At this time of the year, like so many other well-intentioned Chicagoans, we begin thinking about New Year’s resolutions past and I can’t help but wonder how many I’ve actually kept. Fast-forward to now, five pounds heavier and one year later I got to thinking maybe the solution to the resolution problem is taking time to look back on all the things that I am appreciative for in the last year.

For those of us lucky enough not to have been destroyed by the economic downturn, perhaps this is the best possible moment to find meaning through community. If you have a little, give a little. This year instead of vowing to give up chocolate, give your time or a donation to your favorite charity or cause.

Whatever charity you choose to benefit with your time and or money make sure it’s the right one for you, i.e. that you connect personally with the cause you choose to support and it is a cause you are passionate about.  For me, 2009 was all about the launch of my own non-profit organization, The Apareció Foundation. Utilizing a group-mentoring model, the Foundation’s student mentoring initiative creates opportunities for our women scholars to connect with professional women from a wide range of industries over the course of six years. The true quality of education is the celebration of individual talent and our programs are designed with the whole student in mind.

If anything truly defines The Apareció Foundation, it is the value we attach to giving our scholars room to innovate by following their passions. Each program is meant to connect the content of learning with a lifelong experience that will ensure the development of self-confidence, discipline, pursuit of individual talents, and the creation of strong beliefs and values in our women scholars.

To learn more about The Apareció Foundation or how you can volunteer, become a mentor or be an advocate and help us as we build a better future today, please visit www.AparecioFoundation.org.

No matter which organization you choose, take 5 minutes each day to see how you can give back.  Now that’s a resolution even I can keep!

(Jessica George)

Jessica George is the Executive Director & Founder of The Aparecio Foundation, a Chicago-based, nonprofit that aims to provide mentoring, academic assistance, and scholarship programs for high-potential, low-income women in Chicago Public High Schools and is this month’s guest columnist.

If you are interested in getting involved with the Aparecio Foundation, now’s the time. This Thursday they are hosting an event focused on finding members for their Auxiliary Board. Here are the deets:

You have to admit, social networking sites are getting to be a bit, let’s just say, intrusive. I mean, who wants the boss lady to find a blog post where you are ranting about how much you hate their job? Do you want your brand new BF stumbling upon the pics your ex tagged you in, where he’s grabbing your boobs? And, to be quite honest, we don’t really care what you’re doing all day long, so spare us the update on your trip to the grocery store.

Social networking can be a powerful tool, but unfortunately, until now, the general public has mostly used this technology for the above-mentioned activities. But, thanks to sites like ActofGood.org, times are changing and people are now using this power to actually make a positive impact in people’s lives.

The first social networking site you can be proud of, ActofGood, seeks to connect people with worthy causes they can get behind. Founder, Michael Farah, knew that he could use digital media to change the way people think about and interact with philanthropic causes. “Starting with Chicago, we have the ability to change the way charities do business,” says Farah.

On its face, ActofGood works in much the same way as other networking sites (you can upload photos, include bio info, etc.), but it’s the addition of a whole host of other functionalities that makes it so unique. The biggest and best feature the site offers is an interactive calendar of local philanthropic events. You can search through the calendar date by date or only look for events being held by causes you support. If you find something that interests you, you can RSVP right there and not only will your calendar remind you of your upcoming event, but it will also let your friends know you’re attending, so you can rally the troops and generate awareness of the cause.

The site also allows you to sync up your homepage to your email accounts and personal calendars, so you’ll always be organized and in the know on the latest in charity and philanthropic happenings. You can find new connections through your already existing facebook contacts and even keep track of your receipts for tax write-offs!

PLRG would like to applaud Michael Farah and the entire team at ActofGood.org for creating a platform that makes connecting with causes and philanthropic work accessible to the everyday Chicagoan. Bravo!

