About 100 women gathered Friday night, Jan. 9, at Flossmoor Community House and, within an hour, raised $11,200 for a local youth organization.
The money went to You Matter 2, selected during the second meeting of 100+ Women Who Care – South Suburbs, a giving circle founded by Carrie Bonanotte.
“I’m so glad to see you all,” Bonanotte said, looking out at the packed room. “It’s wonderful to see so many women here.”
She explained the structure simply. One representative from each nonprofit gives a five-minute pitch, followed by brief questions. Then the group votes and writes checks.
“At our first meeting, we were able to give over $10,000 to the Center for Food Equity and Medicine,” Bonanotte said.
Catherine Bonanotte, a cousin of Carrie’s who attended the meeting, said the format was part of the appeal. The entire process fit into about an hour, which she described as “very accommodating to people’s schedules.”
That first donation brought Ann Jackson back to the room. Jackson, the founder of the Center for Food Equity and Medicine, said the funding helped stabilize the organization heading into the holidays.
“What the gift did for us was it gave us financial security,” Jackson said. The support allowed the organization to increase by nearly 40% the number of families served at Thanksgiving compared to 2024.
Three organizations were selected to pitch on Friday night: Jones Memorial Community Center, Faithful Meals In Motion, and You Matter 2.
Jones Memorial Community Center talked about its summer camp for children in Ford Heights and Chicago Heights. The center has been around since 1917. Even during extreme heat without air conditioning, she said, “everyone remained cheerful and pleasant.”
Faithful Meals In Motion works with individuals and families across the area to help meet basic needs, including food and essential supplies.
As ballots were tallied, several attendees stood to speak.
Kisha McCaskill, 5th District Cook County Commissioner, addressed the room encouraging nonprofits to pursue funding opportunities and pointing to recent changes in grant eligibility.
“We’re doing the work,” McCaskill said, “but we haven’t always had a seat at the table.”
When the votes were counted, You Matter 2 came out on top.
The organization was founded by Destiny Watson at age 16 while she was a student at Homewood-Flossmoor High School. What began as a way to get her peers involved in service grew quickly.
Watson’s work caught the attention of Magic Johnson, who paid for her college education at the University of Dayton, where she earned a degree in human rights.
When asked how she felt, Watson said, “So grateful.”
Now based in Flossmoor, You Matter 2 serves students in grades 6 through 12 through leadership development, academic support and community service programming. Its work includes large-scale events such as the Homewood-Flossmoor Juneteenth celebration and MLK Day of Service.
The organization later acknowledged the donation in a Facebook post.
“We’re incredibly honored and grateful,” Watson wrote. The $11,200 raised, she said, will support youth programs that create “safe spaces, meaningful experiences and opportunities that empower young people to grow, lead and believe in their potential.”
“It’s a very small time commitment for a really big impact,” said Rita Haleem, who attended the meeting with Jodi Kentner after hearing about the group through a friend.
Around the room, women compared notes on businesses, nonprofits and new ideas. Phone numbers were exchanged, and conversations lingered.
