This month, the HSAwareness team joined forces with the firm’s long-time partner, Chicago Commons, to bring holiday gifts to ten local families-in-need. Families were selected from four of Chicago Commons’ local family centers and asked to supply names, ages, clothing sizes, and toy requests for each child; the specificity ensures children awaken to items on their wish lists. Once the wish lists were received, senior vice president, Josephine Thomas-Hoytt and leasing and marketing associate, Olivia Wirth partnered to shop for items chosen by each family. With considerable donations from within the company, the HSAwareness team purchased outfits for the children, as well as an assortment of toys and games, many of which incorporated the children’s favorite characters from movies and TV shows. Each family also received a box of microwave popcorn, movie-theater style popcorn bags, and the newly-release​d DVD Moana for a family movie night.

In the end, the team wrapped and bagged gifts for ten families, totaling 23 individuals to be distributed at Chicago Commons’ Paulo Freire Family Center in the Back of the Yards neighborhood of Chicago. The center serves to improve the math, language, emotional, and cognitive skills of local at-risk children from infancy to 12 years old.

HSA Commercial has previously worked with Chicago Commons on numerous projects and drives. Bob Smietana, HSA Commercial’s CEO, is a long-time governing board member of the organization.

The HSAwareness team would like to sincerely thank everyone who contributed to our holiday gift drive, and we look forward to working with all of our friends and colleagues to continue to make a difference in the lives of others through our future endeavors.