By Benita Natalini and Chintan Mehta, Co-Presidents, The Associate Board

At this year’s Lighting Up the Night, The Night Ministry’s Annual Awards Dinner & Auction, President & CEO, Paul W. Hamann, Associate Board member Sam Ritchey, and other speakers provided reflections on the importance of human connection to the mission of The Night Ministry. “Reflections” and “human connection” are terms that perfectly capture the current state of the Associate Board, a passionate group of young professionals who support the work of The Night Ministry. After seven years, 2019–20 is our year to rededicate the Associate Board to what attracts us most to serving with The Night Ministry and what about its mission resonates in us all.

We had a great planning meeting in March, resulting in more defined roles and responsibilities for Associate Board members as well as new strategies for how we can best give back to the Chicago community through supporting The Night Ministry. While we will continue to focus on our major fundraising event, Night Lights, which will happen at River Roast in Chicago on Thursday, October 17, this year our events will be centered on volunteering and community partnerships. We will be spending more time at The Night Ministry’s programs, including serving meals to clients, while also connecting to the local business community via special events. We are excited about our plans for the future and are on the lookout for prospective members to join us on this journey. Thus, if you, or anyone you know, is interested in becoming a member of the Associate Board, please reach out to associateboard.tnm@gmail.com or visit www.thenightministry.org/associate-board.