Chicago's First Tiny Homes Could House Veterans In Auburn Gresham

CITY HALL — The first permanent tiny homes in Chicago could be built in Auburn Gresham as part of an effort by Catholic Charities to get homeless veterans off the street. Part of the Archdiocese of Chicago, Catholic Charities unveiled plans during a hearing Tuesday at City Hall designed to ex... more

Green Means Go (Toward a Cleaner Community)

From left: Anthony Gordon, Albert Reece, Cheryl Brown, and Hubert Newkirk. They’re impossible to miss. Anyone who lives, works or shops on 79th has seen them. This hard-working troupe of garbage pickers, lawn carers, and object movers does more than pick up trash. Clad in the neon vests th... more

Save it for some Rainy Play

On a hot and muggy day in early August, the Windy City could only manage a slight breeze as Greater Auburn Gresham Development Corporation (GAGDC) Director of Special Initiatives, Norma Sanders and I (GAGDC Assistant Communications Coordinator Ian Grant-Funck) strolled into Westcott Elementary Sch... more

Job Opening! Auburn Gresham GOLD School - Health Coordinator

Click on job description link to download a copy: JOB DESCRIPTION Job Description/Job ANNOUNCEMENT Health Coordinator The mission of the Greater Auburn-Gresham Development Corporation (GADC) is to foster and promote revitalization of the communities th... more

Mayor Emanuel’s Neighborhood Opportunity Fund Opens For Applications This Fall!

The Neighborhood Opportunity Fund is a new grant to help strengthen our commercial corridors on Chicagos South, Southwest and West Sides. The NOF grant cycle will open in the fall of 2017. Have a project that that will help build a stronger commercial corridor in your neighborhood? The Neighborh... 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

Residentes de zonas aledañas al sendero 606 se manifiestan para que protejan viviendas asequibles

Parents Pressure Mayor to Keep Schools Open with TIF Funds

Concerned parents and community leaders joined elected officials for a press conference on Tuesday morning inside City Hall to ask City Council and Mayor Rahm Emanuel support the TIF Surplus Ordinance to keep Chicago Public Schools open past June 1st. TIF funds can provide CPS schools with an esti... more

Fed Up With Gentrification, Latino Teens In Logan Fight Back With Festival

LOGAN SQUARE — Fed up with gentrification in Logan Square, a group of youth leaders organized XingonX, a cultural festival designed to showcase the contributions of Latino residents in the neighborhood — stories they say have been "erased" in recent years. "Were not going to allow deve... more

Piden cambios en la ordenanza 'Welcoming City' con una marcha durante el Domingo de Ramos

Press the photo to see the video Or: http://www.univision.com/chicago/wgbo/noticias/movimientos-sociales/piden-cambios-en-la-ordenanza-welcoming-city-con-una-marcha-durante-el-domingo-de-ramos-video

The Future of Funding

2017 Englewood Quality of Life Business Plan Competition

For competition information contact: Jim Harbin, Coordinator: 773-908-8971 Email: jim.harbin3@gmail.com For Immediate Release $40,000 IN CASH PRIZES SLATED FOR ENGLEWOOD SMALL BUSINESSES AND ENTREPRENEURS Walter Robb, businessman and philanthropist and Teamwork Englewood partner to reward ent... more

Youth Action Council Launch!

Greetings Englewood Community! We are ecstatic to announce the launch of the Englewood Quality of Life Plan Youth Action Council in partnership with Teamwork Englewood and Chicago Cares! This civic leadership initiative is long awaited and we are very happy to be introducing new youth into the ... more

The things we do to survive

Ray Rogers has a second lease on life. On April 11th, 2017, he was released from prison after completing half of a 15-year sentence for a felony charge. Now, at 37, he is taking full advantage of better options to live a life that he never knew existed. “Growing up, I didn’t know any... more

Rock the Beat: Jobs on the Block

This summer, the Englewood Quality of Life Public Safety Taskforce took to the streets to address the needs of some of the neighborhood’s most vigorous crime beats. “Rock the Beat”, promoted positive loitering, a strategy used by community members to let their presence be known. ... more

