Celebrating Our 20th Anniversary Supporting Students

Thank you for 20 years of support!

Over twenty years ago, The City of Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo Public Schools, and the local Chamber of Commerce determined that the Communities In Schools (CIS) model of integrated student services was a powerful vehicle through which the community could work to empower students to stay in school.

Throughout this school year, we celebrated our 20^th anniversary in a variety of ways, and we are grateful for those who joined us in body and in spirit.  

Thank you for supporting CIS and the children and families we serve. We look forward to building on the foundation and legacy that you have helped us establish. 

Let’s re-visit a few of the events from our 20th anniversary celebrations!

Launching the 20^th Anniversary Celebrations

We joined with founding members of our board, current CIS board members, City representatives, partner organizations, and funders who were original supporters for CIS of Kalamazoo.

20^th Anniversary Gala

This winter, we hosted an evening of celebration for our 20^th Anniversary Gala. The Gala was a joyful time of connection, reminiscing and dancing. Remarks of gratitude and acknowledgement were given from our Executive Director, James Devers, and Board President, Linnaea Thomas, while guests enjoyed beverages and hors d’oeuvres.

If your interested in seeing more photos from the gala, visit our collection here!

20^th Anniversary Thank You Donor Sign

To recognize and honor the donors who made this milestone possible, a commemorative sign that lists every donor since our founding was prepared and hung proudly in our downtown Kalamazoo location. This special representation is a visual confirmation of how our community comes together for kids.

We cannot thank our donor community enough for being a part of our first twenty years. We hope you would plan to visit us and enjoy finding your name among others who have helped make this life-changing work possible.

20^th Anniversary “Family Reunion”

We concluded our year-long celebration with a family reunion style event at the Arcadia Festival Place downtown Kalamazoo. All those who have worked, supported, or been supported by our amazing team over the past 20 years were invited to join—that’s current and former staff, students, parents, partners, donors, volunteers, etc. Over 500 people came out on a beautiful July afternoon to celebrate the past and embark on a new chapter of continued dedication to our kids.

If your interested in seeing more photos from the reunion, visit our collection here!

Thank you to the group of volunteers who served on the planning committee for the 20^th Anniversary Gala and Family Reunion. The members were: Nkenge Bergan, Jane Baas, Artrella Cohn, Tracie Drake, Phillip Hegwood, Dajzon Hughes, Morgan Jones, and Angela Van Heest.

Tags: 20th anniversary, 20th reunion, CIS Gala, Communities In Schools of Kalamazoo, Family Reunion, Thank you Donor sign