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Boys Hope and Girls Hope of Illinois

BHGH resident with mentors

Along with the normal pressures that most teenagers face, the teenagers who live at the residence of Boys Hope and Girls Hope (BHGH) in Wilmette, Illinois, have been weighed down by the added pressures of living in environments plagued by abuse, homelessness, death of family members and gang involvement. BHGH’s goal is break these negative cycles by providing a safe home where the students, commonly referred to as scholars, can come to live and learn in respectful and peaceful settings.

BHGH was awarded a $5,000 grant from the MDRT Foundation which was sponsored by Anthony P. Ladas, CLU, ChFC, of Burr Ridge, Illinois. Ladas is a 27-year MDRT member, Gold Knight, and is an active supporter of BHGH.
This $5,000 grant will help support the counseling program at BHGH that will address the personal experiences of each of the residents. It is through this counseling program that scholars are given the fundamentals for believing in a hopeful future that is not determined from their past experiences.

“What makes BHGH special is that we take a holistic approach to helping our scholars. We assist them with medical and dental care, transportation, counseling, food and clothing. In general, we take care of a lot of the ‘life essentials’, so that the scholar can focus solely on his/her academic goals as well as community service enrichment opportunities. We also support our scholars through college, which also makes us unique,” said Bridget Calendo, the executive director of BHGH.

In 2005, BHGH will have two scholars graduating from high school who are both college bound. Every scholar who has graduated from the BHGH program has attended a college program. Some of the colleges that scholars have attended include Northwestern University, University of Illinois, University of Michigan and Harvard University.

“The most encouraging thing has to be hands-down, watching the eyes of the scholars light up when they receive acceptance letters from colleges,” Calendo said, “Positive experiences that enhance their self-confidence and self-esteem are also very encouraging. You literally watch them transform and mature into their character as they excel in leadership opportunities.”