WPC Announces Resignation of Executive Director

The Board of Directors for the Washington Park Consortium (WPC) announced today that executive director Brandon F. Johnson has resigned to pursue other opportunities. “I am tremendously proud of the strides Washington Park Consortium has made in support and technical assistance to Wa... more

Red Line South Reconstruction Project

Cermak-Chinatown to 95th/Dan Ryan • May 2013 – October 2013 CTA is rebuilding the south Red Line from just north of Cermak-Chinatown to 95th/Dan Ryan. The work will benefit Red Line riders for decades to come—through faster travel times, increased reliability, and spruced-up statio... more

The Crisis of Black Male Joblessness in Milwaukee: Trends, Explanations, and Policy Options

ABOUT THIS REPORT Since the late 1990s, issues surrounding race and employment have been a central research focus at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Center for Economic Development (UWMCED). In a series of reports, the Center has analyzed racial disparities in employment in the Milwaukee regio... more

Alderman Pat Dowell Discusses Her Vote on on the Speed Zone Cameras and the Infrastructure Trust Ordinances

At the two most recent City Council meetings, I cast votes on two ordinances that will affect all residents of the city. I cast a no vote for the ordinance authorizing placement of speed cameras near schools and parks and voted in favor of the Chicago Infrastructure Trust ordinance. (See ordinance ... more

Alderman Willie Cochran Discusses His Vote on on the Speed Zone Cameras and the Infrastructure Trust Ordinances

Greetings to all: Over the last two weeks the City Council has had two matters, Speed Zone Cameras and The Infrastructure Trust that were voted on. These matters have been in discussion for approximately six (6) weeks. Over that period of time thorough discussion were had and questions and ... more

UIC Seeks Breast Cancer Research Study Volunteers

Tuesday, July 16, 2013 Wesley Walker Breast Cancer Survivors Move Forward Moving forward — that’s what researchers at the Institute for Health Research and Policy want to help African American breast cancer survivors do. Moving Forward is also the name of a community-based weight loss ... more

Woodlawn Health and Human Services Community Information Meeting

Tuesday, July 16, 2013 July 15, 2013 Please join the Network of Woodlawn, the Woodlawn Health and Human Services Consortium (WHHC) , and other Woodlawn health and human services providers for a discussion about Woodlawn’s health and human services. Secretary Michelle Saddler, Illinois De... more

Woodlawn Rolls Out Network of Woodlawn's Education Strategy to Community Residents

Wednesday, October 17, 2012 Woodlawn residents, stakeholders invited to participate in community meeting to guide the future of local schools Network of Woodlawn and Woodlawn Children’s Promise Community to host 10/27 meeting, the first in the Future of Woodlawn series (Chicago) … Th... more

Woodlawn Public Safety Alliance Continues to Organize and Pray to Stop the Violence

Tuesday, October 16, 2012 W.Walker The Woodlawn Public Safety Alliance will be leading a prayer vigil and march around the 6300 block of S. Rhodes on Thursday, October 18th from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. The vigil and march is part of a response strategy to call attention to the escalation of youth violenc... more

State of Illinois Invests $2 million towards Decreasing the Digital Divide in South Side Communities

Tuesday, October 16, 2012 Governor Quinn Announces First Winner of Illinois Gigabit Communities Challenge State’s $2 Million Seed Investment Will Jumpstart Fiber Optic and Wireless Network in Mid-South Side Chicago Neighborhoods; Help Create Over 50 Jobs CHICAGO – October 16, 2012.... 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

This website is an archive about LISC Chicago's Neighborhood Sports program, covering work from 2009 to 2011. Learn more about our current work at lisc-chicago.org

This website is an archive about LISC Chicagos Neighborhood Sports program, covering work from 2009 to 2011. Learn more about our current work at lisc-chicago.org

New Hoops in the Hood video

Monday, December 19, 2011 For the last several years, Tu Multimedia, through videos and audio slideshows, has been documenting Hoops in the Hood, the summer basketball program that LISC/Chicago supports in communities throughout the city. Heres the latest.....

