Ringing in the New Year with MEF's Volunteer Appreciation Party

Christmas and New Year’s Eve may have come and gone, but more than 300 guests were still in a festive mood at MEF’s annual Volunteer Appreciation Christmas Party on January 5, 2017 at Macy’s on State Street.

There’s much to appreciate. Each of MEF’s 368 volunteers average nearly 50 hours a year either tutoring a younger child or mentoring an older one. That level of individual attention produces practical results (in the form of better grades), but it also communicates silently to the child that he or she is of value, a message that can get lost when you live in a depressed neighborhood.

MEF Executive Director Glenn Wilke thanked one and all for their contributions to student success.  A few merited special attention as Volunteers of the Year: Steve Hardy, Susan McCrary and the PR faculty at DePaul University. Wilke also recognized two corporate benefactors, Potbelly Sandwich Works and Glassdoor, for generously supporting our academic enrichment programs.