If you’d like to keep up with the causes PLRG supports, become my friend on ActofGood.org. You can see what events I’ll be attending or send me a message to let me know what charities you think I should be supporting.- Lacey Brenly, Editor-in-Chief

(Lacey Brenly)

Earlier this year, when the economy was first plunging into turmoil, the PLRG team was busy ignoring the crashing markets and meeting with local businesses to plan a fashion show. That’s about the time we met Megan Richards. In addition to her running her own PR company, MR Public Relations, Megan was tooling with the idea of starting the “Stimulus Social Club,” a way for people to “give back while throwing down.” 

Richards, along with a host of other talented Chicago women, wanted to create a monthly event that would not only stimulate the economy, but also stimulate interest and raise money for those who are truly in need. Each month they choose a different, top-notch venue (past hosts include Rockit, Trader Vics and Zella’s) and for a $10 donation you get your first drink and apps! To be honest, chances are, you’ll stay for one or two more, which is the “stimulating the economy” part. But, best of all, the $10 goes to charity (the last donation went to The Valentine’s Boys and Girls Club) and the gals from SSC always max out the venue (the attendance at Zella’s was 400+).

Keep an eye out for the next SSC event, July 1 at Roof at The Wit Hotel, benefitting The CINN Foundation. Oh, and it’s also a great way to meet people and netowrk with the scene being dominated by young professionals.

• Fun and Cocktails- Check
• Hot Spot and Hot Guys- Check
• Doing It All for a Good Cause- Check

With Mother Nature dishing out more rain than sunshine lately, it’s easy to catch a case of the “blahs.” But, rain or shine, rich or poor, at PLRG we like to look on the bright side. If you’re reading this, it means you have access to the internet, which means you probably have a roof over your head and enough disposable income that you can afford to spend three minutes of your life listening to me go on and on. That alone makes you, and the team at PLRG, more fortunate than many living in this city of ours (Fortunate for the roof, not for listening to me. Although you should feel pretty good about that too.).

With the promise of summer fun ahead of us, we feel more blessed and more motivated than ever to do our part to give back to those who need support. And, with all the creative and generous people doing charitable work in Chicago, it’s never been easier to find a cause you can get behind and have fun contributing to! Folks like Michael Farrah, founder of ActofGood.org and Lindsay Avner, founder of Bright Pink are changing the way we think about charity and philanthropy and making it more accessible and approachable for young people.

Their work has inspired us to dedicate an entire issue to helping PLRG’s find ways to give back that work for them. Do you have a tough time fitting volunteer work into your busy social schedule? We’ve got the scoop on the fundraising social scene, so you can get your party on for a good cause. Maybe you’re feeling like just one person can’t make that much of a difference. Well, this month you’ll hear about women all over the city, from all different backgrounds who are making a big impact on their communities.

So, keep it locked on PLRG to get your charitable booty in gear. In addition to our features, we’ll be posting our fave picks for charity/fundraising events on the calendar and keeping you updated on what events we’re hitting up and what organizations we’re getting involved in.

Lacey Brenly

Editor in Chief

If you still have holiday shopping to do, or if you even attempted to hit up the stores this past weekend, you know just how ridiculous it is to try to fight the crowds and trudge through the snow. You’d be much better off stopping by Beta Boutique this Thursday evening where you can get all your holiday shopping done in one place!

From 6:30pm to 9pm Beta Boutique will be a PLRG holiday paradise with lots of giftable items and of course their famous discounted designer clothing (they even have stuff for guys). For those of you who don’t know about Beta, here’s the scoop from their website:

Beta Boutique is the ultimate in-the-know fashion destination devoted to Chicago’s savviest shoppers. As Chicago’s first and only permanent sample sale, Beta Boutique boasts over 1700 square feet of fantastically designed floor space dedicated to the most select fashion-forward contemporary women’s samples and overstock from favorite local, domestic and international labels at incredible, jaw-dropping 40 - 90% off discounted prices.

In addition to their already fabulously discounted prices, PLRG shoppers will receive $10 off purchases of $50 or more and $20 off purchases of $100 or more the night of the event. Guests will also enjoy complimentary champagne, wine and other treats while listening to our favorite holiday tunes.

