On January 20, SOS Children’s Villages Illinois celebrated a national holiday honoring Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a man central in leading the course of history towards pursuing justice. It is important to remember the impact that leaders like MLK have in the United States. We acknowledge the power that individual voices can have in our society and therefore strive to raise strong leaders that might play a part in shaping the future. Inspired by the holiday centered on uplifting and fighting for others, Conagra Brands hosted a career day for teens at SOS Illinois alongside their Black Employee Resources Group in order to help build important skills in the kitchen and beyond.
Culinary Workshop Provided by Conagra Brands
This year, on MLK Day, Conagra hosted a group of SOS Illinois teens at their corporate office in Merchandise Mart for a volunteer day. Members of Conagra’s Black Employee Resource Group partnered with our teens in foster care to learn more about nutrition, healthy food preparation, teamwork, and giving back to other children in care.
Our teens worked in teams to prepare healthy meals using fresh vegetables from local gardens. Afterwards, they ate what they had prepared, and assembled comfort bags of items meant to welcome incoming children to foster care. Finally, each teen went home with a goody bag stuffed with the ingredients needed to recreate the dishes Conagra’s Chef Rebecca taught them to cook along with many other Conagra brand items.
We appreciate and thank our wonderful friends at Conagra for giving their time, energy, and thoughtfulness on this MLK Day. Our teens truly enjoyed themselves and had a very rewarding experience!
Gratitude for Conagra Brands
We want to thank Conagra Brands for their dedication to our community, including offering workshops, participating in special events, and donating funds to support our programs and services. In addition to this month’s Career Day, Conagra recently participated in SOS Illinois’ Harvest Day this fall, as well as Gardening Days during the summer. Like the Conagra Career day, these programs support our Health and Wellness initiatives that encourage the youth in our care to nourish their bodies and minds with healthy foods, movement, and mental wellness. Thank you, Conagra, for making this MLK day extra special for our teens in foster care.
Career Formation at SOS Illinois
Conagra Brands is one of our many corporate partners, including Swissotel Chicago and PHMG, that supports our youth through career days. These career days are not only fundamental in helping to create useful skills, but also in forming a wide range of interests for our youth.
SOS Illinois is proud to report a 100% high school graduation rate. We encourage our teens in foster care to take the next step in their education through our College Bound and Beyond Program. These career days geared towards our youth help shape what they might do next.
Looking to Get Involved?
We admire the dedication that our corporate partners have shown in prioritizing our youth in foster care. We encourage you to consider becoming a corporate partner or donating to SOS Illinois. We appreciate all our supporters and the difference that they make in the lives of children in Illinois foster care.
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