Kids with talent and promise come from every walk of life, from every town and every neighborhood. Unfortunately, drugs, gangs, violence, bad schools, and broken homes dim otherwise bright futures for many kids. Boys Hope Girls Hope of Illinois (BHGH) responds to this crisis and makes sure children from all religious and ethnic backgrounds get the opportunity to earn a degree by inviting them to live in one of three value-centered, family-like homes in Evanston.

BHGH operates two homes for boys and one for girls in Evanston with housing for 24 scholars. It is affiliated with the Boys Hope Girls Hope international organization operating 38 homes in 15 U. S. cities and two foreign countries. BHGH maintains strong partnerships with Loyola Academy, St. Athanasius grade school, and Regina Dominican High School. BHGH has a formal partnership with the Greater Chicago Food Depository, which provides a substantial amount of food each year at minimal cost.

BHGH scholars celebrate success every day. Many participate in student government. Last year, two scholars were elected president of their student councils. Most scholars play on a sports team for their school and will complete at least sixty hours of community service a year.

Scholars are continuously progressing through the program. Seventeen new students were accepted into the program during the last two years. Three more scholars moved on to college this year, bringing BHGH’s current number of collegians to ten. Program graduates are currently attending Drake, Oberlin, University of Illinois, DePaul, and the St. Louis College of Pharmacy. Over 99% of BHGH high school graduates go on to attend college. BHGH partners with foundations, such as the Daniel Murphy Scholarship Foundation, to identify potential scholars. The organization has also worked with three universities to provide complete scholarships to candidates from BHGH.

“Boys Hope Girls Hope plays a vital role in the greater Chicago Community, but we have much more to do,” says the firm’s Doug Wambach, board chair of Boys Hope Girls Hope of Illinois. “The impact we are making on the kids in our program is clear. It is our mission to reach out to more kids and expand that impact.” Mr. Wambach can be reached at (312) 840-7019 or dwambach@burkelaw.com.