LSSI’s Women’s Network brunch raises cash for Head Start

The 28th annual Forget-Me-Not Brunch and Fashion Show May 12 raised more than $51,000 for the Bonding with Books program offered to preschool students at Lutheran Social Services of Illinois’ five Head Start sites in Chicago.

LSSI is a Des Plaines-based social services agency that serves people in need throughout the state.

Nearly 300 people attended the event at The Meadows Club in Rolling Meadows, which was hosted by The Women’s Network of LSSI. Bonding with Books is a literacy program that, from October to May, provides one book a month free for approximately 264 children enrolled at LSSI’s Head Start sites.

Classroom activities are linked to the theme of each month’s book, and the program encourages families to read together and use the books to build a home library for all of the family’s children. This is the eighth year the brunch has helped to fund Bonding with Books.

“The fashion show offers The Women’s Network a wonderful opportunity to enrich the communities of children whom LSSI serves through its Head Start program,” says Marianne King of Downers Grove, 2012 chair.

“I’m very appreciative of the generous spirit of those attending who enable us to make a significant contribution to the Bonding with Books program. We’ve really tried to link our work to LSSI’s mission statement of bringing wholeness to people and communities.”

LSSI’s five Head Start sites are located in Humboldt Park, North Austin, Rogers Park, Uptown and West Englewood. They offer programs for children ages 3–5 with or without disabilities. Programming is designed to develop students’ social skills and school readiness.

“Our Bonding with Books program is one of a kind — there are no other programs like it,” says Carol Endemann, associate executive director of LSSI’s Community Child Care.

“The emphasis the program places on language development and early literacy will lead to a love of books and reading, and to school success. We are so grateful to the Women’s Network for supporting this important program.”

Founded in October 1867, Lutheran Social Services of Illinois is a statewide, nonprofit social service agency of the three Illinois Synods of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

For information about the agency, visit www.LSSI.org and LSSI’s Facebook page.

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