Emergency Fund on the air - Perspectives, Channel 50

Last week, representatives from the Emergency Fund had the pleasure of sitting down with Monique Caradine, the host of television show, Perspectives, to discuss the new face of homelessness.

Heloise, a college educated professional, lost her job last year due to downsizing. Although she had some savings, the savings she had wasn't enough to sustain her for several months and she was facing eviction. Through referrals, she learned of the Emergency Fund, a Chicago-based non-profit organization which helps individuals and families through a crisis, such as homelessness. Heloise was able to stay in her place and she is now gainfully employed.

Kimberly Holley, from the Emergency Fund, joined Heloise as guests of Monique's for a taping last week on the new face of homelessness.

We hope you'll take a moment this coming Sunday, November 29, to watch the segment when it airs on Channel 50 at noon CST.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!

Megy Karydes
Karydes Consulting
www.KarydesConsulting.com

Emergency Fund Paint the Town Blue Gala - October 16

The much-anticipated Paint the Town Blue Gala comes to the Chicago Cultural Center tomorrow and we're very excited. Even columnist Bill Zwecker, from the Chicago Sun Times, mentioned it in his article today.

Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias will have the podium to give a presentation and other notables including Susanna Negovan (editor of Michigan Avenue magazine) and Tom Negovan (anchor/reporter of WGN9 News) will be in attendance. Susanna and Tom are the honorary co-chairs and the event will mark Tom's first public appearance since his motorcycle accident in Chicago earlier last month.

Major corporate sponsors of the evening's event include Northern Bank, The Private Bank, and the Chicago Realtors Association.

To learn more about the event or to purchase tickets, please visit www.EmergencyFund.org.

Hope to see you there!

-Megy Karydes
Karydes Consulting
www.KarydesConsulting.com

FRESH! the movie screening in Chicago

You know when you hear that one person CAN make a difference and you pause and wonder...really? How can one person really make a difference? Well, McCall Marshall is one of those people.

When she wanted to see the movie FRESH! and noticed it wasn't slated to show in Chicago, a major city in the United States, she was surprised, and annoyed. But rather than forget about it, she decided to do something about it - she contacted the director of the movie, bought the rights to show the film in Chicago and hosted two screenings this summer. Not only did she get to see the movie (more than once) but she introduced the film to hundreds of people who otherwise wouldn't have had the chance to see it.

Fast forward a few days later and Mindful Metropolis, along with Ripple Effect Films, are hosting another screening on Thursday, September 24, complete with sponsors and a panel discussion immediately following the film. Lake Side Cafe (www.Lake-Side-Cafe.com), a vegetarian and vegan restaurant and catering company based on Chicago, is among the sponsors.

You can also read the article I wrote for the September 2009 issue of Mindful Metropolis (page 20) to get a sense of what the movie is all about. If you get a chance to see it, though, I strongly recommend it!

Hope to see you on September 24!

-Megy Karydes
Karydes Consulting
www.KarydesConsulting.com

Threat of Becoming Homeless on the Rise

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For more information, contact:
Megy Karydes
312-560-2715
megy@karydesconsulting.com

Threat of Becoming Homeless on the Rise
Rise in calls to Homelessness Prevention Call Center

Chicago, IL, (August 27, 2009) — Calls to the Homelessness Prevention Call Center are at an all time high, according to the Emergency Fund, a Chicago-based non-profit organization committed to providing immediate financial assistance to individuals and families in need.

“Calls to the Homelessness Prevention Call Center have increased by 22.3 percent from the beginning of the year through May,” says Nonie Brennan, executive director of the Emergency Fund. “While the economy is affecting nearly everyone across the board, it’s particularly challenging for those individuals and families who were already at the brink of a crisis. We’re seeing more families with incomes over $35,000 calling to see if they qualify for assistance because they can’t make ends meet.”

The Emergency Fund is in a unique position to provide help to thousands of residents because of its relationship with 58 partner agencies located throughout the city of Chicago and surrounding suburbs.

