Butler-Brooks Family
Fourteen-year-old Michael Brooks has been a member of The Honeycomb Leadership Corp (HLC) for over a year. Designed for teens and parents, the program continues building on leadership skills through service.
“As parents, it makes my husband and I remarkably proud to see our son blossom through a love of service,” says mom Kim. Kim and her husband, Michael, found Honeycomb a few years ago when their son was in sixth grade and they’ve completed close to 15 projects since.
During his first year with Honeycomb, Michael enjoyed the beach cleanups at Chicago’s 63rd Street Beach and projects helping Chicago Furniture Bank, which allows clients to handpick an entire home’s worth of (donated) furnishings for free.
“The furniture bank was an eye-opening experience for Michael…for him realizing how many people didn’t have things to furnish their homes,” says Kim. “He took painstaking care when inspecting the items for use. He was meticulous of selecting and grouping the best pieces together.”
Michael is now the Leadership Corp’s host for the monthly, Brunch & Board Games project, where volunteers prepare brunch and play board games with guests staying at the Guest House in the Illinois Medical District. “He manages the stations and flow of the event,” says Kim. “He enjoys playing board games with others and loves putting smiles on faces. He’s making those relationships and is much more comfortable introducing himself to others and jumping in with ice breakers.”
Michael’s love of service has also carried outside of Honeycomb—into helping at church and school. Kim says, “we’re proud that our son sees himself as a member of the broader community and know he’ll carry this with him forever.”
Outside of attending Honeycomb Project events, the Butler-Brooks family keeps busy. Kimberly is a business development strategist and Michael is a financial client relationship director. Michael Jr. enjoys hanging out with his friends and plays golf and basketball. A freshman in high school, he is active as a Student Ambassador, Peer Academic Tutor, and E-Sports team member. The family lives in Bronzeville and loves playing board games and cooking together…especially breakfast!