WHO WE ARE

Teen-Aiders is an Illinois 501 (c) (3) not-for-profit organization which was established in Lake County, Illinois in 2008. The Foundation is a non-denominational, non-politically affiliated organization that operates solely on the generosity of its donors.

Teen-Aiders has a collaborative relationship with multiple agencies in Lake County, IL, however, it is in no way financially supported or affiliated with any of these agencies.

                                                                                                                                    2009 Costume Drive Collections

TEEN VOLUNTEERS - OUR TEEN-AIDERS 

Teen-Aiders is true to its name: it is comprised of teens looking to provide aid to others. The program volunteers are comprised of young adults, ages 13 to 18, who the program hopes to inspire to “make a difference” in their community. The teen volunteers will learn an awareness and appreciation for their own fortunes, both financial and familial, and will develop a spirit of volunteerism and activism, which can be valuable throughout their lifetimes.

There are so many negative stories and stereotypes about teenagers of this generation, ranging from drinking and drug use to net-surfing inactivity to tragic in-school shootings. Teen-Aiders provides teenagers an outlet to show the world all of the positive things that their generation can accomplish.

The program works closely with high schools in the North Shore suburbs of Chicago, Illinois. Teen-Aiders openly welcomes teens of all interests to help our the cause.

Teen-Aiders asks for a minimal commitment from its volunteers. Once teen volunteers are approved they are provided with the program intinerary of the scheduled activities. Teen-Aiders asks nothing more than donated time from its volunteers – no financial investment is required. Teen-Aiders sessions include spending time interacting with local agencies that support homeless children, as well as spending time each week creating and implementing a fundraising program of their choice to support one of the chosen agencies.

Each Spring and Fall, Teen-Aiders will offer a ten (10) week session in which the Teen-Aiders- along with thier Adult Mentors- will volunteer at local agencies and run a fundraising program for a charity of the Teen-Aiders' choice.  All supported charities will aid victims of child homlessness.  The teen volunteers will be led by Adult Mentor volunteers who assist in the development and coordination of the program.

SAMPLE SESSION:

Week 1: Speaker/Kick-off.
Week 2: Intro to the concept of fundraising. Decide on group fundraising activity.
Week 3: Volunteer at a soup kitchen.
Week 4: Planning the fundraiser.
Week 5: Volunteer at a local shelter.
Week 6: Fundraiser prep and advertising.
Week 7: Volunteer activity.
Week 8: Fundraiser prep and advertising.
Week 9: Fundraiser culmination.
Week 10: Wrap-up party and presentation of proceeds to selected charity.

OUR ADULT MENTORS

Our Adult Mentors are individuals from the local community with a passion for philanthropy and a desire to pass that vision along to local teens. The Adult Mentors will provide education on homelessness, guidance on fundraising and leadership in volunteer work. These Adult Mentors will develop and coordinate each session's activities. Adult Mentors are pre-approved adults from the Chicagoland area that are interested in working with children and young adults and bettering their community. The adult volunteers bring a wide array of professional experience to the program, making their efforts both valuable and educational.

Once Adult Mentors are approved (see the “Get Involved” section for information) they are assigned session activities to lead.