CRSM Pop-Up Food Bank Continues to See High Level of Need

CRSM Pop-Up Food Bank Continues to See High Level of Need

At 3:30 p.m. on a recent blistering hot Thursday, a sea of more than 800 cars snaked their way through strategically formed lines on the east side of the CRSM parking lot. For the next two-and-a-half hours, the cars filled with families, waited for President Preston Kendall to welcome and wave them ahead — four, and sometimes eight cars at a time into two holding zones marked by orange cones. There, a pit crew of more than 50 volunteers wearing neon yellow vests, packed their trunks and back seats from pallets piled high with boxes of fresh vegetables, frozen turkey meatballs, milk, numerous food staples, light bulbs and other necessities.

No ID’s, no pre-registration required. Just first-come, first-serve. Any Waukegan-area friends and neighbors who need a little help during one of the most difficult times were welcome.

Since January of 2021, CRSM has partnered with the Northern Illinois Food Bank to help Lake County residents who’ve been especially hard-hit by COVID-19. The pandemic economic shutdown and continuing challenges have made hunger a harsh reality for families who lost jobs, found their hours cut and have to choose between paying rent, utilities, medical bills or putting meals on the table.

During the last eight months, the pop-up parking lot food bank, has served more than 10,000 families. The mobile food distribution will continue monthly through January 2022. About 70 volunteers (mostly students, their family members and some staff and community members) staffed the school year events and about 40 volunteers helped during the summer.

“This is such an important cause, and we’re so excited to see how many people we can help when we work together,” says Jim Dippold, CRSM Director of Campus Ministry. According to estimates from Feeding America, there are 36,400 Lake County residents living with food insecurity. The COVID-19 pandemic shined the light on basic necessities neighbors are struggling to obtain due to the economic impact brought on by the pandemic, adds Dippold.

The partnership between CRSM and the Northern Illinois Food Bank has “international roots,” and ties directly to Mexico, where many of the families living and served by the program hail from. It got its start a year ago when a soccer organization from Mexico, Alianza Contigo, contacted us to partner with them and the NIFB, says Dippold.

“I’ve been awed by the students and their commitment, their efforts, to continue coming out and serving the families in our community – in the frigid January weather, in the rain, in the heat of the summer,” says Dippold. “They always bring amazing energy and grit and represent our school in an incredibly positive way. This kind of work, especially through the hardships and struggles of the pandemic, is what we are about at CRSM.”

The next food distribution will be held on Thursday Sept. 9, 2021. Anyone interested in volunteering should contact Jim Dippold at jdippold@cristoreystmartin.org

Championing Public Health: Alum advocates all people receive best medical care possible

Championing Public Health: Alum advocates all people receive best medical care possible

Brian De La Cruz, CRSM Class of 2017, and a first-gen college graduate, lives by the words of Principal Dr. Michael Odiotti in his steadfast commitment to building a career in public service and equitable healthcare: “The gritty person has the ability to never give up.”

The past year was one that has brought numerous unforeseen challenges — the 22-year-old was called home to Waukegan to care for his mother, father and older brother who all were hit with serious cases of COVID-19 at the beginning of the pandemic. But, Brian, 22, graduated with a Business and Economics degree from Wheaton College and landed the position of Business Operations Coordinator for the American Medical Association (AMA’s) Education Center. It’s a position he strived hard for during his internship last year for the premier national medical association. The organization supports physicians, residents and medical students at every step of their education and careers.

In his role at the AMA, Brian works on the AMA Ed HubTM to provide high-quality education for physicians and other medical professionals so they can stay current and continuously improve the care they provide.

Brian is passionate about working to advance health equity and end healthcare injustices, to disrupt and dismantle the systems that aren’t working and reimagine and rebuild these systems to ensure justice. He’s already envisioning a 10-year career plan, a plan inspired by growing up in Waukegan.

“I want to elevate the needs of my community and center them in the discussion to improve their health outcomes”says Brian.

He knows firsthand about some of the challenges facing people living in Waukegan and towns where their zip codes thrust them into the crucible of racism and low socioeconomic status and produce harm and inequalities in education and deep-seated barriers to medical care.

This fact hit like a bolt of lightning during the last year when the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic revealed deep-seated inequities in healthcare for the community living in the 60085 zip code and amplified the social and economic factors that contribute to poor health outcomes. It was brutal watching his parents and brother battle the virus and struggle for access to treatment. Waukegan as the sixth hardest hit town in the state for COVID-19 cases.

“I saw firsthand what happens to people with chronic disease and the brokenness of the healthcare system,” he says. “I feel the need to champion the stories behind this unfairness and continue to shine the light on them.” Thankfully, all of his family members have recovered from COVID-19.

Grabbing on to the grit bandwagon

It hasn’t been an easy road for Brian, who is the first member of his family to graduate high school and go to college. He was a “C” student in middle school. That changed when he entered high school and was embraced by a supportive community of caring educators at CRSM who pushed Brian to reach his full potential, he says.

There’s no question, he says, that his perseverance and dedication to long-term goals took root at CRSM where he maintained a 4.0 GPA all four years, was the senior class president, a National Honor Society student and president of the Student Ambassadors. Through the Corporate Work Study department, he worked in the multi-cultural marketing department at Walgreens’ corporate headquarters throughout high school. During the summer before college, he worked as a full-time intern on the development team at College Bound Opportunities, where he was also a scholar his junior and senior year.

Brian feels called to give back and to serve others through ministry and volunteerism. He’s been a youth coordinator at Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe Parish and helped create the youth group at Kingdom Voice Ministry, when the church was just starting in Waukegan.

