Auburn Gresham "Sounds The Alarm" With the American Red Cross

"What an absolutely great time we had installing 428 FREE 10-year smoke alarms in 141 homes!!!," says Linda Johnson, the GAGDC project team lead for the volunteer event. Great job to Greater Auburn Gresham Development Corporation (GAGDC) staff, Newkirk, Cheryl, Albert, Ricky, Raoul, Anthony, Larr... more

Fresh Moves is Looking for Drivers!

Urban Growers Collective is lookling is looking for Fresh Moves Outreach CDL Driver. Help us pass the word. See job description attached. Click this HERE to download the flyer or on the job description below. About Urban Growers Collective Urban Growers Collective (UGC) was founded by Laurell ... more

No small plans for 62-acre South Loop site along Chicago River

Renderings show the proposed plans for Chicagos newest neighborhood, The 78. (Related Midwest) A developer has taken the wraps off one of the most ambitious real estate projects ever conceived i... more

The Makings of a Strong Partnership: Chicago Cares and LISC Chicago

In 2017, Chicago Cares, the city’s number one provider of impact volunteerism and corporate volunteer activation, and Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) Chicago the local office of the nation’s leading community development support organization, joined forces to acceler... more

Big Green Learning Space Comes to AG Gold School

Scott Joplin Elementary is an AG Gold School located in Auburn Gresham at 7927 S. Honore Street Chicago, IL 60620 Thanks to the nonprofit Big Green students at Scott Joplin Elementary will get an opportunity to have extra hands-on learning experiences. Volunteers, parents, teachers and civic l... more

Lawsuit targets Berrios over biased residential assessments in Cook County

Cook County Assessor Joseph Berrios appears before the county board to answer questions raised by a Tribune investigation of property tax rates on July 18, 2017. A group of public-interest lawyers filed a lawsuit Thursday alleging that embattled Cook County Assessor Joseph Berrios vio... more

How Can We Keep Neighborhood Investments From Causing Displacement?

Leaders discussed this challenge at "A Catalytic Moment" TOD Symposium Marisa Novara, Geoff Smith, Juan Carlos Linares, Krysta Pates, Tyrrone Soudemire. Photo: John Greenfield Today local leaders gathered to discuss the potential for new development near transit stations to have a positive in... more

CPS Set To Hike Property Taxes $177 A Year On Most Homeowners

Ald. George Cardenas (12th) — along with a half-dozen community groups including the Brighton Park Neighborhood Council, Logan Square Neighborhood Association and Parents 4 Teachers — called for the City Council to dip into redevelopment funds and tax big firms to fund schools. View Fu... more

12 More Ways To Help Hurricane Victims In Puerto Rico, Mexico

Puerto Rico National Guard members assisting communities as Puerto Ricans try to get to their homes after Hurricane Maria hit. (Photo by Sgt. Jose Ahiram Diaz-Ramos/PRNG-PAO) View Full Caption Flickr/Puerto Rico National Guard CHICAGO — Locals havent stopped raising money for disaster victim... more

Youth Rally Blocks The 606 To Keep Anti-Gentrification Ordinance On Track

The march started on the steps of Humboldt Park Methodist Church, 2120 N. Mozart St., where youth leaders like Ashley Galvan Ramos, 18, gave impassioned speeches about how Logan Square "doesnt feel like home anymore" now that gentrification has taken hold. View Full Caption DNAinfo/Mina Bloom ... more

Teamwork Englewood 2017 Spotlight

We are proud to present the TWE 2017 Spotlight. This report showcases the hardwork and dedication of the Teamwork Englewood staff, and the relentless committment of the Greater Englewood community members. Inside, you’ll find highlights of our impressive departments, testimonials from stak... more

EWI & KKC Collaboration for "Unity Day"

On Unity Day, Wednesday, January 17, 2018 from 11:00am-2:30pm Kennedy-King College (KKC) and Teamwork Englewood in association with Chicago Foundation for Women will launch the inaugural “Clearing the Roadblocks” event. The collaboration supports the Englewood Women’s Initiativ... more

Englewood Quality of Life Plan II Celebrates Its One Year Anniversary

On Saturday December 2nd 11AM-12:30PM, at Volunteers of America (6002 S. Halsted), the Englewood community will celebrate the one year anniversary of the Englewood Quality of Life Plan (EQLP). In April 2015, Englewood residents celebrated the 10th Anniversary of the 2005 Englewood Quality of Life Pl... more

Englewood Business Plan Competition Makes Accommodations for Entrepreneurs

The Englewood Quality of Life Plan (EQLP) Jobs and Economic Development (JAED) Taskforce is happy to announce that out of 145 Englewood Business Plan Competition (BPC) applications, 22 entries have been selected to advance to the second phase of the competition. In this next phase, all entries wil... more

