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SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The members of the Senate of the State of Illinois
3 learned with regret of the death of Gloria J. Jenkins of
4 Chicago on January 3, 2006; and
 
5     WHEREAS, Born and reared in Chicago, Mrs. Jenkins became
6 interested in social work when she started working for Chicago
7 Youth Centers (CYC) in 1965 as a bookkeeper; during her tenure
8 with CYC, she worked as a bookkeeper, secretary, and a group
9 worker; as a group worker, she implemented the "Gun Moll"
10 program for girls who were members of gangs and usually carried
11 weapons for their boy friends; and
 
12     WHEREAS, She was responsible for working with a minimum of
13 15 teen girls, 14 to 18 years of age, teaching etiquette,
14 poise, home economics, and structured sports, including
15 softball and volleyball; during evenings and weekends, she
16 continued her education on a part-time basis; while carrying
17 out her responsibilities as a group worker, she realized that
18 this was the field of work she loved most; and
 
19     WHEREAS, During the late 1960s, Mrs. Jenkins attended
20 numerous workshops and training sessions sponsored by the
21 National Training Laboratory (NTL) and worked with her husband,
22 Ernest Jenkins, and Del Jay Kinney of George Williams College,
23 Center for Continuing Education; in this collaboration, they
24 conducted human relations training for employees of major
25 corporations and institutions throughout the Chicagoland area;
26 and
 
27     WHEREAS, She joined the staff of the YMCA of Metropolitan
28 Chicago in 1971 and held several positions, including
29 secretary, program associate, and program executive, prior to
30 becoming the executive director of Urban Programs West YMCA in
31 1982, where she served in that capacity until November 1993;

 

 

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1 and
 
2     WHEREAS, Mrs. Jenkins was a founding member of the Westside
3 Association for Community Action (WACA) and was a board member
4 from the inception (1971) until November 1993, when she
5 accepted the position of Executive Director; during this time,
6 she continued to work with at-risk youth; and
 
7     WHEREAS, She was a 1982 graduate of Governors State
8 University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts, with a major
9 in business and a minor in social work; she was a member of the
10 Cook County State's Attorney African American Advisory
11 Committee, Governors State University Alumni Association, and
12 a former president of the Hoffman Estates Chapter of The Links,
13 Inc., an international organization of over 10,000
14 African-American women whose mission is to provide community
15 service in their respective communities; and
 
16     WHEREAS, The passing of Gloria J. Jenkins has been deeply
17 felt by many, especially her husband, Ernest, and her
18 daughters, Corene and Lola; therefore, be it
 
19     RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL
20 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of
21 Gloria J. Jenkins, and we extend our sincere condolences to her
22 family, friends, and all who knew and loved her; and be it
23 further
 
24     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
25 presented to her family as an expression of our deepest
26 sympathy.