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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
THANKING CENTRAL STATES SER, JOBS FOR PROGRESS INC. AND ENRIQUE ALVAREZ, LEAD LEARNING FACILITATOR, FOR CONNECTING YOUTH TO NATURE THROUGH THE CAMPING LEADERSHIP IMMERSION COURSE
WHEREAS, Central States SER, Jobs for Progress Inc. (SER) is a non-profit dedicated to designing and delivering services to improve the quality of people’s lives and advance economic stability and growth among youth, adults and businesses in communities across Illinois; and
WHEREAS, SER runs the PODER (Positive Outcomes Delivered through Education and Respect) Afterschool Program, a 21st Century Community Learning Center that promotes academic and social enrichment to students in low-income Title 1 schools with Mr. Enrique Alvarez as the Lead Learning Facilitator for PODER in the Little Village Community; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Alvarez immigrated to the United States from Mexico when he was nine and was a DACA recipient when he completed his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Alvarez focused his career on community work when he began volunteering with the Pilsen Neighbors Community Council and, in 2014, began working at SER and with the PODER program where he currently coordinates the PODER program at Ruiz Elementary School, Chicago working to provide a safe space for young people afterschool, assisting with homework, and finding a variety of activities - STEM, team building, community work-for youth participation; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Alvarez learned about the Forest Preserves of Cook County and the Camping Leadership Immersion Course (CLIC); and took the CLIC training himself in May of 2017; and
WHEREAS, since then Mr. Alvarez has brought over 80 young people from the PODER program camping at Camp Sullivan, in Oak Forest, through four CLIC camping trips, concentrated on camping, hiking, team building, and other activities with youths; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Alvarez is dedicated to the CLIC program and understands the importance of having youth spend time in the outdoors as they have nature-related experiences in the Forest Preserves; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Alvarez has been an excellent ambassador for the CLIC program by sharing his experiences with colleagues and helping them facilitate their own CLIC trips to the Forest Preserves.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that I, Toni Preckwinkle, President along with the Forest Preserves of Cook County Board of Commissioners, do hereby thank Central States SER and Mr. Enrique Alvarez for their commitment to using nature as a tool to provide safe and supportive services to the young people in the PODER program and their dedication to improving the quality of life for their community; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a suitable copy of this resolution be tendered to Central States SER, Jobs for Progress, Inc. and Mr. Enrique Alvarez in thanks for their work with the Forest Preserves of Cook County and their positive impact on the lives of young people.
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