Logan Square Resident Helps Nonprofit Close Gap in Programming Demand through Shamrock Shuffle

After School Matters is a nonprofit organization that provides life-changing after-school and summer program opportunities to nearly 16,000 Chicago high school teens every year. Providing programming during the most critical hours of the day and year, After School Matters has made a major impact on teens by helping them achieve success during their high school years and empowering them to dream big.

Although After School Matters reaches thousands of teens each year, with more than 40,000 teen applicants annually for the limited enrollment, there is still a tremendous need to be met. To fill this gap, After School Matters looks for robust ways to fundraise each year and become more visible in the city. As part of this effort, the organization formed TEAM After School Matters two years ago and became an official charity partner of both the Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle 8K and the Bank of America Chicago Marathon.

“When people run the Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle 8K as part of TEAM After School Matters, they don’t do it just because they love to run, but because they’re passionate and care about making Chicago a better place, and more importantly a safer place, for our teens,” said Mark Jamrozek, Logan Square resident and manager of grants, foundations and external relations at After School Matters. “Being the largest provider of after school and summer programming and a part of the solution to Chicago’s youth violence, it’s really important that we are out in the community and visible through efforts like the Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle.”

Team After School Matters is 19 runners strong, more than double its initial number of runners with seventeen runners are staff members.

“They run not because they have to, but because they believe in our mission, the good of our city and the future of our teens,” said Jamrozek. “Everyone here at After School Matters took part in this race for our teens.”

The Bank of America and After School Matters partnership runs much deeper than the Shamrock Shuffle and Chicago Marathon. Since 2002, Bank of America has provided employee volunteer support and is an invaluable champion of the organization’s advanced summer internship program, connecting teens to more than 30 small businesses in Chicago each summer.

“We’re extremely grateful for Bank of America’s continued partnership and the opportunities presented through the Bank of America Chicago Marathon and Shamrock Shuffle,” said Sarah Cutrara, senior development director, After School Matters. “Bank of America’s local leadership has been an integral part in helping provide these opportunities and has been pivotal in helping to shape the vision of our organization.”