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American Red Cross Names Boys Town of Chicago Executive Director Community Impact Hero
The American Red Cross of Greater Chicago honored Father Bruce Wellems, Boys Town of Chicago Executive Director, as the Community Impact Hero at their Heroes Breakfast April 1.
Illinois Senator Dick Durbin nominated Father Wellems for the Heroes honor. “The Back of the Yards community has a history as a blue-collar community of immigrants…and the potential of realizing a dream is tempered by the reality of poverty and violence,” said Durbin. “Father Wellem’s work makes the possibility of obtaining the American dream a reality.”
The American Red Cross selected Father Wellems for this prestigious award because of his dedication to mentorship and to helping young people transition out of gangs. “Father Wellems always keeps kids first in his community programs and he recognized early the need to provide mentorship, guidance and education to the youth in the Back of the Yards neighborhood,” read a recent article written by the American Red Cross of Greater Chicago. “In a neighborhood riddled with gangs and violence, Father Wellems helped found a school to give former dropouts a chance at education and in 2007, brought the Boys Town model to Chicago. He’s focused on one thing – making sure kids have access to education.”
When accepting the award, Father Wellems simply said, “When you see the success of one child, and you know that child affects so many others, you can’t stop doing this work. The way to stop violence and bring about peace is to educate these kids.”
The Community Impact Hero Award was sponsored by Deloitte, an American financial provider. Deborah DeHass, Deloitte Chairman and Regional Managing Partner, presented the award to Father Wellems.