In exchange for all the holiday cheer we are asking for donations of scarves, gloves, board games or infant toys for the Metro Achievement Center for Girls (in lieu of an item, a $15 donation can be made). The Metro Achievement is a wonderful center to support and has great opportunities for PoorLittleRichGirls to volunteer their time and energy(click here for more info on volunteering). According to their website, the Metro Achievment Center is:

a supplementary education center which promotes the personal and educational development of Chicago’s inner-city girls from 4th through 12th grades, with the collaboration of parents, teachers and volunteers. Metro’s programs instill a sense of personal worth by developing students’ talents, character and spirit of service, and by strengthening academic and work habits. Metro prepares its students so they can complete their education and pursue a profession of their choice.

In true PLRG style we’ll also be holding a raffle that night for some really sweet prizes. We’ve got a Creed Gift package (a $315 value), a MOR Gift package (a $150 value), and a package including certificates good towards Celebrity Skin Couture Air Tan and Chic Gems, as well as a Chic Gems floating pearl necklace (package is a $125 value).

This is a private event, so space is limited. To make sure you and your friends get your spot, send an email to rsvp@poorlittlerichgirls.com.

Ever spent night after night or a whole weekend going from store to store or website to website trying to find the perfect winter coat? I’m a little picky & that’s exactly what I have been doing the last couple of weekends. After much searching, I think I’ve finally found the coat I want. It’s slightly more than I originally intended to spend, but it meets all my fashionable requirements. Who would have thought it would have been so hard to find it?

Now imagine you don’t have a winter coat & you have no income to get one. Thousands of children in Illinois will not only be going without a proper warm coat this winter, but with the economy & budget constraints on state agencies, they have little hope of getting funding from places such as the Department of Children & Family Services. I’ve worked there for over 8 years, I should know. And it’s not that we don’t supply clothes for our children, but there is only so much money available to split between over 12,000 kids. Once the allotted voucher is gone, it’s gone. Wouldn’t you hate to decide between buying socks & shoes or buying a winter coat?

I’d like to encourage you to help me help keep a child warm this winter. From now until December 15th, I will be collecting your used, gently worn coats to give to a child in need. Everything from newborn thru teenage sizes are needed. Please remember that teenagers come in all sizes. So big or small or even maternity coats are welcomed. Don’t have an extra coat lying around? Don’t have a child who has out grown that coat in the back of their closet? Don’t have enough to purchase a new coat from TJMaxx or a used coat from your local consignment shop? That’s okay. Cash donations of any size will also be collected & used to purchase as many coats as possible.

So dig deep into those closets & pockets & help me keep as many kids as possible warm this winter. 

Monetary donations will also be accepted. Please contact Missy at kidsneedcoats@yahoo.com for information on how to submit your donations.

(Missy Wind is a friend of PoorLittleRichGirls.com and we are happy to help support such a good cause!)

Every PoorLittleRichGirl deserves a fancy Friday night out, whether it’s with the girls or that hottie from the next cube over. Every Friday we pick a place that is so fancy it’ll knock your fancy pants off when you find out how cheap it is!

We are big fans of multi-tasking. There is nothing a PoorLittleRichGirl likes better than being able to get lots of things done at once (check Eryn’s bio). This Friday you can dine out in style and do something good for humanity- at the same time. How perfect is that? 

There are some fantastic Chicago restaurants partnering in the Share Our Strength: Great American Dine Out (ends September 28), If you have ever felt like treating yourself to a gourmet meal, head over to The Signature Room, mk, McCormick and Schmick’s or any participating restaurant and a portion of your bill will be used to help end childhood hunger. If you really feel like splurging, after your fancy dinner you can have some fancy drinks that will also help the cause at places like Krem or The Lobby at The Peninsula.

Ok, so it’s not exactly a cheap night out, but think of it this way- you’re getting a discount on a great meal and instead of pocketing the money it’s going towards a good cause. It’s the best way we know to give to charity! Plus, you should already be saving some money by keeping the change.