Thank You for Making the 2025 Onward House Gala a Night to Remember!

We are still glowing from the incredible evening we shared at this year’s Gala—thank you for being a part of it!

What began as a vision to bring our community together just blocks from Onward House became a beautiful reality, filled with joy, connection, and a shared commitment to the families we serve. From the first cocktail to the last song on the dance floor from Esso Funk, the evening was full of life, energy, joy, and community.

We are thrilled to share that, thanks to your generosity, we surpassed our fundraising goal raised over $112,000 in support of Onward House programs. Your support helps us expand access to early childhood education, adult learning, food security, and immigrant services for hundreds of families across Chicago’s Northwest Side.

In the most emotionally impactful moment of the night, an Onward House parent, leader, advocate, and member of our Parent Policy Committee, Esra Tawalbeh, took the stage and beautifully shared about her experience with Onward House and the support she received with her two children while she worked to complete her Bachelors Degree in Computer Science.

Everyone in the audience was in tears by the end of her speech, when she shared,

"Onward Neighborhood House has been so much more than childcare. It has been our home, our second chance, our new beginning. To every teacher, social worker, and staff member who believed in us, thank you. You gave me back my voice. You helped me build a future. And you reminded me, I was never truly alone."

A heartfelt thank you to our speakers, including Board member Dan Greiwe and Paul M Angell Family Foundation's Managing Director, Kim Van Horn, our Host Committee, Sponsors, Board of Directors, Auxiliary Board, volunteers, and staff who helped make the night a success—and to our guests and supporters, for showing up and making it all possible.