Kay Ray World of Service and Community Partners

08/20/2026

🌟 FREE 4-WEEK CHILDCARE BASIC TRAINING PROGRAM! 🌟

Are you 18–24 years old and interested in learning about working in childcare? This is your opportunity to gain valuable skills, build your confidence, and learn more about the early childhood education field — AT NO COST!

✨ Training Includes:
• Basic childcare skills
• Interview preparation & job-readiness skills
• CPR Training
• Help navigating Gateways to Opportunity
• Assistance finding and completing Gateways classes
• Information and guidance about earning your CDA Credential

🎓 Requirements: You must have a High School Diploma or GED.

📅 This is a 4-week training program, with most sessions held on Saturdays. The program may extend depending on enrollment.

⚠️ PLEASE NOTE: This is a FREE TRAINING OPPORTUNITY — NOT A JOB OFFER. Participants interested in obtaining their CDA will be responsible for CDA-related costs, but we will help guide you through the process.

🚨 SPOTS ARE LIMITED — REGISTER TODAY!

📞 Interested? Call: 630-475-8726
📧 Email: [email protected]
📧 Email: [email protected]

💙 PLEASE SHARE! Tag a young adult between the ages of 18–24 who may be interested in starting a career in childcare.

Kay Ray’s World of Community Service and Partners
in partnership with
Heart of the Block

🌱 Learn the skills. Build your confidence. Start your journey in childcare!
Evelyn Sparks

08/20/2026

🌟 FREE 4-WEEK CHILDCARE BASIC TRAINING PROGRAM! 🌟

Are you 18–24 years old and interested in learning about working in childcare? This is your opportunity to gain valuable skills, build your confidence, and learn more about the early childhood education field — AT NO COST!

✨ Training Includes:
• Basic childcare skills
• Interview preparation & job-readiness skills
• CPR Training
• Help navigating Gateways to Opportunity
• Assistance finding and completing Gateways classes
• Information and guidance about earning your CDA Credential

🎓 Requirements: You must have a High School Diploma or GED.

📅 This is a 4-week training program, with most sessions held on Saturdays. The program may extend depending on enrollment.

⚠️ PLEASE NOTE: This is a FREE TRAINING OPPORTUNITY — NOT A JOB OFFER. Participants interested in obtaining their CDA will be responsible for CDA-related costs, but we will help guide you through the process.

🚨 SPOTS ARE LIMITED — REGISTER TODAY!

📞 Interested? Call: 630-475-8726
📧 Email: [email protected]
📧 Email: [email protected]

💙 PLEASE SHARE! Tag a young adult between the ages of 18–24 who may be interested in starting a career in childcare.

Kay Ray’s World of Community Service and Partners
in partnership with
Heart of the Block

🌱 Learn the skills. Build your confidence. Start your journey in childcare!

08/19/2026

💙 Community Care in Action

Heart of the Block is proud to partner with The Kindness Campaign and Tree of Life Justice League in supporting this important community health initiative.

Through The Kindness Campaign’s partnership with Lurie Children’s Hospital, a mobile health unit will provide essential health services for children and students in our community — including school and sports physicals, immunizations, well-being checkups, daycare physicals, and health education.

📍 703 E. 75th St., Chicago, IL 60619

Services are available at no cost for uninsured and Medicaid-eligible children ages 0–18.

This is what community looks like — organizations coming together, sharing resources, and making sure families have access to the support they need.

At Heart of the Block, we believe showing up for our community means meeting people where they are. ❤️

Heart of the Block × The Kindness Campaign × Tree of Life Justice League

Evelyn Sparks Kimberly Sparks Kay Ray World of Service and Community Partners

08/18/2026

🎒 HEART OF THE BLOCK IS PROUD TO PARTNER! 💛

We’re excited to join The Kindness Campaign and fellow community partners for the Back 2 School Bash — a day dedicated to preparing our young people for a strong start to the school year and supporting the families who stand behind them.

📅 Sunday, August 23, 2026
⏰ 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM
📍 The Kindness Campaign | 701 E. 75th St., Chicago

Families can enjoy FREE backpacks, school supplies, haircuts & hairstyles, community resources, games, a bounce house and more!

At Heart of the Block, we believe strong communities are built when we show up for our young people — together. ❤️

Come out, bring the family, and get ready for a great school year!

Heart of the Block — showing up for our youth, our families, and our community.


Evelyn Sparks Kimberly Sparks Kay Ray World of Service and Community Partners

07/25/2026

07/25/2026

What an incredible day! 💜🎮✨

Today, Heart of the Block had the privilege of bringing an amazing group of young women to the Women Got Game: Gaming, Sports & Technology Summit at Illinois Institute of Technology.

Our girls had the opportunity to hear from inspiring women leaders, explore careers in gaming, technology, and sports, participate in hands-on activities, network with professionals, and most importantly… see what is possible for their future.

Representation matters. Exposure matters. Opportunity matters.

At Heart of the Block, we believe that when young people are placed in rooms where they can dream bigger, ask questions, and connect with professionals who look like them, it can change the trajectory of their lives.

A heartfelt thank you to Women Got Game, the panelists, volunteers, Illinois Institute of Technology, and everyone who made this day possible. Thank you for investing in the next generation of innovators, creators, leaders, and changemakers.

To our young ladies—you represented yourselves beautifully. We are so proud of each of you, and this is only the beginning. Keep showing up, keep learning, and keep believing that there is a place for you in every room you enter.

💙 Heart of the Block
Building leaders. Creating opportunities. Changing futures.



Evelyn Sparks Kimberly Sparks

07/15/2026

🎒📚 HEART OF THE BLOCK BACK-TO-SCHOOL DRIVE IS COMING! 📚🎒

A new school year is just around the corner, and we want to help students start the year feeling confident, prepared, and ready to succeed! ❤️

Heart of the Block will be hosting our Back-to-School Drive Giveaway, providing backpacks, notebooks, pens, pencils, school supplies, and more to local students.

📍 1712 E. 87th Street, Chicago, IL
📅 Date & Time: Coming Soon
📦 First Come, First Served
✏️ While Supplies Last

We believe every child deserves the opportunity to begin the school year with the tools they need to learn and thrive.

Please help us spread the word by liking, sharing, and tagging families who may benefit. Together, we can make a meaningful difference in our community—one student at a time.

Stay tuned for the official event date and additional details!

❤️ Heart of the Block
Building Stronger Communities
Evelyn Sparks
Kimberly Sparks
Kay Ray World of Service and Community Partners

07/09/2026

🚨 More than 30 young people learned how to help save a life! ❤️

Through our youth program, more than 30 participants had the opportunity to receive hands-on CPR training and learn important emergency response skills.

They practiced. They asked questions. They worked together. And most importantly, they walked away with knowledge that could one day help them respond when someone needs them most.

This is what youth programming is about: creating opportunities for young people to build confidence, develop real-life skills, and understand the power they have to make a difference in their families and communities.

We are proud of every young person who showed up, participated, and took this training seriously. We are building leaders, one experience at a time. ❤️

Because when we invest in our youth, we strengthen the entire community.



Evelyn Sparks Kimberly Sparks Kay Ray World of Service and Community Partners

06/08/2026

We had an amazing time! Thank you again for letting us serve your families. Kimberly Sparks Evelyn Sparks