Englewood Women's Initiative: Supporting Veterans

Are you a women veteran living in Englewood looking for pathways to success and economic security? If you are, the Englewood Womens Initiative or "EWI" is for you. Women veterans living in Englewood, recognized for honorably serving our nation, are invited to a special EWI session on Wednes... more

Claretian Associates is Looking for an AmeriCorp Vista

Member Duties : The VISTA will 1) research and assist with applications for private and public funding sources for housing and social programs. 2) Evaluate Claretian Associates existing programs and learn best housing practices in Chicago-area special needs housing. 3) Develop materials for tenant s... more

CeaseFire Rally Cries, "Save Our Funding"

Monday afternoon, Claretian Associates’ Ceasefire (Cure Violence) team participated in the rally at city hall to save Ceasefire funding. With $2.8 million in frozen funding, the South Chicago team demonstrates how essential the program is to the community. In a recent interview with a CeaseFir... more

Community Assessment for Early Childhood Services

Claretian Associates is partnering with Metropolitan Family Services and many other community organizations to develop an Early Childhood Network in support of AOK. AOK (All Our Kids) Network is a group of agencies that work with families with young children to make sure that families get the servi... more

Claretian Associates is Partnering with I Am We to South Chicago Youth!

Message from I Am We Executive Board Member, Latisha Thomas I Am We has partnered with Claretian Associates to offer visual and digital storytelling to youth living in South Chicago. We are excited about this endeavor to fill a gap where youth have limited access to art, literacy development, ment... more

Claretian Associates is Looking for a Youth Media Team!

Claretian Associates is searching for a few motivated local youth who are between the ages of 15-21 and would like to learn about film production, create press releases, write blogs, and create engaging social media content to feature on our website and social media platforms. These three youth wi... more

Help support WINGS Metro, domestic violence victims

WINGS Metro is slated to open on February 14, just a few shorts weeks away. They will be providing interim housing to those fleeing domestic violence situations. WINGS is still in need of items before the big opening and is asking the community for support. If you or someone you know is able to don... more

IMAN puts out proposal for Healthy Marketplace Campaign

IMAN is converting a local corner store and neighboring commercial space at 63rd and Racine into a Healthy Marketplace with two businesses. The two businesses will be a small scale grocery and an adjacent establishment aligned with the mission of providing healthy options for the consumer. Learn... more

Cutting Corners for Chanel and Cartier

Asha had worked a string of jobs ranging from admin assistant, to photographer, to pre-K art teacher. She’d taken some career courses at City Colleges. However, the opportunity to find a career path that provided both job satisfaction and the wage she needed as a single mother to support her ... more

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The Truth About Your Evening Nightcap

Having an after-work beer or an evening glass of wine to help de-stress and wind down for a good night’s sleep – even occasionally – may not be the best idea, according to a recent study on alcohol consumption and its effects on the quality of our sleep. After reviewing the heart ... more

Chicago State University Board of Trustees Name Zaldwaynaka Scott as the 25th President of the University

The Chicago State University Board of Trustees today announced Zaldwaynaka Scott as the 25th President of the University. Scott will bring 30 years of leadership, management and legal experience to Chicago’s oldest public university, which includes 5 colleges offering 38 undergraduate and 30 ... more

GED Class Orientation, Scott Joplin Parent University, May 11th!

GED Classes are being held at Auburn Gresham GOLD School, Scott Joplin Elementary School. Classes start next Tuesday May 15th, be sure to sign up today! GED Classes are being held at Scott Joplin Elementary School. The free Classes, provided by Kennedy King College start next Tuesday May 15th, fro... more

ComEd Customers Have Saved More Than $3 Billion by Making Smarter Energy Choices

CHICAGO (April 30, 2018) – Every one of ComEd’s more than 4 million customers could put about $15 toward groceries every week for a year with the money they have saved thanks to the company’s energy efficiency program. That’s more than $3 billion total since the program start... more

Big Green Learning Space Comes to AG Gold School

Thanks to the nonprofit Big Green students at Scott Joplin Elementary will get an opportunity to have extra hands-on learning experiences. Volunteers, parents, teachers and civic leaders joined Joplin students for a ribbon cutting that marked the opening of their very own learning garden classroom.... more

How to Contribute to the Englewood Portal

All contributions are welcome. Luckily, making a contribution to the Englewood Portal is easy. Follow these steps and youll be on your way!

Time to Get FRESH Englewood – Apply for the Healthy Food Access Grant!

