The QBG Foundation Gets in the Spirit of More Giving

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The QBG Foundation (QBG), the non-profit arm of the Chicago Citizen Newspaper, presented QBG scholars Glenn Fulton, Denzel Tucker and Taylor Wills with a surprise holiday gift last week. The college students all received a super-sized care package chocked full of "college student essentials" like thumb drives, notebooks, pens, pencils, soup, shaving cream, hand sanitizer, Rice Crispy Treats, several other delicious snacks and beverages and just about everything they would need while studying late nights in a dorm room.

Fulton, a sophomore at Olive-Harvey College is studying Computer Science and works part-time. Like all QBG Scholars, he is a great student and an enthusiastic, charismatic young man. Fulton is also the proud recipient of a $10,000 per year scholarship from QBG.

"This is truly a wonderful gift," Fulton said as he accepted his care package from William Garth, Sr., QBG's Chairman and CEO of the Chicago Citizen Newspaper. "I am really so happy right now!"

Tucker, a sophomore who is majoring in Engineering at Chicago State University, is captain of the school's track team and lives on campus there. He is already exhibiting characteristics of a natural born leader and is also an honored recipient of a $10,000 per year scholarship from QBG.

"You guys always look out for me," Tucker said with a huge smile as he acknowledged his gift. "I really appreciate everything that QBG has done for me so far and I promise not to open my present until Christmas," he said as he carried the jumbo sized gift box.

Wills, a sophomore at Spelman College, is majoring in pre-law and like Fulton and Tucker, also receives $10,000 per year from QBG to help achieve her goal of graduating from Spelman, a historically black college.

Garth founded QBG in memory of his late son, Quentis Bernard Garth who lost his life to violence. Since 1992, QBG has provided four-year, renewable, scholarships of up to $10,000 each to youths from Chicago area high schools and particularly focuses on youth who may be at risk or prone to violence.

"I can't think of a better way of honoring my fallen son and giving back to the community at the same time, "Garth said about the organization he started over twenty years ago. "When I help these young men and women achieve their goals of graduating from college, well, it just doesn't get any better than that."

To date the QBG Foundation has provided scholarship awards to over 55 students totaling over $1.5 million dollars.

The QBG Foundation's executive director, Larissa M. Tyler, who is also the managing editor of the Chicago Citizen Newspaper, said the organization's scholarship program is essentially a violence prevention program with a primary goal of removing students out of violence "hot zones" by allowing them the opportunity to attend and live on the campuses of accredited colleges and universities. Tyler also said that even when a student attends a community college, QBG provides financial support for off-campus living arrangements.

"It really warms my heart when we are able to provide this kind of detailed level of support for our students in addition to the scholarship funds they already receive from QBG," said Tyler. "It's really a special kind of feeling when you know that you are doing the kind of work that will change for the better, a young person's life forever."

In addition to providing financial support to its scholarship recipients, QBG also provides guidance and moral support throughout a student's entire college career via a built-in service plan which includes, one-on-one telephone or Skype counseling sessions between the students and QBG's program manager, Detrice Ward. Ward also telephone conferences with the students' academic advisors and parents.

"I feel there is nothing more important than students having someone to mentor and guide them," Ward said. "We show them that we care, and we let them know that no matter how hard life's' struggles are, if you put your mind to it, you can succeed and become whatever you want to be. "

Additionally QBG provides its recipients written letters of recommendation for employment, dissemination of information regarding internships, and leads to employment opportunities and tutoring. In very special circumstances such as bereavement, QBG will provide emergency funding to QBG scholars of up to $1000.

For additional information about the QBG Foundation, please email info@qbgfoundation.org or call 773-783-1251.

By Larissa M. Tyler

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