YLS will host the Community Rock Star Celebration on March 16th, 2010 at the House of Blues Chicago. This event is the culmination of community members submitting nominations for and descriptions of actions/individuals who other’s feel truely exemplify the “Live United” mantra. Nominees will be recognized throughout the event as Community Rock Stars.

When I first heard about the nomination process and upcoming event, I was compelled to ask the question, “What is a Community Rock Star?” The conclusion that I reached was simply that to me a Community Rock Star is someone who demonstrates through their consistent and persistent actions that volunteerism and philanthropy are at the forefront of their list of priorities rather than an afterthought or an “if I have time” or an “if I need a resume booster” affair. A Community Rock Star enthusiastically engages with communities in need – regardless of their personal differences or the varying degrees between their stages in life. Furthermore, a Community Rock Star vehemently and shamelessly recruits anyone who will listen to get on board – if not for their particular cause than for another where the need is also great. Individuals meeting these criteria are who I expect to see recognized on March 16th.

Given that a Community Rock Star may be something different for all of us, I am making this post one for YOU to take the reigns and share your definition and/or expectations of a Community Rock Star. Please post your definition as a comment to this post.

When I first moved to Chicago after college in the summer of 2001 I initially thought this would be a two-to-three year stop, and I would be on my way to bigger and better things (as if things got bigger and better than Chicago?!). After a couple of years, I realized Chicago was becoming a more permanent home. As such, I wanted to give back to the city that I was “taking” away from on a daily basis. Thankfully for me, PricewaterhouseCoopers gave me lots of different opportunities to get involved so I could begin to give back to my community. I started off small; initially getting involved by contributing towards the annual United Way campaign. I then got involved through various one-day United Way events sponsored by PricewaterhouseCoopers .

My current involvement with United Way started after I completed Project Blueprint which is the nonprofit board training program offered through United Way. Through this training I was invited to be a part of the Venture Investment Fund Panel which evaluated “start-up” programs at already established United Way agencies. My involvement with the panel gave me the opportunity to see the inner-workings of United Way and how much they rely on talented volunteers to conduct what I call the “due diligence” over all of the agencies United Way funds. As a former auditor, seeing the extensive review and analysis of each agency was very reassuring to me and prompted me to make larger contributions to my firms annual United Way campaign. I had seen firsthand through the grant review process and on-site review visits that the dollars I contribute toward the campaign are spent in a very prudent and intelligent fashion. As a result of my involvement with Venture I was invited to be one of the founding members of YLS back in August of 2006.

As you can see, my volunteer activity was a gradual process. Along each step of the way, I learned more about the different opportunities available to me and what I enjoyed and where I thought I fit in the best. Today I continue to LIVE UNITED as a member of the PricewaterhouseCoopers United Way Steering Committee for our annual United Way campaign as well as the Volunteer Chair for the YLS Volunteer Committee.

I encourage each of you to learn for yourself what United Way has to offer you and hopefully you will start this process by attending our next volunteer opportunity on May 30! If you ever have any questions about how you can get more involved with the Volunteer Committee, or YLS in general, do not hesitate to contact me.

On Saturday, April 18, YLS members visited and toured the beautiful Rauner Family YMCA in the Pilsen neighborhood. 
 
Pilsen has always been an entry point for immigrants in Chicago, starting with people of Czech origin in the late 19th century and to people from Mexico in the 1960s. Rauner Family YMCA’s Executive Director, Martha “Marty” Gutierrez gave YLS members a tour of the state-of-the-art facility that houses a workout room, gymnasium, lounging area, classrooms, computer room and both an outdoor and indoor soccer field. Marty explained how the YMCA works with families in several programs, which promote healthy family practices, assist with teen issues and intervene with gangs. She also spoke about challenges the families face every day in the neighborhood. Despite high levels of violence and gang activity in recent years, Pilsen is a vibrant family neighborhood with character, art and great food. 
 
YLS members were able to experience the strong family presence in the community after the tour when they volunteered for YMCA’s Healthy Kids Day. The day was filled with games and activities, healthy meal demonstrations and a little salsa dancing (which some members took advantage of). YLS members helped to pass out healthy fruits to YMCA families and even got in on some of the action with races, tumbling exercises and soccer with the kids. 
 
YMCA’s fitness coordinator, Angela Appleton said, “The United Way volunteers were a great help! They were there to assist me with whatever I needed to run my fitness classes more efficiently and engaged the youth. I really appreciated their energy and support!”

YLS members who came out to help were also thrilled to be there. Here’s what they said about their visit to Rauner Family YMCA:

“There is no greater gift to our children than the gift of health, no better path to health than proper nutrition, and no better setting for dietary education than on the sidelines of the soccer field at the Rauner Family YMCA. We all learned something valuable. It reminded me that dinner doesn’t come in a box,” said David Batulis, YLS member.
 
“I had a wonderful time at the event. Volunteering at the Rauner Family YMCA allowed me to understand its strong impact in the surrounding neighborhood.  I’m impressed by its goal to become the cornerstone of its community, and I know the YMCA staff would welcome any YLS members who want to help.  Additionally, it was great to meet and spend the day with other YLS members,” said Ingrid Schwab, YLS Fundraising Committee Member.
 
“Volunteering for the day at Rauner’s Family YMCA was a tremendously rewarding experience. The YMCA’s Healthy Kids Day was an opportunity to help improve the well being of youth and their families in the community through the promotion of a healthy diet and proper exercise, we were able to see first hand the positive impact the YMCA has on the children and youth of the Pilsen community. Due to the nature of many non-profit organizations often being shorthanded when it comes to volunteers, the YMCA was very appreciative of the support they received from the YLS and the United Way,” said Zach Walters, YLS Member.
 
After a hard day of volunteering, YLS members met at a local Taquería where they enjoyed some delicious Mexican cuisine. If you are interested in volunteering for the Rauner YMCA, please click HERE or contact Gloria Riley.