Hoops in the Hood

Monday, December 19, 2011

Historic Gately Stadium Reopens
After Sweeping Renovation

Friday, November 11, 2011 Football players from eight public schools and South Side park districts that share decades-old Gately Stadium in Roseland gathered on Oct. 14 to celebrate a renovation that includes a new synthetic turf field, scoreboard, lighting and seating. They were joined just before ... more

From Learn and Earn to Slam and Jam

Friday, November 11, 2011 John McCarron “There’s no time to get in trouble.” If the Near North Unity Project needed a motto this summer, Shelby Tharpe surely nailed it. It was a sticky-hot Friday afternoon and the 13-year-old was conferring with his buddy, Leon Wilbut, near basketb... 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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Sound the Alarm - Save Lives! Has Been Cancelled

For the second year in a row, the Greater Auburn-Gresham Development Corporation is excited to collaborate with the American Red Cross to install FREE 10-year Smoke Detectors within the Auburn Gresham community. WE ARE LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEERS! On Saturday, September 23rd from 8a to 3p we will conve... more

COMED COLLABORATES WITH IIT TO CREATE ONE OF THE FIRST MICROGRID CLUSTERS IN THE WORLD

ComEd is working with the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) on two grants it was awarded from the Department of Energy to develop and test microgrid technology that would support critical public infrastructure. A microgrid is a small power grid that can disconnect from the main grid to ensure ... more

A SOLAR-POWERED PYRAMID RISES IN BRONZEVILLE

Pyramids have been built by civilizations in many parts of the world and now a collaboration between ComEd, a local artist, an art gallery and high school students has brought one to Bronzeville. ComEd’s Solar Spotlight Pyramid, a newly completed piece, is the first permanent artwork to be inc... more

12 years of safe family fun at the 79th Street Renaissance Festival

Wait just one minute--summer is not quite over yet! I mentioned it in a previous postand the time has finally arrived. This Saturday, September 9 and Sunday, September 10, The Greater Auburn Gresham Development Council (GAGDC) will host this year’s 12th Annual 79th Street Renaissance Festival... more

Green Means Go (Toward a Cleaner Community)

From left: Anthony Gordon, Albert Reece, Cheryl Brown, and Hubert Newkirk. They’re impossible to miss. Anyone who lives, works or shops on 79th has seen them. This hard-working troupe of garbage pickers, lawn carers, and object movers does more than pick up trash. Clad in the neon vests th... more

2017 Englewood Quality of Life Business Plan Competition

For competition information contact: Jim Harbin, Coordinator: 773-908-8971 Email: jim.harbin3@gmail.com For Immediate Release $40,000 IN CASH PRIZES SLATED FOR ENGLEWOOD SMALL BUSINESSES AND ENTREPRENEURS Walter Robb, businessman and philanthropist and Teamwork Englewood partner to reward ent... more

The Future of Funding

Shadowgram a new documentary on the African American Community in Chicago South Side

Hi, Have a look to Augusto Contentos new movie Shadowgram about the African American Community in Chicago. www.shadowgrammovie.com I am an Italian documentary producer living in Paris, France and I spent two years working in Chicago on the production of the feature documentary SHADOWGRAM with my c... more

COMED COLLABORATES WITH IIT TO CREATE ONE OF THE FIRST MICROGRID CLUSTERS IN THE WORLD

ComEd is working with the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) on two grants it was awarded from the Department of Energy to develop and test microgrid technology that would support critical public infrastructure. A microgrid is a small power grid that can disconnect from the main grid to ensure ... more

Reserve Your Table for the 2nd Annual Englewood Art Fair!

