Chicago Mourns the Loss of Vanessa Rich, Champion for Children

Chicago Youth Centers joins the city of Chicago, the Department of Family and Support Services, and the Head Start community in mourning the loss of Vanessa Rich, Deputy Commissioner of Children Services. Vanessa died on December 27, 2015 at the age of 64.

Vanessa was a true champion for Head Start and an advocate for Chicago’s children. She once said, “In Head Start, we don’t just stand on the porch; we come all the way into the house.”  That was how she lived: all in. After serving Head Start as a teenage intern in the summer of 1965, Vanessa embarked on a 40-year career of advocacy, leadership, and service. During her 11-year tenure with Chicago, the city’s Head Start and Early Head Start programs earned national recognition. Additionally, access to quality early learning expanded so thousands of the city’s most vulnerable children would experience this transformative programming.

To our city, she was a true champion for children and a formidable defender of early childhood education. To those of us at Chicago Youth Centers (CYC), Vanessa was a loyal partner, leader, and friend. “CYC could not have asked for a more supportive and caring partner,” says Wanda Doucet, CYC Director of Early Childhood Education . “Any time we needed support, Vanessa was there with a smile. Her passion, commitment, and kindness will be deeply missed, and the impact she had on our children and in our communities is deeply felt.”

“Vanessa impressed me in so many ways—as a leader and a person,” says CYC CEO Barbara Mosacchio. “She literally embraced me as I stepped into a new role in a new city. Perhaps most impressive was her true respect, admiration, and understanding for the agencies on the ground running the program. In one of our first meetings she said ‘you [CYC] are the real hero in this story.’  I will never forget those words, nor will I ever forget this larger-than-life woman with the most beautiful singular focus: Chicago’s children.”

It was Vanessa’s ability to welcome, encourage, and embrace that made her stand out as a leader. “I will always remember Vanessa’s warm smile and the joy she brought into every room she entered,” says Talina Carter-Bowie, Early Childhood Director of Programs & Operations at CYC.  “She truly believed in each individual and helped my team and I believe that we could truly make a difference.  Now when we go to work each day, we hope to honor Vanessa and keep fighting for early access to education and our children’s futures. We need to make sure we carry that torch.”

Indeed, Vanessa’s legacy will live on through the lives of thousands of children who experience Head Start, thanks to her tireless conviction. We know Vanessa’s life will be an inspiration to us as we work to serve our children, communities, and city.

Interview with Board Member Charlie Pikul

CYC honors Charlie Pikul, who dedicated his time and talent as a member of CYC's Board of Directors for five years. Charlie recently moved to Atlanta to start a new role with Ernst & Young. Before he left, we asked Charlie to describe his favorite CYC memories, his legacy, and his vision for our future.

What prompted you to spend so much of your time serving CYC? When I started, I really wanted to build my network. Yes, I wanted to help an organization with an important mission and a history of results, but when I first joined the Board, I had no idea how much CYC would come to mean to me. I didn’t realize how much I’d fall in love with the kids, the staff, the fellow Board members--and the mission.

I’ll never forget the first time I visited a CYC Center. The energy from the staff and the kids was just incredible. Especially because our staff isn’t watching the kids--our staff is with the kids. Every activity has a purpose, and every interaction is a chance to engage a child and help him or her develop CYC’s “Four C’s” [critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and communication]. That kind of commitment to our kids takes passion, it takes time, and that’s what sets CYC apart from other organizations. I don’t know how you can leave our Centers and not be excited about what we’re doing.

Do you have a favorite CYC memory? At CYC-Elliott Donnelley Youth Center, I met a young girl, 4 or 5 years old, named Miracle. Miracle would not leave me alone! She sat on my shoulders for about an hour and a half, just talking to me about her summer, her plans, and her experiences.

Out of that came the reminder for me that any interaction you have with someone can make an impact. I know because, selfishly, that interaction with Miracle impacted me. I know, too, that when we listen to our kids and show them that we’re here, that we care about them, and are committed, that that makes a difference. They know they have people invested in their futures.

I want our Board members and volunteers to always remember that any time you go to our Centers, that brief moment of time can make a difference in a child’s life.

What was the single biggest thing you saw come out of the Board’s strategic planning? The Board came together and spent a full three-day weekend, essentially holed up, defining CYC’s strategic vision. We created a strategic house, with five pillars that support our mission and vision. (see figure below)

During that process, we made some tough decisions, but the planning resulted in a great strategy for the execution of our vision: that our children will be empowered to break generational cycles of poverty and violence.

