Kingdom Charitable Trust Visit to Trinity Christian College
-Mary (Honey) Mathieu ’27
Clara Acero, Executive Director, and Olivia Bossarte, Program Associate from Kingdom Charitable Trust (KCT), recently visited Trinity Christian College to meet with college leadership and attend presentations by students and entrepreneurs involved in the College’s Community Alliance Program (CAP).
Over the past two years, KCT has partnered with Trinity’s CAP to support businesses in Chicago’s South Side community by hiring skilled Trinity students through stipends and scholarships. This support helps develop these companies in areas such as digital marketing, research, technology, and business administration. The program serves over sixty businesses each academic year, and as awareness of the Community Alliance Program grows, an increase in business involvement is anticipated.
KCT’s mission embraces a holistic approach to philanthropy through partnerships with nonprofit organizations like Trinity Christian College. Their focus is on serving underprivileged groups and communities to promote spiritual development, economic opportunity, community inclusion, and medical outreach. A notable connection between KCT and the College is that the organization’s Trustee and Chairman, Kinny R. Madori, earned a business degree from Trinity in 2012.
Originating out of the Business Department at Trinity, CAP focuses on helping to support local businesses while giving college students real-world paid job experience. Its mission is to connect students with the financial resources of donors and alumni to serve Chicago area low-income and minority businesses and enhance their communities. “The story of the Good Samaritan is at the heart of the program,” according to Professor Sundeep Vira, Dean of the Business Department and Program Manager for CAP, “because Jesus shared this parable as an example of how we should help our neighbors, and this program does just that.”
During their visit, Acero and Bossarte had the opportunity to hear from business owners and students, illustrating the program’s value. This time spent learning from the businesses provided firsthand accounts of their experiences and the collaborative work being done with students to help them earn money to offset their tuition costs.
Entrepreneurs Anthony Lighthall from the Romel Collection and Lauren Mateere, who advises clients on better nutrition, participated in the presentation at Trinity. They shared how access to CAP students allowed them to elevate their businesses, with one student even securing employment with Lighthall’s business upon graduation.
The visit by Clara Acero and Olivia Bossarte not only reinforced the valuable partnership between Kingdom Charitable Trust and Trinity Christian College but also highlighted the profound impact of the Community Alliance Program on both students and local businesses. As entrepreneurs like Anthony Lighthall and Lauren Mateere continue to thrive with the support of dedicated students, the collaboration exemplifies how education and community engagement can work hand in hand to uplift underserved areas.
With a shared commitment to fostering growth, opportunity, and compassion, KCT and Trinity are paving the way for a brighter future, one partnership at a time.