“We couldn’t do our work without the help of our partner agencies,” says Kathleen Molnar, program director of the Emergency Fund. “They are our eyes and ears in the community and together we’re able to help individuals and families through a crisis which could easily result in homelessness.”

Ranging from community centers to shelters, the partner agencies meet with individuals and families to assess each situation on a case by case basis. Most find the agencies through their community or by calling 311 and speaking with a representative from the Homelessness Prevention Call Center who directs them to the closest agency. If the individual or family qualifies for assistance, help is provided within 72 hours.

“More individuals and families need our help now more than ever,” adds Brennan. “We’ve never seen this level of concern and we’re doing our best to meet the needs of each individual and family.”

To learn more about the Emergency Fund, please visit www.EmergencyFund.org or call 312-379-0301.

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ABOUT THE EMERGENCY FUND
The Emergency Fund is a non-profit organization based in Chicago which has been providing immediate financial assistance to individuals and families in need through its network of 55 partner agencies located throughout the City of Chicago and nearby suburbs for 36 years. To learn more about the organization, visit www.EmergencyFund.org.

NOTE TO MEDIA: To arrange an interview with Nonie Brennan, executive director of the Emergency Fund, please contact Megy Karydes at 312-560-2715 or at Megy@KarydesConsulting.com.

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Emergency Fund Helps Children and Families Avoid a Crisis

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For more information, contact:
Megy Karydes
312-560-2715
megy@karydesconsulting.com

Emergency Fund Helps Children and Families Avoid a Crisis

Chicago, IL, (August 21, 2009) — With back to school on the minds of many families, Chicagoland residents may not realize the youngest victims of the economic crisis are children. Last year alone, the Emergency Fund (www.EmergencyFund.org), a Chicago non-profit leader in homelessness prevention, assisted nearly 9,000 people through a crisis or transition, including the threat of homelessness.

“Becoming homeless due to loss of a job, a landlord’s foreclosure on a home, or simply rising costs of living are all very real reasons individuals and families face the threat of becoming homeless,” says Nonie Brennan, executive director of the Emergency Fund. “When families have children, the problem is compounded by the fact that children don’t have the capacity to understand what is happening or why.”

Through its network of 56 partner agencies based throughout the city of Chicago and surrounding suburbs, the Emergency Fund is poised to quickly provide emergency financial assistance.

“Whether the aid comes in something as basic as a bus pass to get to a job interview, eyeglasses for a child who is having difficulty reading, to rent for a family who has been evicted due to a landlord’s foreclosure, our goal is to make that crisis or transition as least disruptive as possible for individuals, families, and especially children.”

To see if an individual or family qualifies to receive the financial assistance, residents are encouraged to call 311 and ask for Short Term Help. The caller will be transferred to the Homelessness Prevention Call Center, an Emergency Fund partner, where the intake representative can assess the situation and locate a nearby agency for the caller to visit. If help can be provided, assistance is provided within 48-72 hours.

“The point is that our assistance is immediate,” adds Brennan. “While we do our due diligence to ensure that the individuals and families using our services are in need, we also do not want people to have to wait. You can’t put a crisis on hold until the funds become available – that is why it’s called a crisis. It’s immediate, and so is our assistance.”

To learn more about the Emergency Fund, please visit www.EmergencyFund.org or call 312-379-0301.

ABOUT THE EMERGENCY FUND
The Emergency Fund is a non-profit organization based in Chicago which has been providing immediate financial assistance to individuals and families in need through its network of 55 partner agencies located throughout the City of Chicago and nearby suburbs for 36 years. To learn more about the organization, visit www.EmergencyFund.org.

NOTE TO MEDIA: To arrange an interview with Nonie Brennan, executive director of the Emergency Fund, please contact Megy Karydes at 312-560-2715 or at Megy@KarydesConsulting.com.

