July 26, 2017
AUSTIN COMING TOGETHER THRIVE 2025: 2017 QUARTER 3
INTRODUCTION PAGE 3 | CREATING A PLAN FOR AUSTIN PAGE 45 | AUSTIN COMMUNITY SUMMIT PAGE 7
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Austin Weekly News, July 26, 2017
THRIVE 2025: 2017 QUARTER 3
ACT BOARD OF DIRECTORS Officers
Directors
Sharif Walker, Chair Central Regional Director, After School Matters
Reverend Reginald E. Bachus Pastor, Friendship Baptist Church
Ruth Kimble, Vice-Chair Executive Director, Austin Childcare Provider’s Network Jacob Lesniewski, Secretary Assistant Professor, Dominican University Graduate School of Social Work Jack Macnamara, Treasurer Visiting Scholar, Center For Urban Research and Learning
Dawn Ferencak Associate Publisher, Austin Weekly News Tenisha Jones Director of Education, Greater Auburn Gresham Development Corp Reginald Little Consumer Loan Officer, ABC Bank Sharon Morgan Director, Graduate Support & Community Outreach, Catalyst Schools, Circle Rock Charter
ACT Member Organizations Academy of Scholastic Achievement American Red Cross ABC Bank Austin Childcare Providers’ Network Austin Weekly News Banner Schools Be Strong Families Because I Care Bethel New Life BUILD, Inc. By the Hand Club Cara Channing’s Child Care Chicago Community Loan Fund Central Austin Neighborhood Association Chicago Children’s Choir Chicago Jesuit Academy ChildServ Church on the Block Community Bank of Oak Park River Forest Christ the King Jesuit College Prep Dominican University Erikson Institute
First Institute Training and Management Friendship Baptist Church Friendship Community Development Corporation First United Church of Oak Park Gone Again Travel I.C. Stars Inspiration Corporation Institute for Nonviolence Chicago Jane Addams Resource Corporation Jumpstart Chicago Kids First Chicago KIPP Create Literacy Works Loretto Hospital Manufacturing Renaissance Mary Shyrese Daycare Mead Communications Mercy Housing Lakefront Moving Everest Charter School New Moms OAI, Inc. Oak Park River Forest Food Pantry Oak Park Regional Housing Center
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Positive Attitudes, Inc. Prevention Partnership Project Exploration Rape Victim Advocates Safer Foundation Salvation Army Sarah’s Inn St. Anthony’s Hospital St. Joseph Services St. Leonard’s Ministries Teach for America The Catalyst Schools The McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership The Peace Corner Youth Center UIC Jane Addams College of Social Work Valerie Leonard Inc. VOCEL Westside Health Authority Worldvision Youth Guidance
Austin Weekly News, July 26, 2017
THRIVE 2025: 2017 QUARTER 3 IN T RODUCTION
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ince 2010, Austin Coming Together has engaged community stakeholders in conversations about the issues that affect the quality of life in Austin. It started with a group of 20 civic leaders in the basement of Friendship Baptist Church in 2010. These leaders quickly decided to focus on improving Education and Economic Development in order to improve quality of life in Austin. As a result, ACT began to engage the community in discussions regarding Education and Economic Development. This engagement was led by Rev. Reggie Bachus as well as ACT’s first Executive Director, Amara Enyia. There were listening sessions, monthly committee meetings, one to one outreach, and the like. This engagement phase lasted through 2012. In 2013, ACT began to take action by organizing its first Early Childhood Symposium and by supporting Austin residents enroll in job training programs. ACT and our members also began to do collaborative work around youth safety and justice, as well as stabilizing the housing market in 2014. In 2015-16 ACT released Thrive 2025, a strategy for our member organization to mobilize their resources around. Thrive 2025 identified four key quality of life indicators to impact by the year 2025: 1) Increase the percentage of 3rd graders meeting or exceeding state standards in reading and math, 2) Increase the percentage of families living above the Federal Poverty line, 3) Decrease the rate of violent crime, and 4) Stabilize housing values in the community. While ACT has already begun to mobilize human service providers to better serve Austinites, it recognizes that these efforts alone will not improve the quality of life in Austin. The power to make real and lasting change in Austin lies in the hands of Austin’s residents and civic leaders. Thus, I would like to invite all Austin community residents to join ACT at our first Community Summit on July 29th, in order to reach consensus on the following question: What are strategic actions that we can take over the next 5 years to create a thriving Austin community? We hope that this will be the kick off to a long-term “Quality of Life” planning and action process that builds our collective power and capacity in Austin.