The 2nd Englewood Art Fair will celebrate the artisans and craftspeople in Englewood on October 28, 2017 from 1pm-5pm at Hamilton Park Cultural Center. Register here or below - https://goo.gl/forms/raR0ej2nDQ9voaVF3 Loading... Do you paint, draw, make ceramics, weave, write, knit, make soap, make... more

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

11th Annual Hoops in the Hood Cross-City Tournament

The Hoops Finals pitted teams from 16 Chicago neighborhoods against each other. Theyd sharpened their skills through the summer, playing games in their communities. Photos by Alonso Alcaraz On August 19, 2017, LISC Chicago hosted the 11th annual Hoops in the Hood Cross-City Tournament at Grant ... more

From Client to Facilitator

Casandra Caldwell in front of the Woodlawn Resource Center on South Cottage Grove Avenue. Photos by Gordon Walek On a recent Friday afternoon at the Woodlawn Resource Center, Casandra Caldwell had a difficult time walking directly from reception to a conference room at the rear of the building.... more

It's Officially Hoops in the Hood Season

Photos by Gordon Walek Summer is finally here, and the opportunities are endless. With a full decade of neighborhood impact, LISC Chicago and community partners are kicking off the 11th annual season of Hoops in the Hood, a sports-based initiative that creates safe spaces for youth to interact a... more

Bridges to Career Opportunities Graduates Start a New Chapter in Life

Brian Bunting received his National Institute for Metalworking Skills training through the Bridges to Career Opportunities program. Photos by Annie Grossinger To commit to reviving your finances or establishing a career takes perseverance and determination. It’s not a quick fix nor is it ... more

No Small Plans on the Southwest Side

Gordon Walek In 2005, at the start of the LISC Chicago New Communities Network, Auburn Gresham, Chicago Lawn and Englewood each created a community-led Quality-of-Life Plan to chart a course for their neighborhood’s future. Over the years, a lot has changed in these three Southwest Side ne... more

Low Wage Workers Forum, TONIGHT 2/11, 6 p.m.

The surge of groups speaking today for low wage workers is unprecedented in Chicago. What do they want? Who are they? What’s likely to happen? Tonight – Tuesday, Feb. 11 at 6 p.m. these workers, the groups that represent them, and the community organizations and others that are standing behind... more

Students promote Martin Luther King’s values

Uplift High students participating in the Peace Ambassadors program will be honored Friday, January 17, 9:30 a.m., at 900 W. Wilson.

The Obama tour

Marking the fifth anniversary of Barack Obamas election as president, Forgotten Chicago is offering a tour of the Chicago sites from Obamas life in Chicago on November 10.

Ames parent mobilize

Ames Middle School parents will canvas the neighborhood Saturday morning to spread the word about community meetings at the school Tuesday at 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Foreclosures and the black community

Author Laura Gottesdiener will discuss her new book, "A Dream Foreclosed: Black America and the Fight for a Place to Call Home," joined by activists from the Chicago Anti-Eviction Campaign and Residents Association of Greater Englewood, on Wednesday, October 30, 6 p.m., at the Center for the Study o... more

Sanders campaign not able to top Clinton in S.C.

By JESSICA COLOPY & NICHOLAUS GARCIA Columbia S.C. ­­– Beverly King was one of the few who cast her vote for U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders in South Carolina’s Democratic Primary Feb. 27. King, who cast her ballot at Hand Middle School, said she’s supported Sanders since before his campaign officially... more

Clinton Wins Big in South Carolina

Nader Alghoul & Elaine Rojas-Castillo  With Super Tuesday looming, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton won her first decisive victory in the 2016 presidential race Saturday. The landslide victory in South Carolina’s Democratic primary marks a turning point for Clinton, who lost handily eig... more

Bernie Sanders rally at Old Water Tower Place draws hundreds

  Bernie Sanders supporters totaling in the hundreds hosted a rally Saturday at Chicago’s Old Water Tower Place in support of the presidential candidate. Socialists Alternative, a national organization, organized the rally, which began Saturday afternoon at Daley Plaza. Carrying signs and... more

Postpartum Psychiatric Illness Remains a Lingering Challenge

Melanie Stokes was a wonderful woman: kind-hearted, and always smiling, said her mother Carol Blocker. “She was joyful, Blocker said. “The only thing she talked about was positive things. When Stokes became pregnant, everything in her life seemed to be in place. She was happy and eager to be a mothe... more

Health Officials Say Zika Unlikely to Spread Through Illinois

Despite reports of three Illinois cases of Zika virus, which is believed to cause birth defects in children, state health officials say the spread of the virus here is very unlikely. “The type of mosquito, Aedes aegypti, that carries Zika virus has rarely been found in Illinois, said Melaney Arnold,... more

