SEPTEMBER 17, 2022: A fun and inspirational evening celebrating the STARS who make our communities shine…
> UPDATE 2: Read a brief follow up of the gala HERE.
> UPDATE 1: Sorry. As of Sept. 12th the gala is SOLD OUT!
You can still participate, however, by going to The Neighbor Project website and making a donation or by clicking on the banner below and going straight to bidding on items in our Silent Auction. Thanks to all!
Last year’s gala was so much fun The Neighbor Project is doing a reprise, not quite the same…but almost. (Go Here for a highlight video of 2021’s gala.)
The Neighbor Project works to stabilize families by getting them out of debt, helping them save, and putting them on the road to home ownership. Lack of fair home ownership opportunities is the number one contributing factor to our nation’s terrible racial wealth gap.* The Neighbor Project also runs Illinois’ Financial Empowerment Center.
Born in 2018 out of a merger of Emmanuel House and the Joseph Corporation, The Neighbor Project also has roots in Bryan House, a living memorial to Bryan Emmanuel Guzman started by Rick and Desiree Guzman in 2007. Bryan House served five refugee families following an earlier formula of debt relief, saving, and home ownership that still animates The Neighbor Project today. Bryan House became Emmanuel House, serving about 30 low- and moderate-income families, many of whom were not refugees. Now, over four years after the 2018 merger, The Neighbor Project’s vision and programs have grown to serve thousands of families and individuals. There’s no better place to catch the growth and vision of The Neighbor Project than executive director Rick Guzman’s talk delivered at the 2020 gala.
Come to the 2022 Gala and get to know The Neighbor Project—its staff, supporters, and programs—better.
The evening’s schedule:
- 5:15-6:00 check in at The Neighbor Project Office, 32 S.Broadway, Aurora IL
- 5:30- 7:30 Appetizers, beverages and hot-off-the-grill dinner @ The Music Venue 21 S. Broadway
- 7:30-8 inspiration, raffle, and auctions
- 8:30 back by popular demand: R & B star Gerald McClendon, The Soul Keeper!
* Read The Neighbor Project’s “History of U.S. Housing Policy and the Racial Wealth Gap,” also accessible on TNP’s website by clicking on the About tab.
♦ Go to The Neighbor Project’s website and scroll down the landing page for an introductory video. And go to the main page of this site for The Neighbor Project, Emmanuel House, and Bryan House.