Crossroads Fund staff Jeanne Kracher and Jane Kimondo accept their mugs! (credit: Sarah-Ji) On behalf of Crossroads Fund board members and staff, thank you to our attendees, host committee, and sponsors for making our annual fundraiser a success!Seeds of Change was a night of rejuvenation, community, and resistance. The Crossroads Fund annual benefit, held on Friday, April 5, convened a record number of supporters at the landmark Chicago Cultural Center. The event included a silent auction with over 150 items, food by Big Delicious Planet, and beer from Lagunitas Brewing Company.Crossroads Fund Leadership TransitionCrossroads Fund Board co-Chairs, Sue Eleuterio and Gary Arnold, started the program by highlighting the organization’s leadership transition. The Board recognized Jeanne Kracher for her 19 years of guiding the organization and Jane Kimondo, Crossroads Fund’s future Executive Director, with a heartfelt coffee mug featuring their photo. Read more about Crossroads Fund’s upcoming leadership transition here. Campaign to End Money BondChicago Community Bond Fund (CCBF) received the Donald F. Erickson Synapses Award for their leadership in fighting to end the use of money bond and pretrial incarceration in Illinois. Since 2015, CCBF has successfully organized to post more than $1 million to free over 200 people from jail or home confinement and their policy victories have resulted in over 10,000 fewer people being processed in the the Cook County Jail annually. CCBF Advocate Devoureaux Wolf accepted the award and gave recognition to the whole Chicago community for supporting the call to end the use of money bond.Healing to Action Casts A SpellSheerine Alemzadeh and Patricia Pereda accepted the Lynda J. Tipton Memorial Award for Social Justice on behalf of Healing to Action. Patricia inspired and delighted the audience by casting the following “spell”:”I claim all the power of my liberation to learn to live without violence, pain, slavery, and ignorance. I appreciate and am grateful for being a Woman and I honor our mothers, ancestors whose spirits support, guide and sustain us. With this gift of power, I can begin to take action and be able to see the change in my generations and the results in our future. I plant the seed of love in order to rebuild my self-love and seek guidance to take action and in the process have a lot of patience with myself.”Patricia’s words resonated on an evening where Crossroads Fund celebrated the dedicated work of Chicago’s growing prison abolitionist and restorative justice movements.Schools for Kids, Not for Cops!The No Cop Academy Campaign accepted the Ron Sable Award for Activism for their organizing in responose to City Hall’s 2017 announcement to construct a $95 million police and fire training academy in West Garfield Park. The youth leaders guided the audience in a “mic check” call and response demanding that Chicago’s elected officials invest in the city’s youth of color rather than police. These fearless youth leaders brought the audience to their feet while adult allies distributed buttons and other items to everyone while chanting along. The No Cop Academy youth leaders’ dynamic presence left an indelible mark on the Seeds of Change audience.Thanks to our 2019 Seeds of Change Event Sponsors.Chicago Community Bond FundHonoree VideoChicago Community Bond Fund’s Remarks at Seeds of Change 2019 Healing to ActionHonoree VideoHealing to Action’s Remarks at Seeds of Change 2019 #NoCopAcademyHonoree VideoNo Cop Academy’s Remarks at