Celebrating Our Impact
As we wrap up another incredible year at Unity Parenting & Counseling, Inc. there is so much to be grateful for. In the last year, our organization has been able to accomplish so much in helping homeless youth and disadvantaged families achieve stability and independence.
The story of Gary is a wonderful example of how our organization was able to step in and assist. Gary, a former client of Ujima Village Shelter worked with Anne Holcomb, Manager of Facilities and Resources at Unity and a Lawyer from the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, as he filled out the various paperwork needed to become a long haul truck driver! Gary went from being homeless, living at Ujima Village to now successfully becoming employed as a Truck Driver. We are so pleased to add that he has also obtained housing. Gary recently stopped by the shelter when he passed through Chicago in between routes. What a wonderful story to share!
There are countless other stories of victory where Unity Parenting & Counseling, Inc., has stepped in to help the disenfranchised. Just last month, we were pleased to host the webinar, ” From Trauma to Triumph”, where other client stories of overcoming the odds were shared. All of this was made possible through the generous support of individuals like YOU!
And yet there is much more work to be done to help! With the Christmas holiday approaching, we truly need your help now more than ever. Will you transform lives with a gift today?
From Trauma to Triumph Webinar
We want to send a special thank you to everyone who attended the “From Trauma to Triumph Webinar” on Tuesday, November 15th. We had a great time learning about how former clients have triumphed over their trauma. If you were unable to attend the event, no worries, we recorded it. Please check out the link below to view the full webinar.
29 Days Left Until Giving Tuesday!
From Trauma to Triumph Post
THE CAT IS OUT THE BAG!!! Join us for a virtual event, “From Trauma to Triumph,” on Tuesday, November 15th. Stay tuned for more details.
Filmmaking Workshop teaches Youth Valuable Skills
Last month, Unity Housing Navigator and Filmmaker Caprice Williams kicked off a new series of filmmaking workshops called “Write your Wrongs.” The eight-week workshop series is being held at Unity’s Harmony Village.
“The Write your Wrongs workshop is a workshop where we teach homeless youth residing in Unity programs, the basics of filmmaking. The program covers five categories: script writing, directing, acting, and brief cinematography. Throughout those eight weeks, the girls learn how to develop a story. They’re learning the basics of acting, how to put a story together, how to put together a production, the basics you need to get the production going. They will also learn how to operate a camera from the crew of Rouz Productions. And at the end of the workshop, we develop a short film,” said Williams.
Williams is no stranger to the film screen. In 2020, she wrote, directed, produced, and starred in an original web-series called Journey. This past spring, she released a short film With Us that confronts the realities of sex trafficking and missing Black women in Chicago. The ‘Write your Wrongs’ workshop series is important to Williams, who was herself once a resident of Harmony Village.
“I used to stay at Harmony Village when I was pregnant with my daughter about seven and a half years ago. And it feels good to be in a position where I’m able to give back to them. I’m able to teach them how to express themselves in ways, other than violence or drugs or anything like that,” said Williams.
The Write Your Wrongs workshop is made possible through the generous support of the Joseph and Bessie Feinberg Foundation. For more information about how you can support Unity Parenting and Counseling please visit: https://unityparenting.org/donate/ .
Unity Parenting and Counseling celebrates Pride Month by supporting the LGBTQ youth we serve in Unity’s Foster Care and Homeless Youth Programs.
LGBTQ youth are 120% more likely to be homeless than non LGBTQ youth. Unity staff works with each youth to build on Pride and Resilience to achieve independence and personal goals. The Picture below demonstrates the support available at Unity’s Ujima Village Low Threshold Youth Shelter.
“Two Ujima Village Youth Shelter residents assist in leading a socially distanced House Meeting at the shelter, explaining the new Pride “Progress” Flag and its inclusion of Black and Brown and Trans persons. On the left is P. Boss, Anne the Ujima Manager is in the middle, and D’Anne C. is on the right.”
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