Artisan loves to give back…and we’re continuing our efforts this holiday season by accepting toy and gift donations to underprivileged children who find refuge within the walls of Aunt Martha’s. Aunt Martha’s is a health and human services provider and a beacon of light and hope for countless children, families, and communities across Chicago.

With over 25 locations across the Chicago area, Aunt Martha’s provides housing and shelter, access to doctors, and juvenile justice services to over 80,000 individuals and families on a yearly basis. We are honored to be collecting toys for these deserving children. If you’re interested in dropping off a toy donation, you can bring a new, unwrapped toy to our Chicago office at 216 South Jefferson, Suite 202.

A special thank you to Artisan’s Veronica Ludwig who found this unique donation opportunity through Twitter connections and conversation. Social media plays fantastic roles in keeping us connected and also helps those in need. We are grateful for the opportunity to assist people and we hope to make these children’s holidays a bit brighter this year. You can track the progress of our gift drive on Artisan’s Facebook and Twitter pages.

50 beautiful, creatively decorated and wrapped gift boxes held much needed food, goods, and even niceties like candles and lotion to comprise the 1,000 total gift boxes donated each year. These boxes deliver not only necessities of life but good tidings to those less fortunate. That was 50 tangible results. But the camaraderie, the connections of our hands united in good doings-those results are what sustains a community even when times are difficult.

Our sincere thanks and appreciation extends to every single guest and contributor of Artisan’s 2009 MTGB. We are so fortunate to have assembled the best of Chicago’s creative community. Our reputation of representing the best creative talent in Chicago is a direct reflection of you and the relationships you help us build. We all sincerely enjoyed this year’s MTGB and know that the other 50 people directly impacted across many different communities are happy because of your efforts, too. Thank you for making the evening such a huge success.

Artisan talent representative Suzanne Shannon graciously opened her dramatic south loop loft space to accommodate our guest list. Suzanne masterfully handled all location and party arrangements to make this event a success. She coordinated delivery of enough canned goods through the folks at Pilsen’s La Casa Del Pueblo to fill 50 boxes; arranged space for the packing and box decorating activities; coordinated the menu, food, and drink preparation for our guests; divided her loft space into conversational, mingling, and work stations; and coordinated the delivery of the 50 packed boxes via a U-Haul van to Mercy Hospital. The boxes were delivered to the individuals on Saturday morning, December 12 via volunteers associated with Mercy Hospital’s Christmas Basket Program. Chef Nikki Stenger and her team of sous chefs prepared delicious appetizers including deviled eggs with smoked sea salt and white truffle oil; roasted barbeque pulled-pork sandwiches on home-made buttermilk biscuits; grilled southern style cornbread with sage butter; and mini grilled cheeses with roasted roma tomato,onion, garlic and sriracha bisque. For dessert, Nikki and her team created mini lemon squares, espresso brownies, and fresh pecan pies. We drank cider and Tequila-spiked hot cocoa—what a fun evening!

It’s what we do best whether at work or play: Match Talent with Success. Our 2009 holiday party was no exception. 2008’s holiday party, “The Match that Gives Back” donated $20,000 in design resources to a deserving charity. How could we top that this year? We partnered up with our creative talent and clients to decorate and fill 50 boxes to bring holiday cheer along with everyday necessities to homebound patients of Mercy Hospital’s Christmas Basket Program.

Talent who’ve worked with Artisan over the past year along with selected clients and guests teamed up to pack food and gift items while mixing and mingling with peers in an incredible south loop loft provided by Artisan talent representative Suzanne Shannon. The boxes contained much-needed food and canned goods along with gift contributions from our talent and the commerce community of Chicago. Our heartfelt thanks extend to Edison Giles, a freelance art director who has worked with Artisan throughout the years, for partnering Artisan with Michele S. Levitt & Associates. Her unique boutique contributed over $300 in merchandise including beautiful soaps, candles, and lotions. These beautiful gifts certainly will help lift the recipients’ spirits; most who live alone and can find Christmas to be a very lonely time.

Many other freelancers and clients went out of their way to drop off gifts for the baskets to our office the morning of the party. The holiday spirit is certainly alive and well despite the economy. The graciousness and kindness we witnessed both during the planning stages of the party and during the event itself were truly heartwarming!