The Dream Center itself was a dream come true. It was built in 2004, but for the 13 years prior, the Energizers dance team had practiced anywhere they could find the space, like the town hall in Hartford, WI or school gyms. Designed to suit the needs of dance teams for students 2 years and older, the Dream Center is also home to a daycare and a kindergarten.

Sheila Trost is the founder, artistic director, choreographer, as well as a teacher at the kindergarten. We call her the Dreammaker. The Dream Center was something Sheila dreamed up to offer kids big opportunities in a small town. Her goal is to create champion people, not just champion dancers, and to that end, they’ve won five world dance championships.

To get as many talented kids to these competitions as possible, they ran a Double Good fundraiser, raising 13,500 dollars. “The thrill of the competition was really exciting for the kids in our program,” Sheila said. “If you’re on a team, you have to be a team player, and when they knew the kids their money would support, it inspired our community.”

Favorite Flavor: Easy Peasy Caramel Cheesy. Or anything with cheese on it because we’re from Wisconsin.

Why do you do what you do?

1 in 6 people in Chicago are food insecure. There are an estimated 8,600+ people in our service areas who are struggling with food insecurity. Even one person is one too many. The Friendship Center provides our neighbors in need with food and other resources. It’s a place where neighbors help neighbors and a strong sense of community is built. We are all in this together.

What is one of the happiest memories at your organization?

In September of 2013 we expanded to a second location to better serve a larger area in Chicago. This location was a huge community effort by many, many people. It took nearly 18 months from the research stage to opening our doors and we only served a dozen households that first day. Those were a dozen families who were ensured they would have food for dinner and the coming days. Everyone was so excited to finally be able to put the plan in action.

If your organization could be two animals, what would they be?

The Friendship Center would be combination of a bear and a unicorn. Bears can be cute and cuddly but also extremely protective. This is what we are for our neighbors in need: a friendly place that will also fight for the right to have access to fresh, healthy food (among other things). And a unicorn. Does that need explaining? Unicorns are awesome and magical. Quite frankly, it is magical what we are able to accomplish with the resources we have available. We are currently able to provide a week’s worth of food for $10.80 ($0.51 per meal)! Magic…and awesome.

Can you draw it for us?

Choose The Friendship Center at checkout and 50% of every dollar you spend goes to their awesome cause.

www.doublegood.com

Why do you do what you do?

We believe music is valuable. We believe that all children are important. We believe that all children should have access to music education regardless of their economic backgrounds. We believe that a well-rounded education included regular music education. Our vision is a society where children of all means have access to music education and the opportunity to creatively express themselves through music; where all children are inspired to engage in their communities and realize their full potential.

What is one of the happiest memories at your organization?

We receive almost weekly affirmation of how our work is valued in the community. It is hard to pick just one happy memory. However, we were quite pleased to learn that we will be able to serve 7000 children this year.

If your organization could be two animals, what would they be?

The whale and the songbird. Both animals express themselves through music without needing to rely on anything but what is innate inside them.

Can you draw it for us?

Choose Foundations of Music at checkout and 50% of every dollar you spend goes to their awesome cause.

www.doublegood.com

Why do you do what you do?

Tree House specializes in the rescue and rehabilitation of sick, injured, abused, and neglected stray cats because they are often overlooked by other shelters because of the additional time and resources it takes to help them.

What is one of the happiest memories at your organization?

Whitman! Whitman is the sweetest little (well…not little at all) boy with a terrible start to life. When Whitman was about six months old, he was tied into a garbage bag and thrown out a second story window. He suffered sever injuries that damaged his spine, leaving him partially incontinent and unable to walk normally. A second individual saw this and ran to assist. She gave him to a third individual, who let Whitman live in his house for a few months. However, Whitman had still not been treated for his injuries, and his issues with urinating outside the box caused this third person to call a fourth person, who took Whitman to a high-kill shelter. The second individual somehow learned of this, and immediately called Tree House to transfer Whitman to our shelter. Luckily, we were able to admit him!

Once with us, Whitman saw a vet for the very first time (4-5 months had passed since being thrown out the window). He was neutered, and his injuries were assessed. Unfortunately, it was too late to repair any damage, leaving him permanently incontinent and walking with what we affectionately referred to as his rooster strut. Very, very fortunately, he wasn’t in any pain at all! What’s more, he seemed not to notice the effects of his injuries, and was in incredibly high spirits! He wanted nothing more than to cuddle with humans and babysit kittens, playing with and grooming them to his heart’s delight!

Incontinence is a serious issue in cats. It can cause serious health issues without proper care, and some cases are quite labor-intensive. Even with good care, we must consider quality of life, and adoptability (is this cat happy? Does he seem to enjoy his life? Will he be adopted, or will he languish in the shelter for years? Is shelter life the most humane and compassionate option?). It quickly became crystal clear that Whitman was one lucky dude- his quality of life was excellent, and while he couldn’t always make it to the litter box, he always gave plenty of notice ahead of an impending accident. Further, his presence in our cageless shelter was of such support to our other residents. Whitman could befriend any cat, and created lasting bonds with several of them, including Bronco Billy, whose cancer and chronic upper respiratory infection symptoms brought him down, but whose friendship with Whitman brought out a playful, spirited, and proud side we were thrilled to see!

A wonderful couple visited several times and observed both Whitman and Bronco Billy. They carefully considered whether they could accommodate these special needs, and our staff were transparent about what their adoption would entail. On their fourth visit, they asked why Bronco Billy seemed depressed; we said because he was; a shelter, however warm and loving, is not the home he needed. That sealed the deal, and this couple adopted our couple! Whitman and Bronco are still pampered and well-loved in their forever home.

Whitman was a special boy who reinforced the power of simple TLC- we gave him a chance at a healthy life, and he paid it forward, providing companionship to the other cats in our care.

If your organization could be two animals, what would they be?

Elephant: because they are intelligent, social and act empathetically.

Kitten: because they are fearless and playful.

Can you draw it for us?

Choose Treehouse Humane Society at checkout and 50% of every dollar you spend goes to their awesome cause.

www.doublegood.com