Today we can say with confidence that all of our decisions are delivering on our commitment to our kids and families. I’m very proud to have been a part of that process.

Where do you see CYC in the future? I see us continuing to strengthen our commitment to our pillars. To become even more engaged in our communities, partnering with local alderman, churches, and community centers. To deepen our focus on the continuum of care so these great children have a chance to succeed. To expand our technology curriculum, and our Maker Labs to expose our children to the tech skills and applied skills they’ll need for 21st Century careers.

What do you want your legacy to be? To be known as someone who gave it all I had. Someone that gave of his time, talents, and treasure to help those who need it so much more. My legacy is also connected to the people I’ve brought to CYC. My organization Ernst & Young is now an active supporter of CYC, sponsoring an annual EY Connect Day that brings Summer Associates to a Center for a day of service.

You think as a Board Member you can only have an impact by providing funding, but you can have a huge impact by simply introducing people to CYC’s mission. If you’re excited, that energy is contagious.

In fact, my biggest advice to Board members, is to get involved immediately. Get out to our Centers, get to know our staff, get involved. Don’t underestimate your network and, and don’t underestimate the joy you can bring people by introducing them to CYC.

Thank you, Charlie, for the impact you've made on Chicago's kids!

Extraordinary Results & Extraordinary Times Require Extraordinary Giving

Extraordinary Results In 2014, CYC launched a pilot program in two of our Centers that made a significant impact on our children, teens, and families. In 2015, CYC children who participated in the pilot programs performed better in school, attended classes more frequently, were more motivated to succeed, made concrete plans for the future, and were empowered to dream. Families were actively engaged in their children’s future, and we fully surrounded our children with the social capital needed for success. You can read more about our pilot’s intentional strategy and results here.

The outcomes we achieved in just one year show that CYC is uniquely positioned to serve more children and families more deeply. We are laser-focused on our unique ability to create impact and change the trajectory of a child’s life.  We know that for our kids, CYC bridges the gap between today and tomorrow— from where they begin to where they ultimately arrive. By the time CYC children turn 18, we want them to have a strong sense of direction and the ability to choose a path out of poverty. Whether their choice is college, a trade, or vocational training, we want them to see and pursue rewarding lives for themselves, and ultimately, their families. We surround our kids with the social capital they need—innovative programming, creative and safe learning spaces, and supportive families and mentors—so they will find and stay on a path to success, and ultimately break the generational cycles of poverty and violence.

Extraordinary Times

There are many challenges facing us as a city, state and an economy—but top of mind for us is the current budget impasse. We understand the perspective of “both sides of the aisle,” and acknowledge the importance of fiscal responsibility within the Illinois budget.  However, as board leaders, our primary focus is what impact this budget impasse is having on human lives; on the wellbeing of hard working families and their children; and how CYC can continue to build on the momentum we have created.  How do we assure that we can scale our pilots to all of seven of our Centers and increase our impact?

For the past six months, the conversation in our board room has been the same as in board rooms across the city: do we scale back our programs, lay off highly skilled staff, and close operations or do we dig deeper to assure we continue to support more than 2,000 extraordinary children who participate in our Early Childhood, Out-of-School Time and Teen Leadership programs; and the more than 4,000 families who depend on CYC to help support, nurture, and instruct their children.

Extraordinary Giving

As the Chair of the Board and Chair of the Finance Committee, the answer was straightforward: we chose NOT to disrupt our programs, Centers, and communities. We chose to keep our children in program, keep our dedicated staff employed, and keep our communities cared for.

Never have we been more confident in how much more we can accomplish. Never have our children needed us more. In these extraordinary times, when our resources are strained so deeply, we continue to ask ourselves how we can do more. We continue to believe in a Chicago where every child has the same access to the resources and opportunities needed to break generational cycles of poverty and violence.

As a Board, we are standing up for kids and committing to raising as much money as possible. We are acknowledging that in extraordinary times, extraordinary giving is required. 100% of our board gives, and collectively they raise more than $1M annually. This year, they have committed to doing more.

We are asking each of you to make this the year you give more.  This is important work; this is meaningful work; and this is life-changing work for our children, our families, and our city. Thank you!

Dixie Adams

Chicago Youth Centers Board Chair

General Manager, Industrial Sector, IBM Global Technology Services

William J. Kelley, Jr.

Chicago Youth Centers Board Member and Chair of Fiance Committee

Vice President Global Head of Internal Audit, The Kraft Heinz Company