Lake County Housing Authority & Aim North Development Corp NFP Host 5th Annual Black Tie Gala

GRAYSLAKE, Ill. - July 6, 2018 - PRLog -- Lake County Housing Authority (LCHA) in conjunction with Aim North Development Corporation started the summer with the biggest event of the year, by hosting the 5th Annual Black Tie Gala benefiting the Family Self Sufficiency Program (FSS) Scholarship Fund.

The Black Tie Gala was held on Friday, June 15, 2018 at The Doubletree by Hilton Mundelein, themed "Excellence in Youth Empowerment". The mission of Aim North Development Corp is to promote education programs, increase quality affordable housing opportunities, manage properties, and develop strong sustainable and inclusive communities within Lake County. Proceeds raised from corporate, individual,  in-kind sponsors, auctions, and ticket sales for the 501 (C) (3) non-profit organization totaled $30,000. These proceeds directly assist with the provision of financial assistance for youth extracurricular activities and those that are attending or planning to attend college or technical training to increase their career opportunities.

We extend our sincere appreciation to our sponsors, without whom our event would not be possible. We invite you to support these community-minded organizations: Dean Investments; Cindi Herrera & Associates; Anthony Charleston (Charleston Building SVCS); Grach, Masini, Hazan & Gurysh, LLP;  Debruler;; A & L Painting; CVS Health; Learn Charter School Network; Evergreen Real Estate; City of North Chicago; Bee Liner Lean Services; Walmart; The Benoit Group; Ludwig & Company; Eyes on U Surveillance Systems Inc.; and Associated Bank.

The night was filled with testimonies and success stories from former residents and impactful community members. One of the guest speakers Miata – a former housing resident and member is now a graduate of the program and has been extremely successful.

A powerful speech was given by the evening's Keynote Speaker, Mark Angelini, President of Mercy Housing Lakefront (MHL), which is one of the largest and most innovative community development organizations in the Midwest.

Interim LCHA Executive Director/CEO Tiffany A. Gonzalez also shared her personal story of her nineteen year housing career. As a former recipient of a Housing Authority's Voucher and graduate of the FSS program, she vowed to begin her career at a social service agency to show compassion. During her speech she stated "Housing programs matter. These programs improve the lives of not only the clients but our community as a whole. It is imperative that we continue to provide educational and enrichment scholarships to clients like me to assist them along their journey."

Throughout the night community members were recognized for their outstanding achievements and contributions. The Agent of Change Award to Dr. Michelle Vaughn of the Teen & Single Mother Resource Center; The Youth Advocate of the Year Award to Clyde McLemore of Black Lives Matter Lake County; The Unsung Hero Award to Marc Jones of President of Waukegan Park District Board; The Outstanding Community Achievement Award to Michael J. Strauss of Schlesinger & Strauss, LLC; The Distinguished Leadership Award to Mayor Kristina Kovarik of the City of Gurnee; and the R. Delacy Peters Lifetime Achievement Award to David A. Northern, Sr. of the Housing Authority of Champaign County.  More information can be found at https://www.lakecountyha.org

###
Aim North is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization with headquarters in Grayslake, IL. With over 25 years of experience in the housing industry, LCHA is dedicated to helping hundreds of families through our FSS and by funding scholarship initiatives.