FEATURE

Contact: Gabrielle Horton

Phone: 3124480551

Email: gahorto@siue.edu

Target audience: Residents in Chicago and near

Target Publication: Chicago Magazine

“A Night at the Museum” Held by SocialWorks

CHICAGO— When Chance The Rapper is not making music, he his helping the
community through his nonprofit organization, SocialWorks. SocialWorks came together when
Chance and two of his longtime friends from high school realized that they wanted to take the
work they were already doing in the Chicago community to the next level—it was a way to reach
more people, in a way they thought would be more effective.

Since 2016, SocialWorks has created 5 initiatives that present youth the opportunity to
learn and act on their passions. SocialWorks’ programming focuses on education, mental health,
homelessness, and performing and literary arts – directly affecting thousands of youth yearly.
Through the initiatives, OpenMike, Warmest Winter, Kids of the Kingdom, The New Chance:
Arts & Literature Fund, and My State of Mind, SocialWorks hopes to inspire creativity, build
dreams, and advocate for youth success in all its forms.

Some of the ways that Social Works gives back to the community is by:

1. Helping people with their immediate needs:

• Kids of the Kingdom: a summer program for kids ages 5-13 (it was actually started by
Chance’s great-grandmother over 40 years ago!)

• OpenMike: a monthly space where high schoolers can perform, share, and connect (based
on a program that Chance and his friends loved in high school, run by their mentor, Mike
Hawkins)

• Warmest Winter: assistance for people experiencing homelessness (a year-round program

that offers coats, clothes, food, toys for kids, and resources for jobs, housing, education,
etc.) -more-
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2. Helping create system-wide change:

• The New Chance Fund: an arts and literature fund that has raised more than $5 million
for Chicago Public Schools ($100,000 grants have gone to 51 schools, which have
already seen test scores and other measures of success go up) 


• My State of Mind: mental health and wellness services (when this program launches it
will transform the way people in Cook County, Illinois, access services and get the kind
of specialized help they’re looking for) 


Some of the projects underway before SocialWorks were created, included an open mic
series for high school kids and a winter-coat drive for people experiencing homelessness, were
rolled into the new nonprofit, which today is built around the five initiatives.

In just a couple weeks, on December 16, the organization will be holding their fourth
annual, “A Night At The Museum”. “A Night at the Museum” is described as a family focused
event that benefits the homeless. During this night, those that attend will be welcomed to an
evening of music, performance, interactive vendors, museum exhibits, and more.

“A Night at the Museum" is held at Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry. Guests
are encouraged to bring a donation for the homeless. Some of these donations may include
blankets, headphones, a deck of cards, new or gently worn winter clothes, and toys. “It’s good to
see all those families smiling and everybody just connecting, during the coldest part of the year,"
Bennett told CBS News.

"We like to create experiences for those in need, an opportunity to get out the house, to
get some food, to get some entertainment," he said of his nonprofit organization, "And obviously
we like doing stuff for free for people that don't always get access to stuff.” After Christmas,
Chance the Rapper, born Chancellor Bennett, said Social Works continues to serve the
community by providing free haircuts, passing out food, clothing drives, and establishing
"warming centers."

All of the donations that are received on this night will directly impact those that are
experiencing homelessness in the city of Chicago.

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