I Support Community's 2nd Annual "Giving Hope Through Stories" fundraiser

Naperville Nonprofit “I Support Community” Announces 2nd Annual “Giving Hope Through Stories” Event

Naperville-based not-for-profit organization, “I Support
Community” announces its upcoming event, “Giving Hope Through Stories,” set for
the evening of February 22, 2014.

CityGate Grille,
located at 2020 Calamos Court in Naperville (www.citygategrille.com) will host
“Giving Hope Through Stories,” which promises to be an evening of inspiration for
those involved in or hoping to become involved in the philanthropic community. The
evening’s program will include cocktails, appetizers, a buffet-style dinner and
dessert, live music, dancing, a 50/50 raffle benefitting present partner
charities, silent and live auctions, and an optional after-hours gathering in a
private room adjacent to Zorba Lounge within the nearby Hotel Arista.

Highlights of the
event include a presentation by David Lacewell, co-founder of The Max Lacewell
Foundation, and event emcee Elliot Richardson. Elliot is the Founder and CEO of
the Small Business Advocacy Council and Board Member of area nonprofit
Childserv. The Max Lacewell Foundation and ChildServ are both charity partners of
I Support Community.

“We’re excited about
the Giving Hope Through Stories event because we will have many representatives
from our charity partners in attendance,” says Marion Ruthig, Founder and
Executive Director of I Support Community. “It’s a great opportunity for
individuals to learn about and connect with these charities, and to help
support our mission.”

Tickets are available
on the I Support Community website, www.isupportcommunity.org, and include
options for VIP admittance or standard event admittance. Information regarding
accommodations at Hotel Arista is also listed on isupportcommunity.org, and a
special rate (while rooms last) is being offered for those attending the event.

“Last year’s event was
a great success,” notes Ruthig; “We’re excited to build on that and maintain the
momentum that we gained in 2013, and continue to grow through 2014.”

About I Support Community:

I Support Community,
founded in 2012, is a Naperville-based not-for-profit organization focused on connecting
people to charities in order to increase giving and volunteerism in their
community. They do this through their website, where each of their charity
partners is featured through video storytelling and their Coffee Campaign Crew
program.

People who want to
donate to or volunteer with local causes often don’t know where to find trusted
information. At the same time, many worthy nonprofits have trouble reaching
potential donors and volunteers because of tight budgets that don’t allow for
marketing. I Support Community offers the perfect solution to these dilemmas.

I Support Community’s
website, www.isupportcommunity.org, features an intuitive interface that  allows a user to browse categories of charities,
watch video stories and either research further or connect to an organization.  “When I had the vision for the I Support
Community website,” explains Ruthig, “I aimed to create an easy-to-use
image-based platform for visitors. Sort of a “Netflix” of nonprofits -- an
intuitive, navigable, enjoyable, and rewarding web experience; easy for anybody
to come and connect.”

I Support Community
also stays connected to its members through its Facebook page and Twitter
account, as well as through its innovative “Coffee Campaign Crew” program.  This program is currently comprised of three
“Crews:”  the After Work Crew and the
Morning Crew, which invites interested adults to gather monthly in
order to learn about partner charities, and spread the message of its mission
and upcoming events and/or opportunities to contribute. The third is the Kids’
Crew, which is designed to expose kids ages 3-12 to a variety of local charitable
organizations so that they develop a broader view of their community.  Information on Crews is available at www.isupportcommunity.org/ccc,
on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ISupportComm, and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/isupportcommunity.