BACK OF THE YARDS
Compiled by Mell Montezuma Neighborhood Captain
MELL MONTEZUMA
B
ack of the Yards hasn't historically been known for being a gorgeous residential area or a hub of commerce—rather, it’s famous for its factories, its slaughterhouses, and for the former Union Stockyards that give the neighborhood its name. Through the decades, as businesses have come and gone, community has made the neighborhood persevere. After growing up in Chicago and not knowing much about the area, I moved here and have learned firsthand that this community is strong. That people look out for each other. Some people have lived here their whole lives, owning businesses that have served their community for nearly as long. Some places are rather new: farms feeding locals food grown from the same earth tired workers trod to and from slaughterhouses years ago, sprouting where few have expected life to sprout. New libraries, businesses, even breweries and coffee houses. All are additions, not replacements. I don't think anything could replace the personality of this resilient, homey collage of a neighborhood. (Mell Montezuma) Neighborhood Captain Mell Montezuma is the Weekly’s visuals editor, illustrator, cheesemonger, and aspiring sommelier. Born and raised in Chicago, she enjoys learning even more about her beloved city through working with the Weekly.
12 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY
¬ NOVEMBER 25, 2020
BEST FOOD PANTRY THAT DOES IT ALL
Casa Catalina
The Catholic Charities “basic human needs center” Casa Catalina has served the community of Back of the Yards for thirty-six years. Run almost single-handedly by Sister Joellen Tumas for most of those years, Casa Catalina and its food pantry distribute food from the Greater Chicago Food Depository as well as from individual donors, providing nourishment for hundreds of families—as many as 350 a week, and an estimated 10,000 unduplicated visitors a year—in the neighborhood. About a third of Back of the Yards residents were born outside the U.S., and a third of households in the community earn below the poverty line. But, as per their name, Casa offers a lot more than food. The center also provides social services, unemployment aid, volunteer opportunities, and the warm support of those dedicated to helping others. Casa Catalina was closed for several months in late 2019, as the aging building underwent extensive rehab. It reopened in late January with much fanfare and a blessing from a priest, as the pantry transitioned to a new “client choice” model that would allow clients to pick and choose their groceries much as one would in a grocery store, rather than receive a prepacked box or bag of food. Supermarket-like aisles were stocked with canned goods, cereals, and other dry goods, along with several freezers
