Holly Ball Lifts Spirits | Designing Barrington Lifestyles | Barrington Horse Country
Holly Ball Lifts Spirits at the Holidays and Beyond
Barrington Children’s Charities offers health and well-being solutions for Barrington District 220 area children in need
Barrington Children’s Charities invites the community to Holly Ball, to be held for the first time at Motor Werks in December. Its two Co-Chairwomen, Christie Shoemacher and Erin Vondra, are ready to bring gala guests an exciting and memorable evening. They are also motivated by the value of this annual event to the community.
“I think a lot of people probably don’t think of Barrington and Barrington 220 as being a community with any real need; and that simply is just not the case,” Shoemacher says of local perception. “There are families and children that depend on Barrington Children’s Charities ability to provide grants. What’s special about this 501(c)3 nonprofit organization is that it has a very focused and simple mission to help benefit the children within the Barrington 220 area—the one we all live in. That focus allows them to maximize the impact of every dollar raised,” she says, adding that, “Holly Ball is not only a time around the holidays where we can celebrate our many blessings, but a time were we can share in the joy of giving.”
Shoemacher was raised in Connecticut and her husband in Columbus. But when they decided to start a family, they wanted to move from Chicago to the suburbs. “I was introduced to Barrington from my best friend in college who grew up here,” she said. “We have now been here for five years and we consider it our hometown. It is such a special place to raise a family steeped in tradition and Midwestern values.”
For Co-Chairwoman Erin Vondra, Holly Ball is a way to gather the community and champion a charity that helps us all make an impact close to home. “Supporting programs that benefit children is what the holiday season should really be all about,” she says. “I grew up in Barrington, and am now raising my children here. It means a lot to me to be involved with local charities and to set an example for my children and to continue the enduring tradition of service and giving in Barrington,” Vondra said.
“My family moved to Barrington when I was five, and I attended Barrington schools through high school graduation. We moved back five years ago to set roots in a town that has an unparalleled sense of community and tradition,” Vondra added.
Important New Initiatives
Barrington Children’s Charities is thrilled to announce two new programs to help local children, while maintaining its Blessings in a Backpack program which sends food items home to help cover Barrington 220 area children’s nutritional needs over weekends. The organization is directly developing dental and vision programs for local children who may otherwise not received such services.
At the start of this school year, Darby Hills, the co-founder and president of the charity, received a call from the Sunny Hill Elementary School nurse. There was a young boy with vision problems and his family could not afford to buy him glasses. The organization made all the arrangements to provide the boy the much-needed glasses, and they were delivered to his parent.
Barrington Children’s Charities is also now exploring the development of a program that will either bus children to the eye doctor, or bring a mobile vision van to the schools directly where eye exams can be performed onsite, and glasses can be made. A similar approach for dental care is also being researched. Both programs will be a large investment of time and money, but both are needed for the well-being and success of local children who are in need.
“Our family has been doing business in Barrington for 36 years. We’re honored to partner with Barrington Children’s Charities to host its annual Holly Ball holiday fundraiser. We are so pleased to have the event at our facility which will help many underprivileged children in the Barrington area.” –Megan Austin, Motor Werks
Sustainable Support
Each year, Barrington Children’s Charities receives grant requests from a variety of organizations supporting local children in need. Charity leaders feel that it’s an honor to learn more about these organizations and to consider them for a grant. Participating applicants make an in-person presentation, and also provide a written grant application. Barrington Children’s Charities chooses its beneficiaries based upon their needs. They follow a careful, thoughtful selection process to assure that all financial contributions support viable, sustainable, projects that directly benefit children in need in the Barrington 220 area.
Our family has been giving back in many ways to the Barrington community. It’s a natural fit for us to work with this charity to help local children in need. We are hopeful it will be ‘the’ holiday event to attend this year!”–Nicole Daniels, Motor Werks
Grants Awarded for 2016-2017
Barrington Children’s Charities announces its awards for 2016-2017 with a total disbursement of $99,200 in varying denominations to the grant recipients listed below.
“All these causes are near and dear to our hearts, and help to make a major difference in the lives of local children in need. We are so happy to have awarded these grants this year,” said Co-Founder and President of Barrington Children’s Charities, Darby Hills.
To learn more about how to apply for a grant, visit www.barringtonchildrenscharities.com and go to the “Grants” tab.
- Alexian Brothers Center for Mental Health: Weekly mental health services provided at Barrington High School
- Barrington Youth and Family Services: Pathways and Reflejos mentoring programs
- Blessing in a Backpack: Feeding children over the weekends at eight Barrington 220 Elementary Schools during the school year
- GEMS: Girls Encouraging Meaningful Support Program
- JourneyCare: Pediatric Hospice Care
- Barrington 220: Len’s for Learning
- Let It Be Us: Project Dignity offers support for children entering foster care
- Barrington Junior Women’s Club: Barrington Splash Pad Project
- Barrington 220: Sunny Hill Elementary School Health Fair
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Barrington Children’s Charities Presents Holly Ball 2016:
“It’s A Wonderful Life”, Let’s Share It with Others
- Date: Saturday, December 10, 2016
- Time: 6:30 in the Evening
- Host Location: Motor Werks / 1475 S. Barrington Road, Barrington
- Price: $250 per person
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