Whole Cities Foundation and the Resident Association of Greater Englewood (R.A.G.E.) have partnered for a third year to increase healthy food access. Nonprofit organizations serving Greater Englewood can now apply for a $2,000-$8,000 grant for projects that grow the local food system! This opp... more

Grant Opportunity - Submit a LOI for the Englewood Quality of Life Fund

As many of you know, our community raised over $50,000 in 2017 for the Englewood Quality of Life Fund. Since that time, we have supported various projects throughout the Englewood community. Today, the Englewood Fund Advisors are proud to announce that we seeking Letters of Intent from you! If your ... more

Call for Artists for 2018 So Fresh Saturday Tour

Hit the Stage at So Fresh Saturdays this year! If you are a local artist, dance group, choir, poet or if you manage local artists, we would love for you to be a part of So Fresh Saturdays, hosted by the R.A.G.E - Resident Association of Greater Englewood! So Fresh Saturdays is a community dri... more

Exclusively Us Senior Celebration

Age Friendly Englewood Village Presents: Exclusively Us Senior Celebration with live music by DJ Chico, Free Food, Entertainment and Games, Saturday: May 19th 9am-3pm Location: 63rd/Halsted For More Information: 773-609-4863

June 2nd Registration Deadline Approaching for City Colleges of Chicago’s Summer 2017 Term

Chicagoans who want a quality, affordable education to prepare for further college or career can register now for the 2017 Summer Term at City Colleges of Chicago, the largest community college system in Illinois. One of the seven city colleges, Wright College has a location in Humboldt Park at 1645... more

Engaging community through conversation

Bickerdike welcomed 11 guests for dinner and discussion as part of an On The Table event on May 17, 2017. Held each year in May, On The Table is a special initiative of the Chicago Community Trust (CCT); it is designed to promote community building and the sharing of ideas among diverse groups as th... more

Complete a Health Survey, Earn $40 Visa Giftcard

Researcher Kiarri Kershaw, PhD is conducting a survey on how women use their environment, available resources, and each other to choose the foods they eat. Access to healthy food is a public health issue, but previous research on whether or not improving access to healthy foods improves eating beha... more

Team Hope

As an adult education instructor, many times my classes will present a “first time ever” experience to me. Sometimes it’s things like – first time I raised my voice, first time NO ONE was prepared for their presentation, etc. But with the Wood Products Manufacturing Class w... more

McTeacher’s Night at Western Ave. McDonald's for Roberto Clemente Community Academy

Roberto Clemente Community Academy of CPS held their first McTeacher’s Night at the McDonald’s on Western in Chicago, on Thursday, May 18. A McTeachers Night is organized to help raise money for local schools by having teachers work at McDonalds and then giving a percentage of the nights... more

Three more portals for Smart Communities

The three Southwest neighborhoods in Chicagos Smart Communities program launched their portals yesterday, creating a wide new avenue for interaction among residents, businesses and organizations.They are works in progress, with some empty spaces yet to fill, but already the portals offer new stories... more

Peirce on Daley

Syndicated state and local government columnist Neal Peirces recent summary of Mayor Daleys legacy on the Citistates site will seem fawning to Daleys critics. There is only a brief mention at the end about patronage and corruption, and no mention at all about the privatization controversies that hav... more

Preview: Humboldt Park Launches Its Portal

Its still a work in progress, according to the team that made it happen, but the Humboldt Park Portal, a day after its "soft" launch, looks pretty good to me. It features a nice selection of stories from various contributors and organizations, a packed calendar (Movies in the Park, Jens Jensen birth... more

Take a Tour of Pilsen - by Video or Phone

Weve written here before about how neighborhoods are using multimedia tools to promote their work and their neighborhoods, but couldnt have imagined, even six months ago, how far the groups would come, and how fast.Audio slideshows are now available for 10 neighborhoods as part of the Chicago Commun... more

Front-Yard Signs Call Out Banks on Foreclosures

Southwest Organizing Project (SWOP) is "naming names" of banks that are foreclosing on properties on Chicagos Southwest Side, where 7,300 foreclosures have been filed over two years in four area ZIP Codes. The bank names are prominently featured on yard signs that say "Deutsch Bank (or Citibank or J... more

Casa Queretaro, Lake Village East among Winners of Chicago Neighborhood Development Awards

Casa Queretaro will be receiving first place for the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Award for Architectural Excellence in Community Design at the upcoming 24th Annual Chicago Neighborhood Development Awards (CNDA). Gabriel Ignacio Dziekiewicz said he hoped Casa Querétaro would help to def... more

LISC’s Quality-of-Life Planning Bettering Neighborhoods throughout Chicago

Attracting new businesses to West 79th Street is a mission for Carlos Nelson, executive director of the Greater Auburn-Gresham Development Corporation (GAGDC), and his associate, Nicole Wheatly. Renovation of a four-story building just west of Halsted Street is expected to begin later this year. G... more

