On Saturday, January 28, eighty-five adults and children gathered in the Deborah’s Place gym in East Garfield Park to enjoy an afternoon of great food and friends and raise money for the women and work of Deborah’s Place.

Guests enjoyed the sweet sounds of Bluegrass duo “Long Journey Home” while they tasted through the 19 different chili entries.  Each batch of chili had its own twist with ingredients as varied as espresso, chocolate and pumpkin and more traditional favorites like chicken, beef and a variety of beans and spices.  Those voted the best walked away with culinary-themed prizes.

 Congratulations to the
4^th Annual Chili Cook-Off Winners!

Bean-Counting Contest: Chad Munger

There was plenty of other fun to be had with the bean-counting contest, kid’s activities, and door raffle.  Guests were also invited to attend tours of the Rebecca Johnson Apartments, led by the Deborah’s Place tenant leadership group, the Deborah’s Place Divas, and Chief Operating Officer Kathy Booton Wilson.  Attendees were able to get an inside look at the site, learn more about our programs and services, and speak with tenants who are no longer homeless thanks to their support.

Thank you to the President’s Circle, volunteers and guests for making this our most successful Chili Cook-Off to date.  See you next year!

Sad you missed it?  Then make sure to join us at our Pub Party event at Goose Island Brewery on Thursday, March 22!  Check back here for more info about the Pub Party and other upcoming events.

“Miss Representation” explores women’s under-representation in positions of power and influence in America and challenges the limited portrayal of women in mainstream media. All proceeds from the screening will go to Deborah’s Place and our work to break the cycle of homelessness for women in Chicago.

NEIU “Miss Representation” film screenings:
Tuesday, January 24, 4:30 – 6:30 PM
Tuesday, January 31, 3:30 – 5:30 PM
Friday, February 3, 5:00 – 7:00 PM

Location:
Northeastern Illinois University, Main Campus Auditorium
5500 N. St. Louis, Chicago, IL
Steinberg Fine Arts Center
Parking is available in the campus lot for $5 (See Campus Map)

Tickets
Price: $10* per ticket available at the door
*Students can purchase discounted tickets ($5 suggested) by visiting the NEIU Social Work Office (LWH).

Click for larger view:

Generous donors dropped off non-perishable food items, new unwrapped toys and new cleaning supplies and toiletries at several local businesses in December.

For more information visit: www.oldtownchicago.org, or click on the flyer below for a larger version.

The Deborah’s Place Gas Blast Chili Cook-Off, hosted by the President’s Circle, resumes for its fourth fabulous year. Please join us for a family-friendly afternoon of food and activities to support the women and work of Deborah’s Place. Bring a crock pot of your own chili and see how it stands up to our other cooks, or just come for the tasting and fun!

There will be live bluegrass music, a bean counting contest, games and entertainment for kids, and tours of the Rebecca Johnson Apartments. Please feel free to BYO alcoholic beverage. We will provide corn bread, kid’s snacks, and non-alcoholic drinks.

Click here to see how last year’s event went!

Details for this year:

Date: Saturday, January 28, 2012 Time: 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM. Voting will conclude at 4:15 PM and winners will be announced at 4:30 PM. Location: 2822 W Jackson Blvd, Chicago, in the gym. Free parkingin the lot east of the building. Tickets: Suggested donation of $25 taken at the door. Cook-Off Challenge Gift! You can double the impact of your contribution at this year’s event! A generous donor will match every dollar – up to $1,000 – raised at the Cook-Off in order to fund peer leadership programs at Deborah’s Place. Please help us meet this $1,000 challenge!

Competitors:
Please bring your chili ready in a crock pot at 2:00 PM, as tasting will begin immediately. Electrical outlets will be available. Don’t forget your ladle and any desired toppings!
Feel free to name your chili and decorate your pot and table.

2012 Voting Categories:
Best Overall
Best Vegetarian
Spiciest
Most Unusual
Kid’s Best (must be made by a child 14 years or younger)

Prizes will be awarded for all cook-off winners and the winner of the bean counting contest.

Reigning Champions

Pictured left to right are the winners of each category: Kid’s Best: Ted Danielson Most Unusual: Melissa Haase & DP Board Vice President Paul Haase Best Vegetarian: Kathy Booton Wilson Best Over-all: David Buchanan, SiSi Shen, and Janie Wu Spiciest: Peter Sikaitis Bean Count: DP Board President Kim Cole, with a guess of 768 (actual number was 787)!

We apologize for any inconvenience.

Please bring all donations to 2822 W Jackson Blvd, Chicago, by December 16, 2011.

On October 12 and 13, over 60 @properties real estate agents, contractors and friends joined Deborah’s Place in a makeover of our 1530 N. Sedgwick building, home to 64 women of the Dolores’ Safe Haven Program, Teresa’s Interim Housing Program, and the Patty Crowley Apartments.

Last spring, the @properties Friends and Neighbors Community Fund committee selected Deborah’s Place as a 2011 grant recipient but, in addition to their monetary support, wanted to “do something that would have a lasting impact.” So, this month volunteers rolled up their sleeves and worked with a pro bono designer, painters, movers, and hundreds of others who donated furniture and home goods to create a welcoming, warm, and updated living space for residents of our 1530 N. Sedgwick building. Local restaurants even donated lunch for the volunteers and the residents during the two-day extravaganza.

The @properties team’s successful endeavor gifted residents with a space that now truly feels like their own. “The women started referring to the Community Area as a ‘home’ yesterday,” reports Program Administrator Kim Davidson, “and the women in the tenant lounge were talking about how it felt like their own mansion!”

Before	After

To see the new space, sign up for an upcoming Tour & Coffee Hour, and look for a full story about the @properties makeover in our February newsletter!