West Side United provides funds to small businesses in the community briefly

CHICAGO TREASURER’S OFFICE HOSTS FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS TO ENHANCE THEIR ACCESS TO FINANCIAL SERVICES

To ensure that faith-based organizations have access to the financial resources and services they need to help them grow and better serve their communities, the Chicago Treasurer’s Office is hosting an innovative financial education program, “Tailor-Made Financial Solutions for Faith-Based Organizations.”

The program is designed to showcase the broad range of financial products and services from Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs). This includes loans for real estate and land acquisitions, and deposit accounts and cash management services for operational needs and expansion of Faith-Based Organizations in under-resourced and disinvested communities.

“The intent is to help more Faith-Based Organizations serve their communities,” said Wendy Ryce-Smith, Vice President, Liberty Bank & Trust. “Whether it’s helping to operate a new health care service or building a new community center or depositing in-kind donations, CDFIs can assist with a financial solution tailored to meet an organization’s need that meets the needs of the community.”

The CTO’s program on Wednesday, March 15, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Shine Bright Community Center, 8560 South Cottage Grove, features Liberty Bank, a certified- CDFI, and one of the nation’s largest Black-owned financial institutions, and Sunshine Enterprises, a nonprofit that helps under-resourced organizations to grow and build their communities.

Advance registration is required. To register or for additional information about the program, “Tailor-Made Financial Solutions for Faith-Based Organizations,” please contact Monique Cook-Bey at 312-744-2432 or Monique.Cook-Bey@cityofchicago.org.

Governor Pritzker Announces New Partnership Between Illinois Universities And The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative

CHICAGO – Governor Pritzker today congratulated the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Northwestern University, and the University of Chicago for being selected by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) to launch the Chan Zuckerberg Biohub Chicago (CZ Biohub Chicago) - a NEW biomedical research hub that will bring together leading scientific and technology institutions to study human tissue with the goal of creating new, groundbreaking therapeutics.

Selected through a highly-competitive yearlong application process, the Illinois team was chosen out of more than 60 applicants. The application was supported by Governor Pritzker, who committed $25 million in capital funds to provide support to the CZ Biohub Chicago. The Chicago site is the first expansion of the CZ Biohub Network, which launched in 2021 with CZ Biohub San Francisco. The site will include state-of-the-art laboratories, meeting spaces, a biofoundry and more. Northwestern professor Shana Kelley will serve as president of the new hub.

Through CZ Biohub Chicago, the state’s leading institutions will develop new groundbreaking technologies for studying human tissue to improve the understanding of inflammation, which could lead to new treatments for the inflammatory states that underlie many diseases.

The CZ Biohub Chicago’s collaborative model for scientific research will have profound implications for health and medicine, with the goal of creating new therapeutics, and catalyzing biotechnology in high impact areas such as regenerative medicine.

As home to some of the highest-ranked universities and hospitals in the world along with the renowned Argonne National Laboratory, the CZ BioHub Chicago will add to Illinois’ leadership in the bioscience, healthcare and research space. Thanks to the Pritzker Administration’s unprecedented investments in research and development, in recent years Illinois has bolstered its reputation as a worldclass hub for talent, research institutions, tech hubs, incubators and more.

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BY TIA CAROL JONES

Diggs wanted to apply for the West Side United’s Small Business Grant because he wanted to help revitalize the community. His goal is to hire within the community and acquire contract within the community. Diggs also wanted to do his part to raise the life expectancy of the residents on the West Side, which also is one of West Side United’s goals.

Diggs is one of 40 small business owners who received $10,000 as part of West Side United’s 2022 Small Business Grant. This is the fifth cohort of grant recipients which gives access to coaching and training opportunities from Allies for Community Business, an organization that helps entrepreneurs grow their businesses with a goal to create jobs and build wealth.

“The barriers to neighborhood wellness and vitality extend far beyond the health sector. That’s why we’re taking a holistic approach towards building community health, increasing economic activity and addressing inequality by using a cross-sector, place-based strategy,” Ayesha Jaco, Executive Director of West Side United, said in a release. “Grant winners will be able to use these unrestricted funds to hire and train more staff, invest in equipment and facilities, and support innovative marketing strategies, so they can thrive and strengthen the West Side neighborhoods where they are located.”

