Dorothy Flisk grew up on Chicago's south side where she attended Christ The King and Mother McAuley. She has been working with children since attending Spring Hill College in Mobile, Alabama, where she worked with special needs children and directed an afterschool program. After college, she moved to Urbana, Illinois, where she continued to work with special needs children while doing research on infant cognition at the University of Illinois. She then moved west to San Francisco, California, to participate in AmeriCorps VISTA (Domestic Peace Corps) working with the Office of Education to bring tutoring programs to local schools and developing grant writing skills. Dorothy became the school manager of A Better Chance School, where she worked with students from 6-22 years of age with autism and severe behavioral problems. There she assisted the school in its expansion and development while simultaneously obtaining her first master's degree in Marriage, Child, and Family Counseling at the University of San Francisco. In addition to her other duties of work and school, she also had the opportunity to counsel children and their families in three local schools in the San Francisco area. After five years "in the west" Dorothy then decided it was time to come home to Chicago, where she obtained a Master of Jurisprudence in Child and Family Law from Loyola University's School of Law. At this same time, she started a business with a good friend and has become Vice President of Operations for several businesses. Dorothy has continued to grow in diverse businesses. Starting a community center has been a dream of hers and she looks forward to the opportunity to serve the youth of the community and watching the youth grow into successful members of society.

Lorraine has dedicated the last ten years of her career to public service, as a Cook County Assistant State’s Attorney and is honored to be a part of Reach Out. She is a proponent of education and activities for the youth in our communities as she believes they are invaluable to improving our neighborhoods. She spends her free time volunteering by tutoring young students. Giving back to the community is a huge part of her job as a Cook County Assistant State’s Attorney. She has represented all different individuals in the Chicagoland area in their worst times. Her job allows her to be a voice for a victim and put the very worst type of people behind bars. Lorraine believes getting involved in a young person’s life and getting them involved in educational and extracurricular activities is essential before they become a victim or even worse, before they make bad decisions and become part of the criminal system. She works near the Reach Out Community Center at the George Leighton Criminal Courthouse at 2650 S. California Ave., in Chicago. Before obtaining her law degree in 2003, she received her B.A. from Columbia College Chicago in 1997 and worked in Broadcast Journalism at CNN in Atlanta and various NBC affiliates across the country. Through that experience, Lorraine has developed her desire to dedicate her life to public service and make a difference.

While she's not a Chicago resident, Amy Dodd Thompson said she falls more and more in love with the city after each visit, which usually includes attending Reach Out Community Center fundraisers. Amy graduated from Spring Hill College with a bachelor's degree, after double majoring in English and journalism. While at SHC, she participated in a program where she helped to tutor area at-risk middle students in math and English and later used some of her time filing paperwork for Penelope House, a safe house for victims of domestic violence and their children. She had previously volunteered time at Penelope House to help take care of the children once a week during a house meeting as a member of the college's Circle K International. She worked for numerous years as a Challenge (ropes) Course Facilitator at Beckwith Camp and Conference Center in Fairhope, Ala., where as a youth she was a camper and then later served as a camp counselor. As a facilitator, her responsibilities included safely leading and promoting team and individual development among a variety of different age groups and backgrounds in order to achieve numerous goals. Amy, who has worked as a reporter and a page designer/copy editor, is a full-time mother.

Sean has been a dedicated member of Chicago society. He has been a part of law enforcement for more than eleven years and is working hard to make Chicago a better and safer community. Sean’s present assignment is with the Chicago Police Department Organized Crime Division and Gang Enforcement Unit. Sean has an astounding record of accomplishments in the police force. He participates and volunteers in numerous other community and police based organizations. He received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Miami in 1999. In 2003, he received a Master of Jurisprudence (MJ) from Loyola University in Chicago. Sean received his M.B.A. from Saint Xavier University in Chicago in 2009. Sean is an essential part of our team.

Esmeralda was born and raised in Pilsen, a predominately low-income Hispanic Community in Chicago. Growing up, she encountered many obstacles and challenges due to exposure from negative influences; gang violence, drug abuse, and teen pregnancy. Victimized by gang violence as a teenager, she received a gun shot wound to her leg, while witnessing her girlfriend’s murder. Despite of her lived experiences, she was able to pursue higher education and obtain a Law Degree. Esmeralda strongly believes that her aspiration in furthering her education was, in part, due to her participation in a community after school-based program called Project HEAL. Project HEAL was a program created to address sociocultural barriers to Health Care in Hispanic Communities that also included a Youth Leadership program, that conducted various activities that often involved creative arts, painting, dance, and theatre. The Youth program was intended to provide at risk-youth with the opportunity to develop leadership skills. Esmeralda has first hand knowledge of the effectiveness of youth enrichment programs, and the impact it has in young peoples lives. We are honored to have Esmeralda a part of Reach Out to volunteer, serve as a role model, and give back to the community.

Jonathon was born and raised west of the city of Chicago in Plato Center, Illinois. While he’s not a resident of the city, he loves exploring the uniqueness of each neighborhood each time he visits. Since a young age, Jonathon has been helping kids gain confidence and having a positive experience, specifically within the equestrian world. He’s been fortunate enough to travel around the world and each time he returns, he’s more humbled by how lucky we are to live in the United States. Jonathon earned his bachelor’s degree from McKendree University and is working on his MBA at Quantic School of Business and Technology. One of Jonathon’s favorite quotes is from Mike McHargue: “People grow when they are loved well. If you want to help others heal, love them without an agenda.”