The Christophers Inc

Christopher awards - the christopher awards were created in 1949 by our founder, father james keller, m.m., because he understood that the arts, media, and popular culture had the power to influence millions of people. He realized that when we're exposed to stories that shine a light on our struggles as well as virtues, such as faith, courage, hope, and love, we can become motivated to become better, more selfless people. Therefore, the christopher awards honor books, films and television programs that affirm the highest values of the human spirit. The goal of our awards is to encourage creative artists to pursue excellence in arenas that have the potential to influence a mass audience in a positive way and to encourage readers and viewers to tap into the better side of their human nature by seeing positive examples presented to them in engaging and entertaining ways. The annual christopher awards ceremony is a high-profile media event regularly hosted by a famous tv personality. Recent winners include actor steve guttenberg, who wrote a memoir about being a caregiver for his dying father; actor jonathan roumie, who executive produced a documentary about boys' town founder father edward flanagan; greg kwedar, who directed the film "sing sing" about an arts program that brings hope and rehabilitation into prisoners' lives; holocaust survivor dr. Edith eva eger, whose memoir recalls her time in a concentration camp and how she overcame survivor's guilt to live a fulfilling life helping others; writer/director/producer/actress bonnie hunt, "general hospital" star and mental health advocate maurice benard, olympian and advocate for sexual abuse victims aly raisman, playwright and songwriter lin-manuel miranda, and children's book author and disability advocate anitra rowe schulte. David hemingson, the writer and producer of the christopher award-winning film "the holdovers" wrote to say, "the fact that the christophers have acknowledged 'the holdovers' for its themes of sacrifice, humor and healing means the world to me, since it was based on the relationships that shaped me as a young man. In fact, the screenplay was written as a love letter to my mother, loretta gora hemingson, my father, richard hemingson, and my uncle, earl cahail. I think that my mom - upon whom i based the character of mary - would be particularly touched, since she was a faithful catholic for her entire life. I will cherish my christopher award and endeavor to live up to the spirit in which it is given. And author and humanitarian mark k. Shriver wrote, "growing up, the christophers and the christopher award were well-known in our house. They stood for spreading the good news of the gospel. I was beyond thrilled when both 'a good man: rediscovering my father, sargent shriver and '10 hidden heroes' won christopher awards! Both books were an attempt to elevate and celebrate people who live lives dedicated to feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, sheltering the homeless and visiting those in prisoncaring for others. And that's what the christophers have long done; they have been shining a light in the darkness, inspiring millions of people all across america, and the world. I am so proud to be associated with them!"

Youth ministry - every year, we invite high school students all across the united states - grades 9 through 12--to create a poster that visually interprets the timeless theme, "you can make a difference." using photographs, hand-drawn pictures or images created with the assistance of computer graphics, these pupils work to artistically convey what making a difference in action means to them. At the christophers, we typically receive over 1,000 entries every year, both through our regular mail and via e-mail. Sarah e. Holinski, our youth coordinator, assists with the review process. The students are first notified of their winnings via e-mail, and later receive official letters with their prizes, delivered directly to their home addresses. Our annual video contest for college students is conducted in a similar manner. In this competition, we look for videos that visually portray the belief that one person, one organization, even one simple act of kindness truly can make a difference. The judging process of the video contest is identical to that of our poster contest. We have first, second and third prize winners and, depending on the quantity of submissions that year, anywhere from three to five honorable mentions.first prize in the christophers' 37th annual video contest for college students went to jake gist, a belmont university media production major. He profiled former 5th grade teacher mrs. Linda lyon in his "snap (student power, world inspired) news" report. Mrs. Lyon has "gone from a dedicated teacher [for 37 years] to a school's honored namesake," gist narrates as b-roll of lyon's teaching career plays across the screen. A video testimonial by former pupil, jon bailey, describes mrs. Lyon as "somebody whomeans the world to him and "pours their heart and soul into not just education, but alsoyour[life]." jake gist goes on to say that even though mrs. Lyon has since retired as an educator, her desire to assist the local youth in her community remains as strong as ever, as evidenced by her work with "[lone star] casa (court appointed special advocates)," which was created to help "children that have suffered abuse or neglect."first prize in the christophers' 35th annual poster contest for high school students went to alyssa pontz, a senior at capstone academy in atlanta, georgia. Her poster consists of a photograph of herself and her friend reading to a group of children, demonstrating just how much of a difference one meaningful story can make. In an email to the christophers, alyssa explained, "we created a children's book [titled a guide to butterflies (in your stomach): a book for kids' worries] that focuses on different ways kids can handle their anxieties and worries. [author sophia rose] is an excellent writer, and i had the pleasure of illustrating it, and bringing the characters to life. We had the opportunity to read it in front of a class, and it was magical. Reading [the book] in front of kids was especially enlightening. We got to watch them react as we read and hear their thoughts about the book after. It was a wonderful experience, and i really felt like what we had created made a difference."

