Younger individuals collaborating within the Austin neighborhood’s Kidz Categorical have a brand new multi-faceted pc lab, due to the efforts of the Rotary Membership of Oak Park-River Forest. The lab was devoted Nov. 4 in honor of former Rotary Membership member Lesley Gottlinger, who died in June, just some weeks earlier than the primary computer systems have been delivered to the Kidz Categorical heart at 5221 W. Congress Parkway.
Based in 2005 by Oak Park residents Warren King and Duane Ehresman, Kidz Categorical serves youth 5 by way of 13 years previous by matching them with mentors 14 by way of 28 years previous. The paid mentors, usually younger individuals who have been in this system, function credible position fashions for his or her youthful mentees. The middle gives after-school and summer season programming in well being and vitamin, management improvement, music and dance, emotional counseling, school and profession preparation, job coaching, childcare and tutoring.
The group’s mission resonated with Gottlinger, who was a instructor within the Austin neighborhood for a few years in addition to a passionate advocate for younger individuals.
“Lesley was the grande dame of our Rotary Membership. She fell in love with this venture and jumped on board instantly. She was only a drive of nature and if she put her thoughts to one thing, it was going to occur,” mentioned Iris Saavedra-Zaldivar, one among three native Rotarians to spearhead the venture.
The pc lab was a number of years within the making, delayed by problems related to the COVID pandemic. Rotary Membership member Christine Baissac-Hayden first introduced Kidz Categorical to the membership’s consideration in 2019. She is a neighbor of its govt director, Douglas Low, and has labored for the group.
“I moved from France to the U.S. in 2017,” mentioned Baissac-Hayden. “I had a imaginative and prescient of America as being large and delightful, such as you see on TV. However working at Kidz Categorical was a serious crash touchdown. The youngsters I met and listening to the conditions they skilled was heartbreaking. These youngsters had witnessed issues most of us haven’t.”
The native Rotary membership determined to sort out an bold pc renovation venture for Kidz Categorical as a means of creating a big affect within the lives of youngsters on the West Aspect and to rejoice the membership’s centennial.
To maximise its fundraising efforts, the membership determined to use for a worldwide grant from Rotary Worldwide’s World Fund. To be eligible for the grant, which is often given completely to abroad tasks in partnership with U.S. golf equipment, the membership needed to enlist assist from overseas international locations.
“Kidz Categorical is a company in our personal yard that’s serving deprived youth in a neighborhood impacted by unemployment, violence and disinvestment. I consider strongly in prevention reasonably than remedy — and Kidz Categorical makes use of a prevention mannequin for serving to youth. … We thought the pc venture was an ideal use of a Rotary grant,” mentioned Saavedra-Zaldivar.
The grant, “Bridging the Digital Divide By way of Peace,” focuses on peace circles and battle decision in addition to computer systems and pc expertise coaching. Whereas Baissac-Hayden served because the liaison with Kidz Categorical, Gottlinger was chargeable for writing the grant and assuring that it met Rotary tips. Saavedra-Zaldivar was the salesperson, convincing abroad Rotary golf equipment to assist the venture. She acquired funding from golf equipment in Bolivia, Italy, Colombia, Canada and France, Baissac-Hayden’s native nation. As well as, Chicagoland Rotary District 6450 contributed to the trouble. All instructed, the intrepid group raised roughly $91,000 and the Oak Park-River Forest membership kicked in a further quantity to fund a complete $100,000 venture in honor of its 100th anniversary.
The fundraising effort resulted within the buy of laptops, desktops, Adobe software program, web entry factors, printers and a photocopier in addition to tables and chairs.
“The pc room is a becoming tribute to Lesley, who had an actual legacy with the Rotary Membership,” mentioned Ade Onayemi, district governor of Rotary District 6450 and former president of the Rotary Membership of Oak Park-River Forest. “She was very proud that each of her mother and father have been robust Rotarians. She was very concerned in our membership in addition to with District 6450. She was the youth trade officer for our membership, recruiting native host households for our highschool worldwide college students and serving as a den mom for the youngsters for 15 years. There have been youngsters all around the world who have been devastated by her demise.”
Gottlinger and Onayemi additionally co-chaired the Rotary’s Work together Membership for college kids at Trinity, Fenwick and Oak Park and River Forest excessive colleges. The youth membership works on service tasks all year long and sends members to an annual U.N. Mannequin program to introduce them to how the U.N. works on world points.
“Lesley was the Pied Piper and a grandma to all youngsters. She was obsessed with serving to deprived youngsters enhance their lives. And he or she was obsessed with utilizing Rotary as a car to vary lives. She could be comfortable to know the Rotary Membership’s pc venture has reached fruition,” mentioned Onayemi.
