SAVE THE DATE! Friday May 3, 2024
New Location, Same Heart!
See you at The Geraghty!
2520 S Hoyne Ave. Chicago, IL 60608
Each year BUILD helps more than 3,200 West Side Chicago youth and families build hope, lives, and futures—disrupting the piepline of gun violence in our city. With services like gang intervention and mental health care, out-of-school camps and college counseling, studio art and sports—we help youth develop the skills and support network they need to overcome barriers, survive, and thrive. Join us to celebrate these incredible young people, and thenpower of investing in peace!
2024 Honorees
BUILD is about the power of community, and each year we honor those who went above and beyond:
Lifetime BUILDer:
John A. Nitschke
Philanthropy BUILDer:
Austin Fresh
Corporate Community BUILDer:
Chicago Bears
2023 Gala Moments
On May 5, 2023, 600 friends and supporters gathered at Chicago’s Navy Pier to celebrate the power and resilience of BUILD youth. We honored three generations of the Abbey Family as Lifetime BUILDers and scholarship donors, and youth speakers Zack and Tauri shared their own powerful stories of persistence. Alumni Abbey Tiu-Kemph revisited her experience in a gang as a teen, and how BUILD negotiated her detachment and helped her back to school.
We celebrated these lives and raised over $800,000 unrestricted for BUILD’s greatest needs. Thank you to the whole community!
Hear BUILD Youth Voices tell their stories
Youth Speaker: Zack, age 19
"Thanks to BUILD I can stay on my own path and be who I want to be."
Youth Speaker: Tauri, age 14
"This program has helped me work through negative behaviors, anger and emotions and has taught me valuable problem solving and conflict resolution skills."
Alumni Address: Abbey Tiu-Kemph, MA, LCPC
Born in the Philippines, Abbey’s large family migrated to Chicago when she was eleven, in 1996. It was a challenging time for the family, and after becoming gang-involved she crossed paths with BUILD and Felix Jusino, an Intervention Specialist who would become her advocate and mentor.
Abbey eventually earned her GED, a bachelor’s degree in psychology, and a Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Lewis University. Passionate about mentoring and uplifting vulnerable youth, she founded her own clinical therapy practice ‘Wounded Healers Counseling Service’, while also moving confidently into the restaurant industry through her two restaurants, “Leilani Asian Fusion” and “Little Leilani” in Aurora, IL. As an avid foodie, gardener, and mother of six, she inspires youth and communities to blossom with her fierce spirit and drive to build a better world.
THANK YOU TO OUR CURRENT 2024 SPONSORS!
City BUILDer: Event Sponsor
Anonymous
Chicago Bears & Bears Care
Dr. Scholl Foundation
Neighborhood BUILDers
BMO
The Sheba Foundation / Lavin Family
One Chicago Fund
School BUILDers
Aon
Breakthru Beverage
Kribi Coffee
McShane Construction
One Chicago Fund
Wintrust
Bill & Meg Hayes
Bruce & Laurie Kaden
John Nitschke & Jean McLaren
Bud & Diane Schwarzbach
Avy & Marcie Stein
John & Sue Wilson
Block BUILDers
Ariel Investments
Baird
Comcast NBCUniversal
William Bauer & Patricia Spratt
Youth BUILDers
Austin Fresh
Benford Protections Services
BlueCross BlueShield of Illinois
Chase
Deloitte.
Healthy Communities Foundation
Lathrop, GPM
Micro-Tech USA
Nuveen
PREMIER Design + Build Group
Plante Moran
UJAMAA
Anonymous
Steve Abbey & Pamela Brick
Adam & Lorena Alonso
Joanna & Daniel Arras
Luke & Regina Bakalar
Aaron & Shannel Clubb
Matt Fisher
Michael Kerrigan & Leila Whitley Kerrigan
Rodrigo & Pamela Levy
Raymond Rushing
Siobhan Sanders
Brooke & David Sloane
Jack Segal & Michael Halberstam
Jeanne Wrenn