Rebuilding Healthy Communities in Rural America

A recent article in Crosswalk Magazine examines the challenges facing low-income rural communities as they attempt to revitalize. Rural areas and small towns face many of the same ills we associate with urban neighborhoods: poverty, disinvestment, job loss and the negative health impacts associated ... more

More Than Storefronts

Murals and colorful awnings can certainly brighten up a commercial street and make it more attractive to residents and visitors, but creative placemaking can be and do so much more. A new publication from LISC, More Than Storefronts: Insights into Creative Placemaking and Community Economic Develo... more

When Disaster Strikes

In the wake of the devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey in Texas, the nation’s thoughts are on how to help storm victims recover. We’ve rounded up some of our prior posts on disaster recovery to share stories and lessons learned from earlier storms. The aftermath of such a destructiv... more

#FlintRevitalizing

In its Community Progress Blog, the Center for Community Progress recently featured a five-part series of stories on resident-led revitalization efforts that are making a difference in Flint, Michigan. With a poverty nearly triple the statewide rate, Flint is the focus of multiple city, state and fe... more

From Pop-Ups to Park Benches

The empty lot, the alleyway, the no-mans-land between other uses…most urban neighborhoods have at least one of those spaces, where there is nothing going on and people don’t feel safe. They may be abandoned by absentee owners, awaiting development that is yet to come, or just the result... more

CAR Good Neighbor Awards

CAR Good Neighbor Awards Congratulations to Developer Karry Young! NSP buildings at 1337 S Central Park in N. Lawndale and 6447 S Yale in Englewood have won this award for 2015, which showcases groundbreaking redevelopment. click here for more detail. NSP buildings at 5520-30 S. Prairie Ave., ... more

New day dawns in Pullman

George Pullman had a couple of good reasons for building his railcar manufacturing plant and workers’ village on Chicago’s far South Side in 1881. One, land was cheaper there than near the city center. And, two, it was so far from downtown that his employees would be isolated from the &l... more

Homebuyer Fair Taps Instinct to Buy

They arrived, often two-by-two, like pilgrims to Mecca, drawn by the dream of homeownership to the soaring architecture of West Pullman’s Kroc Community Center on 119th Street. They came from Back of the Yards, Cicero, Chatham, Humboldt Park, and a handful of other neighborhoods, from one end ... more

In Logan Square and Hermosa, home buyers on the hunt

Vanessa Valentin and James Rudyk aren’t exactly salesmen – they’re respectively a community organizer and executive director for the Northwest Side Housing Center – but they recently demonstrated the art of persuasion while leading a trolley-full of potential home buyers thro... more

NSP: Where it's been, where it's going

Katie Ludwig discussing the Neighborhood Stabilization Program at a public meeting on Chicagos South Side. Gordon Walek Writer Bill Healy recently spoke with Katie Ludwig, an assistant commissioner dealing with foreclosure mitigation in the Chicago’s Department of Housing and Economic Deve... more

Street re-dedication for Nelson Mandela

West Siders are invited to a birthday celebration and tribute 10:30 a.m. July 18 to the South African leader. The event, which will be held at 4800 W. Chicago Ave., is sponsored by state Rep. La Shawn Ford, Westside Health Authority, CBC, West Side Historic Preservation Society, Institute for Nonvio... more

Bike ride for peace

Everyone is welcome Saturday, July 15 for a ride through Austin. Registration begins at 9 a.m. at 5100 W. Harrison Street, with bikers setting off at 10 a.m.

Free lunch Friday at Greater St. John Bible Church

All are welcome for outreach and fellowship on July 14 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 1256 N. Waller Ave.

City awards several Austin businesses grants to improve their properties

The seven - all located along Chicago Avenue, the "Soul City Corridor" - are receiving more than $558,000 out of $5 million being distributed citywide under the new Retail Thrive Zone program.

Discuss how arts, culture can be elevated in Austin

Community development expert Valerie Leonard will be the guest speaker July 12 at Gone Again Travel & Tours, 5940 W. Chicago Ave., as residents continue to discuss how to use blues and soul to develop the West Side.

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