Local gala to benefit Chicago youth

Justinian Society of Lawyers and Windy City Pi Beta Phi collaborate on event to benefit Chicago's underserved youth

CHICAGO - Jan. 29, 2019 - illiNews -- The Justinian Society of Lawyers (www.justinians.org) and Windy City Pi Beta Phi (chicagowindycityac.pibetaphi.org/) will be hosting a Casino Night gala on Thursday, February 21st at Formento's, 925 W. Randolph. All proceeds will benefit both the Justinians' Children's Endowment Fund, giving back to the community in way of children in need, and going to establish and fund the Windy City Pi Phi Literacy Foundation, to increase the impact of literacy programs in Chicagoland.

For over 100 years, Pi Beta Phi has been dedicated to giving back to the communities in which their collegiate and alumni members live. Since 1990, the national fraternity has incorporated into their mission a platform to combat illiteracy in the U.S. The establishment of a local foundation will help to amplify the efforts of the local organization, Windy City Pi Beta Phi.

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The Windy City Pi Phi Foundation will seek to provide local programs to help prevent adult functional illiteracy and lower the estimated 30% of adults in Chicago have low basic literacy skills. Individuals with low literacy skills experience:
- health care costs four times higher than those with proficient literacy skills;
- public assistance costs for individuals with only a high school diploma or no diploma that are 14% and 45% higher, respectively, than for individuals with some post-secondary education;
- increased recidivism rates compared to the literate population;
- children who are less likely to receive intensive academic intervention in pre-kindergarten and are 60% more likely to require costly special and remedial education.

About the organizations:
The Justinian Society of Lawyers, chartered October 21st, 1921, is one of the largest ethnic bar associations in the U.S. and was founded to:

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● foster a spirit of collegiality through social and professional events
● promote the professionalism of its members, and
● participate in civic and community affairs so as to ensure the enduring respect of the legal system.

Windy City Pi Beta Phi Alumnae Club, celebrating its 30th year in Chicago, is seeking to establish a foundation with the mission of improving the lives of Chicago residents through:
● scholarship opportunities,
● educational programming,
● philanthropic efforts, and
● charitable programs.

For further information and to purchase tickets, visit: https://justinians.org/event-list/?loggedout=true#!event/2019/2/21/casino-night