Community comes out to Celebrate Gift of Hope Organ & Tissue Donor Network Chatham’s Jackie D. Lynch Building site of open house


Community comes out to Celebrate Gift of Hope Organ & Tissue Donor Network Chatham’s Jackie D. Lynch Building site of open house

CHICAGO (November 12, 2024) – On October 29, more than 100 celebrants, well wishers, organ donor recipients and their families attended the inaugural Gift of Hope Organ & Tissue Donor Network Community Open House at the Jack D. Lynch Building located at 7936 S. Cottage Grove in the historic Chatham neighborhood. The facility’s location has imprinted its history on the south side. The site was once home to Chicago’s historic Independence Bank; the last occupant was Urban Partnership Bank. It was constructed in 1981, and Gift of Hope purchased the 48,000-square-foot building in 2019. The Chatham area is filled with rich African American history and contains two inner districts listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

This first Gift of Hope “Community Open House” was an opportunity to share updates on progress of organ and tissue donations, acknowledge the generosity of organ and tissue donors, support their community partners Chicago State University (CSU), Gift of Hope Community Foundation, National Kidney Foundation of Illinois and South Side Healthy Community Organization.

Marion Shuck, Executive Vice President, Governmental Relations and External Affairs, in her opening remarks, said, “It has been six years in the making. Today we celebrate the home of Gift of Hope offices and back-up call center, the home of Gift of Hope Foundation, the home of Chicago State University and the home of South Side Healthy Community organization.” Shuck went on to thank everyone, saying, “This has grown beyond our wildest dream. I thank all our partners for being here and Congressman Danny K. Davis for everything he’s done to get us funding to have a building like this.”

The building officially opened last year and houses not just back-up operations and the call center, but community outreach offices for Gift of Hope, as well. Tenants sharing the building include: Chicago State University’s Department of Continuing Education and Department of Nursing, Gift of Hope Community Foundation, National Kidney Foundation of Illinois and the South Side Healthy Community

Organization. They each provide education and personal enrichment programming for the community and their work very much aligns with the mission of Gift of Hope.

Addressing the hard work and perseverance of Gift of Hope to secure crucial life affirming organ and tissue donations and, especially, their ongoing efforts to educate the Black community, Dr. Harry Wilkins, President/CEO, Gift of Hope Organ & Tissue Donor Network, remarked, “Currently, there are more than 100,000 persons on the wait list for life-saving organs, the majority of whom look like the people in this room. It is disproportionate among communities of color that suffer affliction that requires a life-saving transplant. My goal is quite simple; to save as many lives as possible through organ tissue donation…to have zero on the wait list.”

Dr. Wilkins went on to say that there are barriers that are myths and misconceptions about organ tissue donation. He stated that collaborating with partner Chicago State University to fight against misconception will help in the mission to end the wait list for organs and that of suffering for people in the Black community.

Retired executive and former senior advisor for Gift of Hope, Jack Lynch, gave a humbling speech reminiscing back to his beginnings in 1987 and the past Gift of Hope CEOs that mentored him. “We never participated in a ‘we can’t do it’ [mentality]. Thank you for using me and helping me make a difference...In thirty plus some odd years, collectively we,” he emphasized, “not me, have developed the country’s most successful organ donor program focused in the African American community in the country.”

Prior to touring the building, Audrena Spence, Executive Director, Gift of Hope Community Foundation, took the opportunity to give out thanks and recognitions to new and old friends and collaborators, including acknowledgement of Alderman Michelle A. Harris (8th Ward) for her many years of help and special thanks to Congressman Jonathan Jackson’s office for their assistance. “I thank the Gift of Hope Foundation donor family services, public and professional education, and research initiatives. This is an incredible moment for me. This building has so much history. We look forward to making history, saving lives and making impact.”

Gift of Hope partners utilizing permanent space in the Jack D. Lynch Building:

Gift of Hope Community Foundation - Audrena Spence, Executive Director

The foundation provides donor family services, public and professional education, and research initiatives. It also serves as a fundraising arm for Gift of Hope Organ & Tissue Donor Network.

National Kidney Foundation of Illinois - Jacqueline Burgess-Bishop, FACHE and CEO

The foundation’s mission is to improve the health and well-being of people at-risk for or affected by kidney disease through prevention, education and empowerment.

Chicago State University (CSU) - Zaldwaynaka (“Z”) Scott, JD, President

CSU provides workforce training, wellness initiatives, and exploratory coursework that meet the needs and interests of community residents of all ages. They are committed to educational equity,

and empowering individuals to achieve social and economic mobility.

South Side Healthy Community Organization - Kimberly Hobson, CEO

Expanding partnership with Gift of Hope by establishing a permanent presence in the Chatham community, change lives by improving health outcomes and increasing community outreach and volunteer services.

For more information about organ tissue donation, contact Gift of Hope at www.giftofhope.org.

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