Personal Stories

  • Tilly Wilhoite: Leaving a Legacy

    One of the most impactful ways a loyal donor can enrich the lives of others is through a planned gift.

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  • Phenomenal Woman. That’s me!

    UCAN’s female mentoring group gleaned its name from a famous Maya Angelou poem, Phenomenal Woman, originally published in 1978.

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  • Wahl Fades It Forward

    “It’s not just about cutting hair; that’s only one aspect of being a barber,” explains Garland “G-Whiz” Fox of the Education & Artistic Team at Wahl Professional. The Illinois-based company, famous for its grooming products, partnered with UCAN and His & Hers Barber School to create the Wahl “Fade It Forward” MentorshipProgram. Selected youth from… Read more »

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  • Charlestein Dantzler: Coming Full Circle

    “Before I found out I was pregnant, I had always wanted a baby, because I wanted someone to love me,” says UCAN alumni Charlestein (Charlie) Dantzler. “My mom claimed she was in the Department of Child and Family Services (DCFS) system, she said her mom was in DCFS, and then (my sisters and I) were… Read more »

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  • Ariyan Moore: Visible Man

    “Without UCAN I wouldn’t be in school,” says Ariyan Moore, who just completed orientation week at Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Michigan. Growing up, his experience with school was difficult. Though he has lived in Chicago his entire life, he moved around many times as a child, and attended five different elementary schools. Ariyan… Read more »

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  • UCAN’s First Annual Trunk Party

    For those unfamiliar with the term and tradition, a trunk party is a celebration where generous donors contribute items youth heading to college need for their dorm room or class materials — and on August 3, UCAN hosted its first-ever trunk party. Sixty youth from the community and various UCAN programming joined family, friends and staff in… Read more »

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  • Our Youth Are Going to College!

    UCAN’s youth are going to college in the fall! Some near, some far, but we will always be here to continue supporting them. This year, we are hosting our first Trunk Party. Each youth will receive a “trunk” of items to take to college, full of bathroom essentials, non perishable food, and anything they would… Read more »

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  • UCAN’s Kickback & Peacefest

    A dunk tank. Cotton Candy. Facepainting. A DJ. It’s not Ribfest. It’s not the Taste. It’s UCAN’s Kickback & Peacefest!  On June 27th, UCAN celebrated its inaugural Kickback & Peacefest at our Nichols Center in North Lawndale. Over 750 UCAN affiliated youth and families visited our seven-acre campus for food, music, face painting, games, raffles,… Read more »

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  • The Quest of Identity

    The quest to find one’s true self can be a lonely one. For many, it’s unfamiliar, uncharted territory that some feel they must travel alone. 

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  • 4th Annual Impact Youth Conference

    If you missed the great idea sharing and networking at the 4th Annual Impact Youth Conference on May 11-12 at the Gary Comer Youth Center, check out the news coverage on WGN-TV. More than 500 Chicago youth and youth advocates convened to address the real-life challenges our youth face like violence and trauma. Thanks to… Read more »

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