White Sox fans have a lot more than just opening day to look forward to – they also have the opportunity to apply for assistance for themselves or someone in their community facing a hardship or crisis. Guaranteed Rate’s Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Victor Ciardelli, officially welcomed them into the Guaranteed Rate Foundation family via an announcement today.
“The goal of the Guaranteed Rate Foundation is to provide relief for people facing dire circumstances where we can make a huge impact in helping them recover or get back on their feet,” said Ciardelli. “We want to ensure the White Sox community is aware of the Foundation and knows that we are here as a resource.”
The Guaranteed Rate Foundation has provided support to hundreds of people since its inception five years ago – and the recipients will be the first to tout the positive impact the Foundation made in their lives.
“I reached out to Guaranteed Rate to refinance our home so we could make renovations to the house for my 12-year-old son, Liam, who has muscular dystrophy and uses a wheelchair,” says Kerry McNicholas. “To my complete surprise, I was put in touch with the Guaranteed Rate Foundation which offered to pay for the $15,000 worth of modifications needed to give Liam access to a bedroom and bathroom on the first floor. The Foundation has absolutely changed the quality of our lives and we’re so grateful. Liam is a huge Chicago sports fan so the partnership between Guaranteed Rate and the White Sox makes this gift even more special to him.”
Liam McNicholas needed access to a first floor bedroom and bathroom.
Foundation recipient Cynthia Lewis, whose youngest son underwent several heart surgeries by the age of three, notes that the Foundation gave her family more than just financial assistance by covering their rent for a year, it restored their hope. “It’s not just a financial thing but also to know someone else cares and they empathize with what you’re going through,” she said. “The Foundation provided light at the end of the tunnel; Guaranteed Rate gave us hope again.”
Hakeem Batts underwent several heart surgeries as a young boy.
The Foundation also collaborates with other organizations to identify those in need of help. For example, it recently partnered with the Common Pantry to help a mother and her four children who escaped an abusive situation in another state and relocated to Chicago. The Foundation provided the necessities to get them settled into their new home including bedding, clothes, groceries, car seats and childcare supplies.
For the public who would like to contribute to the Foundation either by attending the annual BBQ, Bourbon and Blues fundraiser or donating cash directly, they can rest assured their money will be well spent. “Every single penny donated goes to assist someone in desperate need of help,” says Ciardelli. “Guaranteed Rate covers 100 percent of all of the Foundation’s expenses.”
As for the White Sox, they welcome this new development.
“The White Sox have a strong commitment to giving back as does our partner Guaranteed Rate,” says Brooks Boyer, senior vice president of sales and marketing. “We share Guaranteed Rate’s passion for making Chicago a better place to live, work and play. This is a wonderful way to stretch our collective impact of doing good in the community to more people in Chicago.”
For more information on the Guaranteed Rate Foundation or to apply for assistance, visit Rate.com/Foundation. You can also learn more by taking a look at the videos below.
