Location
1702 Chicago Ave.
Evanston, Illinois 60201
United States
Date & Time
11:00am CDT - 2:30pm CDT
Price
About This Event
Join us to help recognize the achievements of the youth and families we serve, along with the dedication of those who stand beside them. SGA Youth & Family Services' Luncheon Fundraiser: "Changing Lives. Strengthening Families. Building Neighborhoods." honors the supporters, staff, partners, and volunteers who make our mission possible. Guests will enjoy a seated luncheon, inspiring program, and powerful stories that highlight how, together, we’re creating brighter futures across Chicagoland.
This fundraiser supports SGA’s transformative programs that help youth and families move from adversity to achievement through the Cycle of Opportunity®. Illinois is home to nearly 1.9 million immigrants, including about 700,800 children growing up with at least one immigrant parent. That means roughly two in seven children in our state are part of immigrant families,* each with their own story and dreams. Many of these families are working hard to build stability and opportunity for their children while striving to feel a sense of belonging. Your support helps create a Chicagoland where every family feels welcome and has the opportunity to thrive.
*Source: Vera Institute of Justice, Illinois Immigrant Population Profile (2025).
About This Event
Join us to help recognize the achievements of the youth and families we serve, along with the dedication of those who stand beside them. SGA Youth & Family Services' Luncheon Fundraiser: "Changing Lives. Strengthening Families. Building Neighborhoods." honors the supporters, staff, partners, and volunteers who make our mission possible. Guests will enjoy a seated luncheon, inspiring program, and powerful stories that highlight how, together, we’re creating brighter futures across Chicagoland.
This fundraiser supports SGA’s transformative programs that help youth and families move from adversity to achievement through the Cycle of Opportunity®. Illinois is home to nearly 1.9 million immigrants, including about 700,800 children growing up with at least one immigrant parent. That means roughly two in seven children in our state are part of immigrant families,* each with their own story and dreams. Many of these families are working hard to build stability and opportunity for their children while striving to feel a sense of belonging. Your support helps create a Chicagoland where every family feels welcome and has the opportunity to thrive.
*Source: Vera Institute of Justice, Illinois Immigrant Population Profile (2025).
About Our Keynote Speaker
Best-selling author and social justice advocate, Julissa Arce, delivers a powerful message with a nuanced perspective on the complexities of the American Dream, immigration, and identity. Drawing from her personal journey—from arriving in the U.S. as an undocumented immigrant at age 11 to ascending the ranks of Wall Street—she challenges the traditional narrative that success necessitates assimilation. She argues that the pressure to conform often leads individuals to suppress their cultural identities, a theme she explores in her book, You Sound Like a White Girl. Arce's speeches encourage audiences to embrace their heritage and question societal norms that equate whiteness with belonging.
Getting There
The Woman's Club of Evanston
1702 Chicago Ave.
Evanston, Illinois 60201
United States
Thank You to Our Sponsors
Achievement Sponsors
Susan and Donald Belgrad
Matthew and Karen Stone Kaplan
Susan Stone
Resilience Sponsors
John and Victoria Cultra
Andy and Amy Gelman
The Joseph Pedott Legacy Fund at The Chicago Community Foundation
Ted Wecker and Rita Michaud
William Blair
Suzanne Lynch
The Mills Family Charitable Fund
Empowerment Sponsors
Matthew and Christine Schmeltz
Pathways Sponsors
Doug and Mary Jo Basler
Michael and Nina Blechman
Community Savings Bank
Jarvis Foundation
John and Lisa Kinzelberg
Ronald and Fifi Levin
Andrew Rachleff
Hugo and Elena Sonnenschein
James and Peggy Swartchild
Eleven Eleven Foundation
Kenneth & Beth Karmin Family Foundation
David and Leslie Storch
Location
1702 Chicago Ave.
Evanston, Illinois 60201
United States
Date & Time
11:00am CDT - 2:30pm CDT