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Sustainable Holiday Gifts - Heartland Alliance Hope for a Hurting World Gift Catalog

Sustainable Gifts that Keep on Giving

Heartland Alliance Holiday Catalog Offers Inspiring Gifts This Season

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact:
Megy Karydes
312-560-2715
megy@KarydesConsulting.com

Sustainable Gifts that Keep on Giving

Heartland Alliance Holiday Catalog Offers Inspiring Gifts This Season

Chicago, IL (August 19, 2009) – With the holidays just around the corner, many people are beginning to wonder what their holidays will look like. The holidays are for giving, after all, but for some individuals, the funds for survival are barely there and their needs are great.

Heartland Alliance for Human Needs & Human Rights, a Chicago-based non-profit which helps people who are threatened by poverty or danger improve their lives and realize their human rights, knows this need too well. That is why Heartland Alliance has decided to continue its popular Hope for a Hurting World Gift Catalog (http://www.heartlandalliance.org/howtohelp/giveagift/) during this holiday season.

By replacing traditional holiday gifts with a gift from Heartland Alliance, individuals and businesses can help those who are struggling not only during the holiday season, but throughout the year. The catalog is a way for people to make a real difference in the communities in which they live.

Gifts start as low as $15 for a gift of a blanket and pillow to bring comfort and security to a child living in poverty. Other options include $30 for prescription medication for a person experiencing homelessnesss; $100 for an infant care kit; and $150 for a job training course. There are also gifts specifically geared for children to help other children. There are 43 different options for gifts through the catalog ranging from $15-$550 each.

A charitable gift made through Heartland Alliance’s gift catalog offers hope and meaning to disadvantaged families, especially women, children, and others struggling to survive. Each honoree will receive a personalized note card acknowledging the generous gift and every gift is tax-deductible. Last minute shoppers can purchase gifts online and an e-card will be sent through email.

For more information about the Heartland Alliance Hope for a Hurting World Gift Catalog, please visit http://www.heartlandalliance.org/howtohelp/giveagift/. For more information about Heartland Alliance and its services, please visit www.heartlandalliance.org.


About Heartland Alliance:
Heartland Alliance for Human Needs & Human Rights helps people who are threatened by poverty or danger improve their lives and realize their human rights. For more than 120 years we have been providing solutions – through services and policy – creating paths from crisis to stability and on to success. Our work in housing, health care, legal protections, and economic security supports more than 200,000 people annually, helping them build a better future.

Note to Media:
Liz Sode, Vice President and Executive Director of Heartland Alliance Strategic Services, is available for interviews. Hi-resolution images of specific catalog images are available by request. To schedule an interview or to receive images, please contact Megy Karydes at 312-560-2715 or at megy@KarydesConsulting.com.

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On Twitter? Feel free to share!
Meaningful holiday gifts that give back? Check out Non-profit Heartland Alliance's Gift Catalog - http://pitch.pe/22320

Book Reco: Most Likely You'll Go Your Way and I'll Go Mine

A former colleague wrote this book and I noticed it this weekend when my family and I were enjoying some ice cream in the Lincoln Square neighborhood in Chicago. The Book Cellar had it featured in their window since Ben Tanzer, the author, had just done a book signing the week earlier.

From what I've been able to read about the book so far, I'm intrigued...enough to go back to the Book Cellar this weekend to purchase the book and enjoy it while on my 24 hour flight to South Africa next week. I can use a humorous book on a flight that long. No matter how much you enjoy the company of the stranger seated next to you, you need a break and this will be perfect.

This isn't the first time a fellow colleague has written a book (in fact, as I count on my hands, it's quite a few!) and, I admit, I've purchased them all. Sometimes I've been invited to their parties at book shops and other times I've just been interested in reading their work (much like I attend art openings for my artsy friends who have shows of their work in art galleries). Some are awesome and others are really the genre I'm drawn to but I can honestly say I've enjoyed reading them all because I feel like I have some sort of personal connection to the author.

Nonetheless, if you find yourself in need of a good book to read, consider local Chicago author Ben Tanzer's latest: Most Likely You'll Go Your Way and I'll Go Mine. And, if you do read it, please let me know...I'd love to compare notes!

Happy reading!

-Megy Karydes
Karydes Consulting
www.KarydesConsulting.com