Our annual IN the Spirit Holiday Party returns Friday, December 20 at The Mill, and as always, proceeds from the celebration will support local charity.
We are pleased to announce this year’s beneficiaries: West End Neighborhood House and Year Up Wilmington.
West End Neighborhood House, a community anchor in Little Italy, annually serves over 10,000 people from all backgrounds with outcomes-driven programming. WENH’s work includes after-school and risk prevention programming for teens (including sports and athletics), as well as services for foster care youth, financial services assistance that ranges from budgeting to low-interest moving loans, home-buying support, case management and emergency family services, including a food pantry. WENH utilizes innovative solutions to resolve complex social challenges throughout Delaware and helps individuals achieve self-sufficiency, reach and maintain their maximum potential, and live responsibly and harmoniously in a healthy community and complex world.
Year Up Wilmington brings young adults (ages 18-24) and top companies together. By talking with companies, Year Up identifies hiring needs and builds programming that ensures its participants have the formal learning and soft skills to meet those needs. Founded in 2017, Year Up partnered with Wilmington University in July 2018, and the data is promising: after six months in a classroom, 100% of qualified students are placed in six month internships. 90% of graduates are employed or pursuing post-secondary education within four months of graduation. Participants are said to earn 53% more, on average, than their peers. Some students receive a stipend to ensure their success in completing the program, and the program structure supports part-time work schedules.
You can get your charity on, as well as party it up and also knock out some holiday shopping:
There will be hors d’oeuvre, drinks, live music from Evangelina Guajardo, plus The Mill Market featuring a wide variety of products by local artists and makers.
The party is FREE with a toy for the West End Neighborhood House drive (suggested value $10+). No time to get a gift? A minimum donation of $10 gets you IN! (And with these two worthy charities, just bring your checkbook—$10 is a steal for this event, and your additional donation beyond the admission will help change lives.)
RSVP on Facebook.