Common Threads staffers come from varying backgrounds, but share a concern for children, a commitment to positive social change, and a love of good food and the communities food can create and sustain.
Kristen Baxter
Mimi Chacin
Bill Finn
Stephanie Folkens
Eleanor Leichenko
Linda Novick O'Keefe
Jill Reid
Susan Reilly
Justin Smith
Courtenay Strickland
Courtney Turner
Mary Ann Weprin
April Wiencek
Dawn Woollen
Hannah Whitehead
Mary Ann Weprin holds a B.S. in Communications from the University of Tennessee and her Masters in Curriculum and Instruction from Tennessee State University. While in Tennessee, Mary Ann taught high school English. She has always been committed to working with children and helping them reach their potential. Upon moving to Chicago, Mary Ann spent time as a middle school writing teacher. Mary Ann came to Common Threads as a volunteer and now serves as the organizations’ Manager of Volunteer Programs. Mary Ann recruits and trains volunteers for classes and for events. Mary Ann also manages the Common Threads Associate Board. She believes that being in the kitchen with children is one of the best places to connect with children.