Happy New Year! 2014 was an exciting year for

the Madonna Foundation, and we look

forward to another great year in 2015.

Ring in 2015! I N S I D E T H I S

I S S U E :

2014 Review 1

Outreach

Event

2

Time at St.

Joseph Village

of Chicago

3

Feed My

Starving

Children

4

Scholar

Spotlight

5

Upcoming

Events &

Updates

6

2014 Review

M A D O N N A

F O U N D A T I O N

N E W S The Madonnary W I N T E R 2 0 1 4 - 1 5 V O L U M E 2 , I S S U E 2

Here are some Madonna Foundation highlights from 2014:

Creating our first Advisory Council; a group of professionals representing an array of

sectors that has volunteered to assist the Madonna Foundation in scholar selection,

strategic planning, and fundraising

Launching our tutoring program to provide individual tutoring to our scholars that

are struggling academically

Organizing an outreach event to educate the community about immigration (p. 2)

Spreading the word about the Madonna Foundation’s ministry; check out our

featured article in The Catholic New World and listen to a podcast on Relevant Radio

interviewing one of our scholars on the Madonna Foundation website:

www.madonnascholars.org

Our Mission: Celebrate Life and Serve with Joy

Our Vision: The Madonna Foundation provides financial, spiritual,

psychological and academic support to young urban women, instilling in them

the resources necessary to grow and thrive and the opportunity to succeed in

a Catholic educational environment and beyond.

P A G E 2

Immigration and the Catholic Response

Like us on Facebook for

reminders, updates, and

news:

www.facebook/

madonnianpride

Our online calendar is always

up to date and easy to

access with Google

calendars:

www.madonnascholars.org/

calendar/

T H E M A D O N N A R Y

The Madonna Foundation hosted an educational speakers’ panel on November 5th, 2014 at La Villa Restaurant. Our speakers addressed the issue of immigration and how the Catholic Church and Catholic agencies have responded, and how we can respond as Catholics. Speakers included Dr. Mark Kuczewski from Loyola University’s Stritch School of Medicine, Sister JoAnn Persch from Interfaith Committee for Detained Immigrants, and an undocumented student from Loyola University that shared her experience. Approximately 30 people attended the event, and coats were collected for the Coats-from-the-Heart program through the Archdiocese of Chicago. Thank you to all of the partnering organizations who made this event a success!

Pictured above:

(L) Our speakers

(R) Some of the Franciscan Sisters of Chicago attended the event and enjoyed La Villa’s food

For more information on our outreach event partners,

please visit their individual websites:

Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine: http://stritch.luc.edu

Interfaith Committee for Detained Immigrants:

http://www.icdichicago.org

Archdiocese of Chicago Office for Immigrant Affairs:

http://www.catholicsandimmigrants.org

La Villa Restaurant and Banquet Hall:

http://www.lavillabanquets.com

Madonna Scholars Serve

P A G E 3 V O L U M E 2 , I S S U E 2

Some of the Madonna Scholars spent time with residents at St. Joseph Village of Chicago in

December creating Christmas crafts. After having some fun with seniors, the scholars got to work folding,

stuffing, sealing, and stamping over 500 letters for our Christmas appeal!

Thank you for everyone who donated to our 2014 Christmas

campaign. The generosity of our supporters has a huge

impact on the Madonna Foundation; $.88 of every dollar

raised directly funds tuition scholarships and program

expenses.

The names of our Christmas donors were displayed through

the month of December on the Madonna Christmas Tree at

St. Joseph Village of Chicago.

Spending time at St. Joseph Village of Chicago

Volunteering at Feed My Starving Children

P A G E 4 V O L U M E 2 , I S S U E 2

A group of 60 volunteered through the Madonna Foundation on January 10th at Feed My Starving Children in

Schaumburg, IL. Madonna Scholars and parent chaperones learned about Feed My Starving Children’s

important mission of feeding kids around the world. Madonna scholars helped assemble food packages – a

combination of rice, vitamins, and protein to help malnourished children get healthy. We packed 104 boxes of

food that was shipped to Haiti – that’s enough to feed 61 children for one year!

Scholar Reflection: “Today’s service trip made me realize how

lucky I am, and how much I take for granted.”

Scholar Spotlight

P A G E 5 V O L U M E 2 , I S S U E 2

“My time at

Resurrection

has helped

me become a

strong,

independent

woman.”

Emily Schroder

Resurrection College Prep Class of 2015

Both Emily and her sister Ava are Madonna Scholars and attend

Resurrection College Prep and are very active members of their

community. Emily lives with her sister and mom on the Northwest side of

Chicago where they are members of St. Celestine Church. Emily attended

St. Celestine for grade school and still volunteers there. She also has

been in several plays at St. Patrick High School and volunteers with the

Giving Tree at the Harlem Irving Plaza mall each winter. Emily believes

the Madonna Foundation has taught her the importance of helping

others and being the best she can be. She is forever grateful to the

Madonna Foundation for allowing her to attend an all-girl Catholic high

school.

After high school, Emily plans to attend college and pursue her love of

writing with a degree in journalism.

VUpcoming Events

P A G E 6 V O L U M E 2 , I S S U E 2

Please note our new address!

First Look for Charity—February 13, 2015

Franciscan Community Benefit Services, the parent organization of

the Madonna Foundation, is one of the benefiting charities at First

Look for Charity 2015. Gala attendees support local charities while

getting the first look at the Chicago Auto Trade Show and enjoying

food, drinks, and live music. For more information, please visit

www.chicagoautoshow.com/first-look-for-charity or call Tracy

Shearer at (708) 647-3134.

Madonna Scholars Junior Year field trip to St. Xavier University’s STEM Learning Center—February 16, 2015

Madonna Scholar Sophomore Year Retreat to Our Lady of Victory Convent—March 15, 2015

Madonna Scholarship online application for the 2015-16 school year opens March 1 and closes April 1!

See www.madonnascholars.org/apply for details

Foundation Needs: $20 Gift Cards to Target and Best Buy

Starting January 1, 2015, the Madonna Foundation is now fully housed at

St. Joseph Village of Chicago. Please note our new mailing list and fax

number below.

Madonna Foundation

c/o St. Joseph Village of Chicago

4021 W. Belmont Ave.

Chicago, IL 60641

www.madonnascholars.org

Contact

Annie Ginzkey, Foundation Manager

Email: aginzkey@fscsc.com

Phone: (708) 269-3149

Fax: (773) 328-5500