Mary Dempsey, Leading Women Celebrate 10 Years Of Supporting Education For At-Risk Kids At Mercy Home

CHICAGO, May 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Mary Dempsey, philanthropist and former Commissioner of the Chicago Public Library, will give the keynote address at the 10th annual Leader Council Graduates' Luncheon, Tuesday May 22 at the Hilton Chicago, 720 S. Michigan Ave. Dempsey is the founding chairman of the Leader Council, a volunteer organization of prominent professional women in greater Chicago that supports education for at-risk youth living at Mercy Home for Boys & Girls. Newsradio 780 WBBM's Felicia Middlebrooks serves as emcee for the event, which begins at 11:30 am.  The luncheon honors young men and women living at Mercy Home for Boys & Girls who will graduate from area elementary schools, high schools, trade schools and colleges this spring. Proceeds support educational programs and tuition for disadvantaged children who turn to Mercy Home for help.  

The Leader Council draws members from among the top levels of Chicago's business and civic institutions. Members donate their time, talent, financial support and professional resources to open doors to academic and vocational opportunities for Mercy Home's children. Thanks to their efforts, young people from severely disadvantaged circumstances go on to succeed in school, in higher education and in careers.

Paul LaSchiazza, President of AT&T Illinois, congratulated this year's graduates and thanked the Leader Council for helping children overcome hardships and achieve success. "We envision a country were all of our young people graduate from high school ready for careers and college," LaSchiazza said. "We share that vision with you, and we thank you for your commitment to these young people."

While the Graduates' Luncheon is the Leader Council's signature annual fundraising event, members work with Mercy Home's young people throughout the year, serving as mentors and helping them with education and career planning through events like the Council's annual job skills workshop, held each spring.  "The support we receive from the Leader Council helps our young men and women become everything they have the potential to be," said Fr. Scott Donahue, President of Mercy Home. "Their support of the young people who are entrusted to our care is truly a blessing, and I am enormously grateful." 

Dempsey will address the audience that will include about 850 supporters and 51 young people who have overcome significant hardships in life, including severe academic challenges, but who are now celebrating a milestone that many had considered unachievable. Youth come to Mercy Home from environments of abuse, neglect or other stressors which place an added burden on their academic performance. As a result, many arrive years behind their grade levels. But with the academic support that they receive at Mercy Home, as well as the safety, structure and therapy that the Home provides, they catch up and excel. Last year, for example, 100% of Mercy Home's high school seniors graduated. The list of colleges that have sent acceptances to Mercy Home graduates this year include Northern Illinois University, DePaul University, Eastern Illinois University, Saint Xavier University, Lake Forest College, Kendall College, Elmhurst College, Trinity Christian College, Indiana State University, Marian College, Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, University of Iowa, Marymount Manhattan College, Western Illinois University and Xavier University.

About Mercy Home for Boys & Girls

Mercy Home for Boys & Girls has been a solution for kids in crisis since 1887. Its residential, aftercare, and mentoring programs provide safety and opportunity for more than 600 young men and women every year. Mercy Home raises nearly all of its operating funds privately, including through events like the Graduates' Luncheon, and operates two locations – a home for boys at 1140 W. Jackson Blvd. in Chicago's West Loop and a home for girls at 11600 S. Longwood Dr. Chicago's South Side.

For more information, visit www.mercyhome.org.

SOURCE Mercy Home for Boys & Girls