Seeds of Change 2019 Visit our Facebook page to see all of the highlights from Sarah-Ji. (As of Friday, February 15)Cook County State’s Attorney Kimberly M. FoxxState Representative Kelly CassidyState Representative Cristina CastroState Representative Robyn GabelState Representative Will GuzzardiRepresentative Greg HarrisRepresentative Theresa MahState Representative Aarón OrtizAlderman Carlos Ramirez-RosaCongresswoman Jan SchakowskyAlderman Scott Waguespack (As of Tuesday, February 19)La Tony Alvarado-RiveraEmmanuel Andre*Lourdes AriasMolly ArmourGary M. Arnold*Deepa AroraAngela Barnes & Sofia AnastopoulosBecky Belcore & Chris WilliamsJim Bennett & Terry Vanden HoekMary Scott BoriaLaura BotwinickLara BrooksHenry Cervantes*Inhe Choi & Guy WardAnn ChristophersenAlice CottinghamJames Cusick & Megan Murray Cusick*Shelley Davis & Omar McRobertsMichelle Di BenedettoSue Eleuterio* & Tom SourlisDale & Ruth FastDenise Ferguson*Roxana Gonzalez*Sharlyn GraceCristina GuerreroRhoda Rae Gutierrez & Jim ClarkPat HandlinNeena Hemmady & Amisha PatelBrenda HernandezJanine L. Hoft* & Linda WagnerKim L. Hunt & Mary DeBackerKheira Issaoui-Mansouri*Tim Jones-YelvingtonSusan KaplanAlice KimDanbee KimJulia Klein*Nora Kyger*Skyler LarrimoreLaura LeónRebecca Levin & Sophie KaluziakSharmili Majmudar* & Laura NoahJordan MazeAgnes Meneses*Michelle Morales*JoAnn & Cesareo MorenoMary F. Morten & Willa J. TaylorSheila O’Donnell & Nora GallagherGina M. Olson & Amy JohnsonAlan Paberzs*Christine Kim-Tai PlautzJon Quinn*Barbara Ransby & Peter SpornJessica RatchfordIreri Rivas*Mony Ruiz-VelascoArmando Israel SantanaMargie Schaps & Jack DoppeltBronwen SchumacherDick SimpsonDebbie SouthornKandace ThomasThelma Uranga-BacaIfe WilliamsTom WilsonJaquelyn Zevin*Also a Crossroads Fund Board Member Leadership Circle: $7,500 and aboveThe Robert R. McCormick FoundationChangemakers: $5,000 – $7,499Joseph & Bessie Feinberg FoundationResource Generation ChicagoCatalysts: $2,500 – $4,999Susan Eleuterio & Tom SourlisJanine Hoft & Linda WagnerIrving Harris FoundationPeople’s Law OfficeThe Pierce Family Charitable FoundationVisionaries: $1,000 – $2,499David Abbene & Geri GibbsKay Berkson & Sidney HollanderJohn A. D’EmilioBob Horton & Jim PerryJeanne Kracher & Laura McAlpineJonathan Lehman & Zach HuelsingMcAlpine Consulting for GrowthMovers & Shakers: $750 – $999Samantha AsofskyThe Center for the Study of Race, Politics, and Culture at the University of ChicagoDavid de VriesJames & Janet FennertyEsther NievesThird Wave FundStewards: $500-$749Bridget Arimond & Bruce ScheffMollie AndersonGary ArnoldMargot BabingtonAngela BarnesBecky Belcore & Christopher WilliamsJana Belsky & Tom TraugerJames Bennett & Terry Vanden HoekMartha Biondi Stephen & Holly BabingtonAnn Christophersen & Amy BlumenthalShelley Davis & Omar McRobertsJeff EdwardsJoshua GilmoreNeena Hemmady & Amisha PatelTim Jones-YelvingtonCatherine Kallal & Maurice LemonAlice KimJohn & Susan KimJulia KleinSkyler Larrimore & Felipe Diaz-ArangoJoey Mogul & Andrea RitchieMary Morten & Willa TaylorNational Boricua Human Rights NetworkBarbara PhillipsGordon QuinnJon QuinnArlene RodriguezCarleen Schreder & Ralph MusicantEileen Willenborg & Jane MelnickSponsors: $250 – $499John BartlettMegan CarneyAlice CottinghamMark & Sandy EhlertSunny FischerState Representative Robyn GabelMonica GeorgeIllinois Immigration Funders CollaborativeNora KygerSharmili MajmudarPeter OrrisMelinda PowerMony Ruiz-VelascoHollis Russinof and Michael Leff Evelyn SalkDick SimpsonMairita SmiltarsTom Wilson
