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Teachers at Douglas Alternative School are hosting a
fundraiser for Doris Chambers and seven children she took into her home. As we reported in a recent cover story [see
“Lucky number seven,” Oct. 19], Chambers is now legal guardian
to seven siblings she met while working at the Urban League — a fact
that surprised some of her co-workers. The children came to Chambers more
than a year ago, after their father died and their mother was sent to
prison for armed robbery. “Some people are in shock. They didn’t
even know what Doris was doing,” says English teacher Janet
Barkmeier. The fundraiser — from 5-8 p.m. Thursday, Dec.
7, at Thirsty’s Playground, 1975 W. Wabash Ave. — will offer
food, a 50/50 drawing, a holiday dessert sale, a prize raffle, plus live
music and other entertainment. Tickets cost $10, and will be available at
the door. Chambers and the children asked for nothing; in fact,
our story quoted one of the oldest, 16-year-old Marquetta Dickerson,
explaining how satisfied the kids were to be living with Chambers. “We’re not lacking anything. We’ve
got everything we need. We can match up to anybody now,” Marquetta
told IT last
month. “We are happy.”
Nevertheless, some readers contacted Chambers
offering financial gifts and clothing for the kids. But Barkmeier has a
loftier goal in mind: “I’d like her to walk out of this
fundraiser with a year’s worth of utility payments,” she says.
Contact Dusty Rhodes at drhodes@illinoistimes.com.
This article appears in Nov 9-15, 2006.
