Cara Collective to Honor JPMorgan Chase
Chicago-based workforce development leader marks return of Gala following two-year absence
Chicago – Cara Collective, a leader in poverty alleviation, is pleased to announce it will honor JPMorgan Chase at the upcoming 7th Annual Cara Gala presented by Allstate on Friday, April 8, 2022. JPMorgan Chase will receive the Trailblazer Award for its longtime partnership with Cara Collective and for the company’s commitment to driving inclusive economic growth in the United States and around the world.
“JPMorgan Chase is a trailblazer because time and time again, they have demonstrated their commitment to leading the charge in closing the racial wealth gap and driving an equitable and inclusive economy,” said Kathleen St. Louis Caliento, President & CEO of Cara Collective. “Their work has provided more access to homeownership, employment, entrepreneurship, and so many more opportunities that create real change in our communities. Beyond all that, they’ve also remained an integral part of Cara Collective by staying engaged at numerous levels, including as a hiring partner, a dedicated funder, a member of our Board of Directors, a strong advocate of inclusive employment, and beyond. We are thrilled to have the opportunity to honor this partnership at our signature Gala.”
Previous Trailblazer recipients include real estate company Sterling Bay, Rivers Casino, and philanthropists Dona and Sam Scott, Pete and Amy Kadens, Jim and Kay Mabie, and Martin H. Nesbitt.
Cara graduate Oreletta Garmon will also be recognized with the Jesse Teverbaugh Distinguished Alumni Award. This award is given annually to a graduate who is a shining example of the Cara community. Oreletta first started her Cara journey in the mid-‘90s, seeking to break the cycle of addiction and homelessness for her and her children. For the past seven years, she has been employed with Rush University Medical Center, most recently as the Program Navigation Coordinator for Equal Hope, Rush’s Breast Cancer Task Force that provides free or low-cost quality access to healthcare for all women.
The 7th Annual Cara Gala also marks Cara Collective’s return to an in-person Gala for the first time in two years. The 2020 event was cancelled in the early onset of the COVID pandemic and the 2021 event pivoted to a live, virtual offering. The Cara Gala is annually attended by more than 550 civic, philanthropic, and business leaders and raises more than $600,000 for the workforce development nonprofit.
“With this event, we are marking an opportunity to gather once again in-person to uplift this vital mission, celebrate what we have achieved in more than 30 years of this work, and look to where we are going next,” added Caliento. “We feel incredibly fortunate to be able to share this evening with our community.”
In addition to Presenting Sponsor Allstate, lead sponsors for the 7th Annual Cara Gala include The Beebe Family, BMO Harris Bank, Deloitte, JLL, Molson Coors, The Owens Foundation, The Quirk Family, The Sidley Austin Foundation, Sterling Bay, and United Airlines.
Sponsorships for the Cara Gala are available at www.caracollective.org/gala, or by contacting Shikha Jain, Chief Philanthropy Officer, at sjain@carachicago.org or 312.798.3307.
About Cara Collective
Cara Collective seeks to fuel a courageous national movement to eradicate relational and financial poverty. Through our four entities – Cara, Cleanslate, Cara Connects, and Cara Plus – we engage job seekers, employers, and other organizations across the country to break the cycle of poverty through the power and purpose of employment. Since 1991, we’ve helped more than 7,900 people get placed into more than 12,900 jobs and get started on their path to real and lasting success. To learn more, please visit www.caracollective.org.
Contact: Mark Toriski
Director of Marketing & Communications
312.798.6723
mtoriski@carachicago.org