“Cristo Rey created a path for me to follow and now I want to do that for other young people,” says Brian, who serves on the board of directors for the Wheaton College Alumni Association. “I look back and think about walking into Cristo Rey and how I learned as a freshman in high school to carry on conversations with adults at work. I can’t imagine many freshmen are able to do that. And Dr. O. really inspired me that no matter how difficult things are, to never give up. As a first-generation student, the barriers to overcome were many, but with the support from CRSM and CBO, I knew I could dream big.”


Advice for CRSM students:
 “Dare to break the systems and barriers that get in the way of your personal journey.”

 

School Year Kicks off with Impressive Achievements

School Year Kicks off with Impressive Achievements

With a firm strategy of requiring vaccination, masks and other public health protocols, CRSM students, teachers and staff are successfully back in school and poised for a strong academic, work and service life undefeated by the disruptions of the past year and a half of the coronavirus pandemic.

“This a monumental, magical moment,” President Preston Kendall said, welcoming more than 450 students, teachers and staff for the first gathering together in two years.

Despite the challenges of the pandemic, CRSM has returned impressive numbers during the last year outpacing projections, said Dr. Mike Odiotti, principal. At the assembly, he shared impressive evidence of the achievements from the 2020-2021 school year, and projections that the new school will continue the upward trajectory:

  • 84% of the students earned AP credit on at least one AP exam – almost triple the 2020 State average of 29%, and more than double of the 39 % in 2010-2011
  • CRSM retention rates are more than 80%, the highest in the Cristo Rey Network, compared to the lowest rates, less than 40 %, in 2008
  • Nine students this year are being considered for the Posse Foundation full-ride scholarship, compared to seven total in the school’s history and four nominated with two winners last year.

Calling it “a huge testament to the great work being done at CRSM,” Odiotti shared thoughts he received from one of the leaders of the Walton Family Foundation, following her onsite visit:

“I visit many, many high schools, but I don’t recall seeing a high school where every student, in every classroom, was on task about creating high quality work like they are here,” said Abigail Schumwinger, program officer for the Walton Foundation.

Anthony Ochoa Talks About Coming Back to CRSM

Anthony Ochoa Talks About Coming Back to CRSM

Meet Anthony on Video…

A recent graduate of Bates College, Anthony has taken a job with Schuler Scholars* to work at his alma mater.

“We are thrilled to have Anthony joining our Cristo Rey St. Martin Schuler team. His perspective as an alumnus of both the school and Schuler will be a significant asset in the years ahead.”

Emalie Dalbke
Schuler School Director

*The Schuler program works with our high-achieving students on campus – to help them gain access to highly selective colleges, and pursue their professional aspirations.

July President’s Pen: An Interview with Preston Kendall

July President’s Pen: An Interview with Preston Kendall

In celebration of Cristo Rey’s 25th anniversary, “We Are CR” profiles will feature interviews with some of the many people who helped shape Cristo Rey Jesuit High School since its doors opened in 1996.

Preston Kendall was part of the founding leadership team for Cristo Rey Jesuit High School in 1996. As Executive Vice President, he took on the role of CFO while directing Cristo Rey’s Corporate Work Study Program (CWSP). In 2004 he became the first full-time employee of the Cristo Rey Network. After helping open the first 19 network schools across the U.S., Kendall left the network to be part of the founding team of its 20th school, Christ the King Jesuit College Prep in Chicago. He ran the Corporate Work Study Program for both Christ the King and Cristo Rey Jesuit High School from 2007 to 2011.

Preston is now the President of Cristo Rey St. Martin College Prep in Waukegan, IL, where he has served since 2011. 

Why does Cristo Rey matter to you? / What does Cristo Rey mean to you?
Cristo Rey is important because it stands as a community committed to equitable access to a quality education. A bachelor’s degree is still the single most effective way for a young person to find upward economic mobility. Being denied access to a quality education simply because of family finances or a failing local school system is a social justice issue. Cristo Rey calls us to level the educational playing field so that our students can show the world just how talented they really are and make the world a better place.

In your opinion, what is the most important work that Cristo Rey has done?
Cristo Rey’s commitment to academic excellence while providing a unique professional work experience through the Corporate Work Study Program for every student provides a profound package of encounters that supports students on their journey to adulthood and become agents for positive change in their community and the world. They discover more about who they are, what they believe, and how they are living out those beliefs in the actions. Every young person should have that opportunity.

How do you see Cristo Rey in the future?
Cristo Rey is only going to become more prominent. Ripples created by a growing alumni base entering the workforce in positions of authority and influence will continue to spread nationally as they “pay forward” the opportunities they found through Cristo Rey.

What advice to you have for the students of Cristo Rey?
Cristo Rey is a gift. Cristo Rey opens doors but you have to walk through them. It is totally up to you. Not everyone has the same opportunities; make the most of them and find ways to create similar opportunities for others.

What is your best memory of Cristo Rey? / Do you have a message or story to share?
One valuable lesson I learned at Cristo Rey involved a student who struggled at her jobs. She ended up being fired twice and, from my perspective, was not making much progress. Concerned that she really didn’t want to be a Cristo Rey, I thought we should ask her to leave. The CWSP staff came to me and said they really thought she was turning a corner and we should give her another chance. I reluctantly agreed still thinking she would never make it. But she did and finished strong her junior and senior years. The last time I saw her, she had graduated nursing school and was giving me a flu shot at a Cristo Rey health fair. Never underestimate the ability of young people to grow and flourish with the right people and supports around them!