Dating all the way back to 2007, The Gorter Family Foundation has always been a champion of Cristo Rey St. Martin. When we were still known as Saint Martin De Porres High School, Jim Gorter took a bus tour with Addie Morrison, of Lake County Community Foundations, and saw the old campus located on Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. After seeing the crowded hallways and general collapse of the building itself, with the hard-working and driven students inside, Jim became overwhelmed with a feeling that he needed to help out. Thus starting the long-term relationship with the Gorter Family Foundation and Cristo Rey St. Martin.
For the past 17 years The Gorter Family Foundation has been a champion of Cristo Rey St. Martin. When we were still known as Saint Martin De Porres High School, Jim Gorter took a bus tour with Addie Morrison, of Lake County Community Foundations, and saw the old campus located on Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. After seeing the crowded hallways and general collapse of the building itself, with the hard-working and driven students inside, Jim became overwhelmed with a feeling that he needed to help out. Thus starting the long-term relationship with the Gorter Family Foundation and Cristo Rey St. Martin.
The Gorter Family Foundation was founded by James P. Gorter in 1978. In 2006, the Foundation decided to focus its efforts on the Lake County area specifically, in order to provide educational opportunities for families and children of limited economic resources. The Foundation is mainly centered around assisting families in the North Chicago area, one of the areas that Cristo Rey St. Martin also serves. The Gorter Foundation has adopted the motto “Look North”. This is due to the fact that the Lake County area, north of Chicago, is their predominant area of service, and the organization strives to persuade other donors to provide financial assistance in the Lake County area as well.
According to Cheri Richardson, Executive Director of the Gorter Family Foundation, Cristo Rey. St. Martin was one of the first schools that their foundation chose to support back in 2007 when they were just beginning to support the Lake County area. Throughout our journey, the Gorter Family has always “tried to offer as many resources as possible” to us, from their first contribution of learning trailers used as science classrooms at the old campus, to helping fund our Corporate Work Study Program today.
Cheri states, “just the fact that the students have the opportunity to see themselves in a business setting (through the corporate work study program) and learn skills that will help them in their post-graduate and educational careers is amazing.” The Gorter foundation has generously given us support for our educational and Corporate Work Study pursuits over the years, and their leaders like Cheri Richardson profess to be “in awe” of our “school and students themselves”. Cheri states that CRSM is a “shining example of what a high school should be. The building itself is so inviting and beautiful, and the kids just seem like they want to be there!”
Cristo Rey St. Martin is truly grateful for the Gorter Family Foundation and their continued support over the years – from our humble beginnings as St. Martin De Porres with around 160 students, to the thriving college prep high school with 419 students we are today. Without their partnership and shared vision we would not be where we are today – providing a quality education to deserving young men and women who are changing this community!