BeSEEN Gives Back

In honor of Black Heritage Month, BESEEN scholars will come together for a day of service dedicated to supporting the Greater Chicago Food Depository and its mission to fight hunger across Chicagoland. This volunteer experience will allow scholars to engage in meaningful work that addresses food insecurity, while fostering a sense of civic responsibility and community connection. Through hands-on activities such as sorting, packing, and organizing food donations, scholars will contribute to a vital cause and learn about the systemic challenges impacting local communities. This event exemplifies BESEEN’s commitment to leadership development through service and empowers scholars to make a tangible impact beyond the classroom.

Attendance: We are extremely dependent on our volunteers for these events and last-minute cancellations or no shows hinder our ability to provide food for those in need. If you are no longer able to attend, please cancel online or notify us at least 48 hours in advance.

n celebration of Black Heritage Month, BESEEN Scholars will unite for a meaningful day of service in support of Misericordia, an organization dedicated to providing care, community, and opportunities for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
During this service experience, volunteers will assist across several of Misericordia’s vocational and developmental training programs. While final assignments will be confirmed based on areas of greatest need on the day of service, groups commonly support a combination of:

The Misericordia Bakery
Art studios
The Gardens Program
Classroom‑based developmental training sessions

Engage in this act of service to create meaningful interactions and stronger connections with the residents.

As part of BESEEN Gives Back, volunteers will partner with Cradles to Crayons to support their mission of providing essential items to children experiencing clothing insecurity. During this service experience, volunteers will be assigned to various stations within the Giving Factory, where they will work alongside other individuals and groups to inspect, sort, and package donations. These items—ranging from clothing to school supplies—will go directly to children and families across the region. This hands-on service opportunity helps ensure that every child served by Cradles to Crayons receives high-quality, thoughtfully prepared essentials.

BESEEN Gives Back partners with Feed My Starving Children in Illinois to provide students with a hands‑on opportunity to practice social engineering through service. By packaging meals for communities facing food insecurity, BESEEN scholars translate their learning into real‑world impact—examining inequitable systems, engaging in collective action, and contributing to solutions that reflect the values of Black Heritage Month.

In honor of Black Heritage Month, BESEEN scholars will come together for a day of service dedicated to supporting My Block, My Hood, My City and its mission to inspire youth, empower communities, and build a better world one block at a time. We will come together to support Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors in High School as they create a future goal statement as they consider attending college. This event exemplifies BESEEN’s commitment to leadership development through service and empowers scholars to make a tangible impact beyond the classroom.