that people with developmental disabilities face. At CEL, members choose from a variety of programs that are created directly from their feedback. From technology, art, community excursions and theater to yoga, cooking, and dances, CEL has fun recreational programs seven days a week, 48 weeks a year to fit individual interests and budgets!
• Continued learning opportunities: When young adults turn 22, they exit the school system and their lives drastically change. At CEL, we provide opportunities for young adults to develop skills, achieve goals and make friends. In our REACH Adult Day Program, members spend 70 percent of their time in the community with our community partners, where they volunteer, learn work skills, enjoy college experiences and explore the Chicagoland area.
• Community-based employment: There is a staggering 85 percent unemployment rate for people with developmental disabilities. We know that people with developmental disabilities have the skills and desire to work; they only lack opportunities. At CEL, we are working to remove existing barriers so members can explore a variety of career options with small businesses and large corporations.
Q: Tell us the story of someone who was helped by your organization.
A: Our office assistant Liz is a great example of someone who's life has changed since coming to CEL. Liz wanted to work, but she needed an employer who understood her needs and was willing to work with her.
As CEL was growing, our office needed a reliable office assistant to help with a variety of duties. Liz was one of the first clients in our Employment Program and interviewed for the role of office assistant. She was ecstatic when she was hired!
Liz always give 100 percent on the job and has grown with the position, adding additional duties. Liz has now been in her job for over 2.5 years and has shared her story at last year's Chefs' Night, as well as on the radio, TV and in a video! (See the video at vimeo.com/299478013).
Q: What is Chefs' Night usually like? What can guests expect to find?
A: Chefs' Night is a really fun event! We have 30 restaurants, breweries, wineries, distilleries, bakeries and caterers, plus the chefs from CEL's REACH Adult Day Program and the firefighters from Deerfield-Bannockburn Firehouse who will prepare their signature tasting for our 600-plus guests.
We will have a short program that includes a Live Art performance by artist Elliott From, a parent sharing the impact CEL has had on her son's life; a live auction; and a Fund the Need to benefit our employment program; donations will be matched.
The evening culminates with a raffle drawing. Someone will win to choose either a 2019 Mustang Convertible or $30,000 cash.
Q: How many people attended last year and how much did you raise?
A: Last year we had more than 600 guests throughout the evening and raised more than $600,000 through sponsorships, live auction, Fund the Need and the car raffle ticket sales.
Q: How does Chefs' Night help CEL? What programs do the proceeds support?
A: Chefs' Night is our biggest fundraiser of the year and raises money that goes to all of our programs. Our Fund the Need for the evening raises money specifically for our Employment Program to open doors and get more people with developmental disabilities hired in community-based employment opportunities.
Q: What are some of CEL's other projects and/or events?
A: In September of 2017, we expanded to Hoffman Estates and are holding an Open House from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 30, at the location where people can take tours and learn about the programs we offer there.
Our annual golf outing is Monday, Aug. 5, at Twin Orchard Country Club in Long Grove, and sponsorships and foursomes are still available.
Additionally, we are in the early stages of looking at expanding to Naperville and welcome introductions to interested families, partners and funders in the community.
Q: How can people who are unable to attend the event help out?
A: There are many ways people can help out if they can't attend Chefs' Night. We are always looking for volunteers at both of our locations, in Riverwoods and Hoffman Estates.
We're privately funded, so donations of any size make a difference. You can learn more about our programs and how you can make an impact by logging on to our website at www.CenterForEnrichedLiving.org.