You may have heard about Face the Future Foundation when we covered their fundraising gala HERE or during the Men’s fashion show held at the Neiman Marcus Mens Store HERE. We decided to find out more about the organization. As millennials or anyone philanthropically minded, we have a lot of demands on our time(family,work,friends,drinking,work) so committing time to a charity is a tough decision. One of the reasons a lot of people don’t get involved in non-profit organizations is because they may not see the ROI of their time and fundraising efforts. Beyond the parties and glitzy galas, how does a non-profit function? Who is impacted by the monies raised? We had the opportunity to get a better understanding of what Face the Future Foundation does and where the money raised goes towards.
90% of children treated by the Craniofacial Center at UIC are from the Chicago metropolitan region. Of those, the majority comes from underserved neighborhoods on the south and west sides of Chicago.
On a bright summer day, Dr. Mimis Cohen Director of the Craniofacial Center at the University of Illinois-Chicago led a group of current face the future executive board, associates board members as well as prospective members on a tour. We had the opportunity to see the clinic in action, talk to several patients whose care was funded through money donated by Face the Future Foundation.
Dr. Cohen then led us behind the scenes on the intricacies of the process. Fund from Face The Future Foundation primarily covers medical and related expenses for pediatric patients with different forms of facial deformities.
Being able to see first hand the process, meet the different team members such as the speech therapists, doctors and all involved in the decision making process of treating the patients was an eye opening experience.
Through the foundation, the craniofacial center was able to acquire some state of the art technological device to help in treating these patients. There is no detail that goes untouched. From the Ocularist who works on prosthetic eyes, to the 3D printers that brings to life an scan ear imprint, the machine that matches skin tones for the prosthetics and so much more. A lot of the parents and caregivers that bring their children in can’t afford the procedure let alone all the psycho-social help that comes with it. Dr. Cohen and his staff are not only energetic but they truly care for and about these patients.
If you would like to be a member of the Executive or Associate Boards CLICK HERE, This is an organization that’s worth your time and fundraising efforts.
They are in the process of planning their annual Holiday Party and need sponsors. CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS
*logo & Natalie image: Face the Future