Micro Market Recovery Program Revitalizes Blocks Across Chicago

Anthony and Michelle Johnson and their children in front of the two-flat in the 700 block of North Spaulding Avenue that they purchased through the citys Micro Market Recovery Program (MMRP). They live in the lower portions of the house and rent out the top floor. Photos by Gordon Walek In 2012... more

Catalyzing Change Through Empty Lots on Chicago’s South Side

In Englewood, vacant lots have become beacons of opportunities. An opportunity that isn’t without difficulty and hardship. An opportunity that requires determination, vision and, most importantly, collaboration. Since 2016, Englewood residents have been able to purchase vacant City of Chicago... more

Evelyn’s Food Love Uses LISC Small Business Loan to Bring Hip New Restaurant to Washington Park

Evelyn Shelton realized her ambition to open a Washington Park restaurant, thanks in part to a LISC Small Business loan. Photos by Gordon Walek Evelyn Shelton wants to revitalize Washington Park one triple chocolate chip pancake at a time, and a substantial LISC Small Business loan is allowing ... more

Communities for Healthy Food: The Toolkit

LISC NYC launched its Communities for Healthy Food initiative in 2014 with funding from The Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund. LISC NYC provided grants, peer learning, training and technical assistance to help community organizations implement healthy food access initiatives. Their goal was to weave... more

Year 15 Stories (Recorded Webinar)

Year 15 can present challenges to even the most seasoned affordable housing veterans. The refinancing process is complex and every project approaches Year 15 with a unique set of circumstances. In this webinar, CHAM spoke to affordable housing developers and others who have been through the Year 15... more

Affordable Housing 101 (Recorded webinar)

This recent webinar, presented by Ballard Spahr LLP and CSG Advisors, provides a comprehensive overview of the basics of affordable housing: what it is, who needs it, and how it gets built. The presenters – Tanya Dempsey of CSG Advisors, Amber Mohr of Ballard Spahr and Melissa Thate from the C... more

LISC and Urban Institute Host In-Depth Discussion of Tax Bill

On April 18, Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) and the Urban Institute hosted a policy discussion to examine the likely impacts of the 2018 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) on the resources policymakers and practitioners depend on to help close the opportunity gap for low- to moderate-income ... more

Defending Your Town Against Zombies

“Zombie” properties, unlike other vacants, are those for which foreclosure proceedings have been initiated, but for a variety of reasons, never completed. Because the owners and lien-holders can be difficult to locate and hold accountable, the properties can languish as vacants for year... more

CPS seeks input from West Siders

Chicago Public Schools is holding a town hall meeting with CPS CEO Janice Jackson on May 24 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Michele Clark High School, 5101 W. Harrison.

Cleanslate brings $300,000 beautification investment to 29th Ward

The initiative, funded by six sponsor families, will employ individuals to improve city areas with work like litter abatement, landscaping, graffiti removal and more over the next three years.

Monday is deadline for youth to apply for summer jobs

Youth ages 14 to 24 can apply online through May 21.

World Vision to host run for clean water this weekend

La Grange Park pastor Tim Hoekstra will join Austin residents as they participate in Saturdays World Vision 6k - which is roughly the distance many living in Africa must walk to get clean water.

Free community shred day Saturday

29th Ward residents can bring up to five boxes of paper documents and watch them get shredded, assuring their personal information doesnt get into the wrong hands. Ald. Chris Taliaferro is sponsoring the event, which will be held in at the parking lot at 1606 N. Mobile Ave. from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. May... more

Measuring an Era

Demond Drummer wasn’t at all shocked to get such a heartfelt endorsement of the impact of what he teaches as the tech organizer at Teamwork Englewood. But how it was delivered was a bit of a surprise. One afternoon, while walking down the street in Englewood, one of his former students from a... more

Job Search 2.0

A hard-working student at Kennedy-King College in Englewood, Gabrielle Thompkins has turned to the Smart Communities program in a lot of ways. Help finding a job is just the most recent example. Thompkins is one of thousands of residents in the five Smart Communities who’ve taken computer tra... more

Report: Web Use Way Up in Smart Communities

Residents participating in LISC Chicagos Smart Communities program are using high-speed Internet more frequently, but greater access to affordable broadband at home remains an issue for at-risk communities, according to new research released by Broadband Illinois. The "Measuring Change in Internet ... more

Small, Smart and Ready

At Reciclarte Studio, Leticia Rodarte’s art gallery on Ashland Avenue, almost everything for sale is made from recycled materials, much of it by Rodarte herself. It’s a fun, funky kind of store—the type of place that brings in visitors from across Chicago to Pilsen. But Rodarte k... more

Lessons for Life

It’s yet another mercilessly hot July day in Chicago—the temperature hovers at 94 degrees outside—yet class is in session. More than a dozen local residents are sitting at computer workstations in Englewood’s FamilyNet Center at Kennedy-King College for a free, 90-minute co... more