TrueQuest Champions the Pope Francis Home Challenge

Do you know about TrueQuest Communications? This award-winning, Chicago-based company is turning 15 this year, and they are celebrating the best way they know how – by giving back to Chicago. 

This December, TrueQuest bundled up, grabbed their hammers, and headed to the Habitat Chicago build site. Publisher/CEO Patrice Tuohy said, “I can’t think of a better way to celebrate TrueQuest’s upcoming 15th anniversary than by giving back to our community”. Patrice has been a true champion of TrueQuest’s effort and involvement with Habitat Chicago, introducing the company to the Pope Francis Home Challenge and encouraging them to not only build for a Chicago family, but to raise the funds that make their home possible. 

Patrice had a little inspiration herself – construction of the Pope Francis house was started by an anonymous donor so inspired by the works and social justice convictions of Pope Francis that they wanted to do more.  This anonymous donor granted Habitat Chicago $60,000 to start a home – but there was a challenge: bring Chicagoans together as one, across beliefs and faith communities, to raise a dollar-for-dollar match to the donor’s contribution and build this home.  

Driven to honor Pope Francis, to provide a unifying experience for Catholic and non-Catholic volunteers, and to further Habitat’s mission, this anonymous donor has greatly inspired others. Patrice took one look at this challenge and jumped right on board, bringing anyone who would listen along, “The Catholic Church declared 2016 a Holy Year of Mercy… What better time to respond to the Pope Francis Home Challenge”. 

TrueQuest didn’t stop at just one build day or just a single dollar raised – they’ve been out on site two times in only two months, moving construction of the Powers family home forward with great steam. In combination with their builds, Patrice and her team have raised nearly $5,000 to see that this family has a safe and decent home to live in long after they walk off the build site What more? Patrice has extended Habitat’s reach, bringing new faces and eager hands to this mission in Chicago. 

Just as Patrice has been inspired by the Pope Francis Home Challenge and by our anonymous donor, we have been so inspired by the devotion and passion of Patrice and the whole TrueQuest team.