HAVE DREAMS’ GRATITUDE for Our Generous Donors
Program Director ANDREA FRANCKOWIAK on her role at Have Dreams, the difficulties of navigating Covid and the importance of our incredible donors.
“
I started volunteering as a “social buddy” in the special ed classroom at Carpenter School in Park Ridge when I was ten years old. Instead of going to recess, my friends and I would head into that classroom and play games with the students. Once Have Dreams was established, I started volunteering after school in their social skills classes. I continued as a social buddy throughout junior high, high school and college in a variety of programs. I had many different jobs during those years, but nothing compared to how I felt when I was working with the participants at Have Dreams. I watched first-hand how Have Dreams evolved and made significant impacts on each family. It was a place where I watched kids having fun, dedicated staff working tirelessly, families finding comfort in their toughest moments, and I knew I had to be a part of it. No one had any idea how to create virtual programs during the lockdown. Everything we have been taught and trained to do has always been in person and hands-on. We knew how isolated everyone was feeling so we taught ourselves how to use Zoom. We
8
Made with FlippingBook Digital Publishing Software