Sanita Lewis, Director of Anchor Mission West Side with West Side United, said the organization spoke with businesses and anchor institutions which included hospital partners to identify where the needs are, in terms of vendor needs and contract opportunities. Lewis also sought the advice of the working group, which consists of people who live, work or own businesses on the West Side.

The priority industries for the grant include legal services, accounting, tax preparation, bookkeeping, janitorial services, repair and maintenance, landscaping services, real estate, human resources consulting, marketing consulting, advertising and public relations, translation and interpretation, waste management and remediation services, as well as HVAC contractors.

Those eligible for the grant had to be a West side business and meet the revenue requirement of less than $100,000.

“We want to build an ecosystem, we’re not just helping the business, we’re helping the community thrive and helping the economic vitality of West side communities,” Lewis said.

Diggs wants to use the grant money to buy better equipment and provide employment to the people in the community. He currently employs four people from the community that work in Garfield Park and one resident that works in Aurora. West Side United also has connected Diggs ad Tidy Up Experts to hospitals for contracts.

“West Side United really has helped me out, just to be able help the people and give them jobs. I love the community and working with my neighbors and they are really helping me do that,” he said.

Lewis acknowledged that Diggs and his business are an example of what West Side United wants to do with the grant program and all of the businesses that receive the funds.

“This is a full circle of services. So, we’re not just helping James, we’re helping that employee that he gave a job to. We’re also creating more opportunities for more jobs, and more opportunities for more contracts will create lead to more work for everyone involved,” she said, adding that she is looking forward to seeing how much Diggs’ business grows.

Lewis wants to encourage businesses within the community to apply for the grant program. Even if they are not eligible for the grant program, West Side United has cohorts that will help businesses grow, focus on their marketing, or focus on their financials. West Side United wants to pull businesses within the community in however they can.

For more information about West Side United’s Small Business Grant, visit www.westsideunited.org.

Green City Market to Kick Off 2023 Sustainable Supper Series at Michelin-Recognized Restaurant, Eden

CHICAGO, ILL. -- Green City Market (GCM), the nonprofit organization behind Chicago’s premier sustainable farmers’ market, is hosting its first installment of the 2023 Sustainable Supper Series at The Paramount Group’s Avondale-based restaurant, Eden. The event takes place on from 6 to 9 p.m.

Tuesday, March 21, and tickets will include a specialty cocktail (or mocktail), a three-course meal sourced locally and sustainably from Green City Market farmers, and a live panel discussing the important impact that farmers’ markets have on the local food system.

VIP guests will also enjoy wine pairings, private dining rooms, and an exclusive tour of Eden’s onsite greenhouse, where they grow many of the ingredients showcased on their menu. The panel discussion will feature long-time GCM farmer and board member, Abby Schilling of Mick Klug Farm, alongside Marc Luff of Flatwater Farms who just completed their first season with GCM. The panel will be moderated by Green City Market Executive Director, Mandy Moody.

Eden, led by The Paramount Group’s Chief Culinary Officer Devon Quinn, was recently named one of the most sustainable restaurants in the United States and is one of Green City Market’s top wholesale shoppers, directly shopping with farmers at the markets. “It is my view that the patrons of Eden deserve the best that the Midwest has to offer,” shared Quinn.

“Green City Market is the forum that allows me to hand select local ingredients, at their peak. It gives me a true understanding of seasonality, and the hard work and thought that goes into growing. The market inspires me every time I visit.”

TICKETS + INFO

The event takes place at Eden at 2734 W Roscoe St at 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 21. Tickets are $200 per person and can be purchased at greencitymarket.org/sustainable-supper-series-eden. The Sustainable Supper Series works to instill a lifelong commitment to sustainability and champion the efforts of local farmers and markets. Further, proceeds from the March 21 event will support Green City Market’s 501c3 nonprofit mission to support local, sustainable farmers, educate our community about where food comes from and why this knowledge matters, and expand food access in Chicago. Nonprofit Green City Market is proud to be a local food leader whose mission is to secure the future of food by deepening support for sustainable farmers, educating our community, and expanding access to locally-grown food. Beyond its world-renowned farmers market, GCM partners with individuals, nonprofits, corporations, and foundations to expand access to local food throughout Chicagoland. For more information, visit www.greencitymarket.org.