The Honeycomb Project

A huge win for our hive this week: we’re so thrilled to have been awarded the NBCUniversal Local Impact Grant for $25,000! 🐝💛 Executive Director Kristina Lowenstein and Honeycomb Board Member Carlos M. Garcia accepted the award Tuesday morning (via giant check!) From all of us here at The Honeycomb Project, a massive “THANK YOU!” to NBCU Local Chicago President Kevin Cross and the rest of the NBCUniversal, NBC Chicago and NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises teams for this incredible recognition. We are so grateful and so honored to be one of the eight Chicago nonprofits to receive this award—Devices 4 the Disabled, Chicago Filmmakers, Let It Be Us, Rescue Pack, Taller de José, GirlForward, and Refugee Education & Adventure Challenge (REACH). You can read more about these amazing organizations here: https://lnkd.in/gFKxYsxi This grant will play a huge part in our 2024 Season of Service. Starting this November, we’ll be engaging over 1,000+ volunteers across Chicago in our biggest activation yet! This initiative helps funds year-round engagement here at The Honeycomb Project, and the real, tangible impact this award will have cannot be overstated 💛 To learn more about our upcoming supply drives, special volunteer projects, the Holiday Cheer Challenge, and everything else the Season of Service has to offer, check out our website: https://lnkd.in/gx-G6B7H

Our hive is built upon a collection of stories, and every Honeycomb family has a unique journey! Every month we love to spotlight a Honeycomb family and for August's #volunteerspotlight we'd love to share the Butler-Brooks' leadership with Honeycomb! Check out their story here: https://lnkd.in/gbpM883g To read about other Honeycomb families, check out our blog: https://lnkd.in/gfpawe8j #familyvolunteering #volunteeringchicago #honeycombchi

"What are you planting today to harvest tomorrow?" - Lailah Gifty Akita Check out some August growing activities and join Chicago Grows Food during our upcoming volunteer days! Volunteer Days 8.24.2024 | Family Volunteer Day with The Honeycomb Project - https://lnkd.in/gFsNBRpB 9.12.2024 | Community Volunteer Day with Chicago Cares - https://lnkd.in/gmhr45t3 View more resources on the Chicago Grows Food website - www.chicagogrowsfood.org #growyourownfood #gardening #urbangardens #growingcommunity #gardeneducation #chicagogrowsfood #growyourgroceries #growingfoodchangeslives

125+ volunteers and 100+ hand-made donations supporting the kids at Lurie Children's Hospital 🐝 Our most recent corporate event at Echo was a booming success! A huge thank you to our corporate partner, Echo Global Logistics, Vice President of Talent Acquisition Sharon Garcia, and Director of HR Compliance and Strategic Projects Ray King III for inviting us to host our Lend a Hand to Lurie project during Echo's Family Day. Once a month, Honeycomb volunteers make fleece blankets, puzzles, board books, and more to support the patients at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago. Your company can make a difference, too! Whether you’re a small business, large company, or corporate branch, you can build a partnership with Honeycomb. Message us or email Caroline Stasica at [email protected] to learn more about our corporate opportunities.

Last Friday, our in-office team, our incredible UCAN (Chicago) partners, and a few amazing volunteers handed off thousands of donated college essentials to high school graduates at UCAN's Trunk Party! Our 2024 Summer Swarm supply drive secured dorm necessities—backpacks, bedding, hygiene products, school supplies, and more—for over 40 college-bound students from Chicago’s West Side. A special thank you to Malisha Dunigan, Jeremiah Scott, Andrea Lee and everyone who donated the Swarm for making this happen! Two huge shout-outs to: 1. The employees of Residence Inn by Marriott locations in Mag Mile and the Loop who donated nearly 100 school packs: complete with pencils, notebooks, hand-written notes, and more.  2. Our incredible Summer Swarm co-chairs, the Werries Collier family, who donated dozens of linens, school supplies, and other dorm essentials (and also helped organize this supply drive!) You can read more about the Werries Colliers here: https://lnkd.in/gBPuCbmX Whether you’re a small business or corporate branch, you can make a difference with any of our supply drives! Keep an eye out for our upcoming Halloween Costume Drive, or DM us to get involved.

Our incredible Program Manager Akie and Summer Swarm co-chair Vaughn made another on-air appearance this past Monday! 💛 The duo were featured on WGN-TV to talk more about our dorm essentials drive. Thank you to Kristina Miller and Patrick Elwood for having us! With only one day remaining of our Summer Swarm drive, there’s still time to rally your office to donate college necessities—bedding, school supplies, hygiene products, and more. Your company can help prepare high school graduates from Chicago’s West Side for the next exciting chapter of their lives. Every donation makes a difference! Collection boxes are open until July 31st at city-wide locations, including UCAN (Chicago) (3605 W Fillmore St) and Honeycomb HQ (1030 W North Ave). You can also sign up here for our UCAN Trunk Party this Friday, August 2nd, to help distribute supplies: https://lnkd.in/gk8J9E_Q #summerswarm #honeycombproject #familyvolunteering #collegebound #chicago

🐝 Exciting news! 🐝 This past Sunday, Summer Swarm co-chair Vaughn and Honeycomb Program Manager Akie were featured on Fox 32 Chicago to promote our dorm essentials drive. Thank you to Brittany Andrade and Elizabeth Matthews for having us! It’s not too late to pick up a collection box for your workplace! From bedding and school supplies to hygiene products and electronics, rally your business to help provide North Lawndale graduates with college necessities as they head off to school this fall. Energize your team by giving back this summer—every donation makes a difference! So come join the swarm! You can email [email protected] to secure a collection box for your office today. Boxes are open until July 31st at multiple city-wide locations, including UCAN (Chicago) (3605 W Fillmore St) and at Honeycomb HQ (1030 W North Ave).

We need all hands on deck this month to support our Summer Swarm! We are rallying our entire network around this mobilization gathering school and dorm supplies for college-bound students supported by UCAN (Chicago), a social services organization that provides vital wrap-around services to heal, support, and uplift those affected by trauma in North Lawndale. Whether you're ready to be on the ground staffing UCAN's 7th Annual Trunk Party or you're looking to involve your workplace in a good cause, there's room for everyone to be a part of the Swarm! We need everything from sheets to pencils, so no donation is too small! All donations must be in new condition and received on or before July 31st. If you're looking to show your support in-person, register for UCAN Trunk Party on our website! Drop-off Locations (All donations must be received by 7/31): UCAN (3605 W Fillmore St): Monday - Friday: 9am – 4:30pm Donation Box at Honeycomb HQ (1030 W North Ave): Monday - Friday: 9am – 6pm, Saturday: 9am – 5:30pm If you can't drop off in person, you can also support directly online through UCAN's Walmart registry: https://lnkd.in/dE-BRcca

Thank you Make It Better Foundation for featuring The Honeycomb Project! Let's inspire kids and families to spark conversations on civil service this summer! https://lnkd.in/geGzaR3q #givingback #familyvolunteering #honeycombchi #chicagovolunteering