Continuing an 82-year legacy of giving back to the community, Mesirow employees in July surpassed a milestone 5,000 volunteer hours in service to Chicago’s Brighton Park neighborhood since 2013.

Through a partnership established in 2013 with United Way of Metro Chicago, the people of Mesirow have dedicated themselves through mentorship to students, arranging community events, providing college and career guidance, upgrading Chicago Public Schools facilities and more.

“The difference Mesirow’s employees have made over six years – and 5,000 hours – is tangible,” said Sara Reschly, director of community partnerships for Brighton Park Neighborhood Council. “Chicago Public Schools students are showing leadership and empowerment because of relationships with their Mesirow mentors, and women in our Parent Mentor program are inspired by interactions with fellow women from Mesirow’s women’s employee resource group.”

With 45,000 residents, Brighton Park is Chicago’s fastest-growing neighborhood with 58% of the community considered low income and 85% identifying as Latinx. It was the first of United Way’s Neighborhood Network initiative, a model focused on creating social change through neighborhood-led strategies that emphasize education, financial stability and health. The initiative now operates in 10 Chicagoland neighborhoods.

Meaningful progress is being made on a key goal of increasing the Chicago Public Schools’ Kelly High School graduation rate from 68% in 2013 to 90% by 2025. By the end of the 2017-2018 school year, the rate had increased to 78% and stands to rise further, with a positive pipeline of 81.8% of freshman students “on track” to graduate.  

“Mesirow is honored to contribute to the graduation rate goal through support of holistic, wrap-around services that help neighborhood families thrive,” said Ellie Forman, Mesirow’s VP of Corporate Community Relations. “We provide our employees points of entry into Brighton Park where they serve with authentic passion as long-term mentors through Big Brothers Big Sisters, instructors on financial literacy through Big Shoulders Fund or school project volunteers through Chicago Cares.”

Mesirow’s work to leverage partnerships into the Brighton Park neighborhood and throughout Chicagoland will continue.
 

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About Mesirow

Mesirow is an independent, employee-owned financial services firm founded in 1937. Headquartered in Chicago, with offices in 21 cities, we serve clients through a personal, custom approach to reaching financial goals and acting as a force for social good. With capabilities spanning Global Investment Management, Capital Markets & Investment Banking, and Advisory Services, we invest in what matters: our clients, our communities and our workplace culture. For more, visit mesirow.com.

Mesirow Financial has been recently named best places to work in Chicago by Crain’s Chicago Business and the Chicago Tribune.