The 75 members of  Cougar Cares Kids Care Club, located in urban Chicago attend the Crane Tech Preparatory Common School.  The student body at Crane Tech is not a wealthy one.  Ninety-five percent  of  the students live in poverty and many are homeless.  But facilitator, Cassie Mazziota says, ”These challenges do not stop Cougar Cares members from helping others.  Everyone has something to offer!” Cougar Cares members are young, able-bodied and hardworking.  They are more than ready to meet the challenges and rewards that volunteering in their community brings."

Since October, they have committed themselves to five or six  different  projects a month.  They especially like working at a soup kitchen called SU CASA in Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood.  There they have given their time shopping, cooking and serving food to the approximately 80 homeless Hispanic men, women and families who live temporarily at the communal living center.  

In 2007 Cougar Cares was awarded a Bringing Good Moments mini-grant from Kids Care Clubs and Quaker in recognition of their Kids Care Week project volunteering for the homeless. The kids cooked breakfast for 100 needy seniors and played bingo with them.  They decorated bags for bagged lunches and packaged pasta at the Greater Chicago Food Depository. 

Their volunteering experiences at SU CASA has a side benefit.  The project served as a cultural exchange between the mostly Spanish-speaking residents at SU CASA and the predominately African American students from Crane Tech Preparatory.  Cougar Cares members got a chance to practice their Spanish speaking skills and to share various holidays each in their own way.   Diversity proved to be a truly beautiful experience.

Another favorite volunteer activity for Cougar Cares is cooking for and playing Bingo with the seniors at a Public Housing facility for seniors in Chicago.  They do this on a bi-monthly basis.

Other projects that Cougar Cares has done include carving pumpkins for immigrant children at Halloween, decorating SU CASA shelter at Christmas, Distributing Holiday gifts at the Cathedral Shelter, packaging and distributing food at Cathedral Shelter, volunteering at the Chicago Food Depository.  At their own school, they conducted a Holiday food drive to provide 50 Holiday meal baskets for 50 needy families.  At Easter, they provided 25 Easter baskets for a local Head Start Pre School and then read and sang with the children. 

Raising money is also a priority.  These amazing club members  raised $160 for the Souper Bowl of Caring and $467.63 for Pennies for Patients.  They have tried hard to make a difference and to connect with the needs of so many in their community.

This is indeed a busy group.  Cassie Mazziotta, the Cougar Cares founder and facilitator says of her volunteers,   “I love working with my group and watching them grow into young and caring adults.  They are an inspiration to me.  They have opened my eyes to a whole new world.”  

Kids Care Clubs commends the Cougar Cares Kids Care Club for sharing their skills and especially their time with many people of all ages in their community. 

Kids Care Clubs is pleased to be joined by Quaker in providing special recognition for the Club of the Month. Members of the Cougar Cares Kids Care Club will receive a special gift directly from Quaker to share with their families and friends.