Christopher media: radio/podcast - "christopher closeup" highlights individuals in a wide variety of fields who act as positive influences on people around them in small and extraordinary ways. Subjects covered include spiritual solutions to everyday problems, maintaining hope in the face of hardship, and care for the poor. *recent "christopher closeup" guests include actor, author, and emmy award-winner jonathan jackson, author and television host kathie lee gifford; retired astronaut jose hernandez; broadcast journalist luke russert; cnn correspondent john blake; hallmark channel actress and alzheimer's association spokesperson nikki deloach; "inside edition" correspondent and authr megan alexander; "general hospital" star john j. York; childhood cancer survivor and astronaut hayley arceneaux; actress and singer kristin chenoweth; broadcaster, entrepreneur, and advocate for working mothers paula faris; abc news anchor and christopher award-winning children's book author linsey davis; country music legend dolly parton; singer and humanitarian harry connick jr.; "general hospital" star and mental health advocate maurice benard; new york times best-selling author kate bowler; author and anti-poverty advocate mark shriver; actor and humanitarian gary sinise; and actress/humanitarian bonnie hunt. Everyday people who are making a difference are also featured on the program. Recent examples include delaney coyne, a journalist and disability advocate; sister ave clark, who counsels people dealing with traumas; sister caroline tweedy, rsm, executive director of st. John's bread and life soup kitchen and food pantry; deacon ed shoener, co-founder of the association of catholic mental health ministers; elizabeth humphreys, whose nonprofit "mind what matters" offers help and hope to caregivers for alzheimer's and dementia patients; christopher award-winning author anitra rowe schulte, who advocates for children with disabilities; christopher award-winning filmmaker ted green, whose documentary about baseball great carl erskine highlighted his advocacy for racial equality and embrace of children with special needs; sister larraine lauter, founder of the charity "water with blessings," which provides water filters to communities in impoverished countries; and father greg boyle, founder of homeboy industries, which is the largest gang intervention, rehabilitation, and reentry program in the world. The weekly program airs on sirius-xm and numerous other stations. The program is also available as a free podcast through the christophers' blog and websiteand on outlets such as apple podcasts, amazon music, spotify, and stitcher. The modern incarnation of "christopher closeup" continues a tradition started in 1952 by our founder, father james keller, when he began the television version of the show featuring such guests as bob hope, jack benny, bing crosby, mario lanza, art linkletter, and more."christopher minutes" are one-minute public service announcements sent to radio stations nationwide, including sirius-xm's the catholic channel. They provide listeners with inspirational stories and practical advice about staying positive in the midst of adversity. "christopher minutes" are also available on our website.television several classic christopher films from the 1950's air periodically on ewtn. And each year during the christmas season numerous tv stations air christopher sponsored clay-animations for kids consisting of "the first christmas," "the chimes," "michael the visitor, and "martin the cobbler."all our online activities are promoted through facebook and x/twitter.christopher leadership workshops - the christopher leadership program offers workshops to adults. Participants explore life's purpose and challenges, build self-confidence, develop leadership qualities, grow in faith and spirituality, sharpen communication skills, and become more optimistic. We hold an annual weekend leadership workshop at the university of saint mary of the lake, home of mundelein seminary and the school of theology for the archdiocese of chicago. Mundelein is the largest major seminary in the united states and dioceses from around the country send seminarians there for formation. By holding our annual course at mundelein, the christophers participate in building up the next generation of leaders in the church. In our weekend course at mundelein, seminarians and laypeople engage in an invigorating exploration of leadership skills in a relaxed and supportive environment. This popular course continues to change lives and empower the next generation of leaders to improve their communities and remain true to their faith. One recent graduate wrote, "this opportunity is an invaluable gift that changes lives, my own and others. It's inspirational to go out into the world as a light of christ and make a difference. Thank you!!!"pastoralwe recently received a beautiful note from one of our supporters, ann, who wrote: "i first became aware of your organization years ago when i stumbled upon a pamphlet 'live joyfully.' it resonated with me in a profound way and made an impact on the way i look at the world and the situations i'm presented with each day. I shared the wisdom of that pamphlet with my family: 'the greatest honor you can give to almighty god is to live gladly, joyfully because of the knowledge of his love.' almost three years ago, i went through the worst experience of my life and its resultant devastation that i am still recovering from. Your emails have been a source of hope and consolation. Today's email was another spectacular one i will print out and post and send to all my family. Thank you for the work you do. You truly have lit a candle in my darkness."our outreach to those on the front lines of prison ministry remains a vital part of the effort to bring hope and healing to people on the margins of society. Working mainly through prison chaplains, we provide an ever-growing library of reading material thanks to the support of christopher friends. This includes our "three minutes a day" book series, christopher news notes, and a calendar designed especially for those in jails and prisons. Chaplains, as well as prisoners themselves, frequently contact our office to express thanks for the many donated items we make available to them. We share our christopher materials with a broad spectrum of people in need in order to bring the light of god's love to his children who could use a positive message in their lives.