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Austin Weekly News, July 26, 2017
THRIVE 2025: 2017 QUARTER 3
Creating a Plan for Austin
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n July 29th, Austin community stakeholders will embark on a longterm project to build our collective power in the Austin community. Austin Coming Together is calling on all resident leaders, local clergy, business leaders, youth, elders, and all concerned citizens to join us in determining how we want to take strategic action together. The July 29th Community Summit will kick-off a long-term project called the Austin Quality of Life Plan. This project will bring together community members from all over the Austin community to create a plan that describes tangible projects and actions that we want to achieve together over the next five years. The plan will then designate what agencies and leaders are leading implementation of those projects and strategies and it will provide clear timeframes for implementation.
Why create a Quality of Life plan for Austin? First, the process of creating and implementing a plan helps us build collective power in Austin. It creates opportunities for various community stakeholders to connect with each other, build strong relationships with one another, determine how to take action together, and then take action! The more strategic action we can take together, the more power we can build to create safer neighborhoods, high quality schools, and boost our local economy. Secondly, creating a plan document helps everyone advocate for critical projects in the community, creates accountability and clarity of leadership around various projects in the community, and assists community members engage those with power and resources to support the critical projects we needs in Austin. Austin Coming Together will be leading Austin’s Quality of Life Planning Process. Austin Coming Together was founded in 2010 in order to create new resources, systems, and networks to improve Education and Economic Development in the Austin community. ACT is led by Executive Director, Darnell Shields Jr., a life long Austin resident and emerging community leader. Mr. Shields and ACT hope to build upon the powerful history of organizing in the Austin community by local organizing legends such as Leola Span, Lillian Drummond, Dr. Rev. Lewis Flowers, Jacquelyn Reed, and Bob Vondrasek. ACT recognizes the great contributions of these community leaders and others who have and continue to impact
PROVIDED
Map of the official Austin Community Area as defined by the City of Chicago. our community. The Quality of Life Plan is an attempt to build on their work. Mr. Shields and ACT also want to recognize current Austin leaders and the work of their community institutions. Mr. Shields hopes that by recognizing each other’s power and role in the community, civic leaders in Austin can come together as powerful allies and partners. In recent years, people and institution from outside of Austin, with control over resources, have pitted leaders against each other, forcing them to compete with one another for the scarce resources and influence. This has resulted in the loss of job opportunities from our family mem-
bers, the closing of our children’s schools, the theft of properties from our neighbors, and loss of public subsidies to help our most vulnerable community members. All of this diminishes our collective power to change conditions in our community. We must unite with the intent of lifting each other up. Finally, ACT would like to recognize Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) Chicago who is providing $50,000 funding for staff time for Austin Coming Together and overall technical support the Quality of Life Planning Process. LISC Chicago connects neighborhoods to the resources they need to become stronger and healthier. LISC
Chicago’s approach to community development, refined over its 35-year history and anchored in its New Communities Program (NCP) model, can help neighborhoods become assets for Chicago’s growth by using comprehensive approaches to improve quality of life. In conclusion, this project isn’t just about making a plan. It’s about building relationships with one another and establishing the collective power we need to successfully implement the plans we already have. Please join ACT at our Community Summit on July 29th from 9am to 12pm at 415 N. Laramie (By the Hand Club) to begin this process.
Austin Weekly News, July 26, 2017
THRIVE 2025: 2017 QUARTER 3
Austin Quality of Life Plan Steering Committee In order to ensure that community residents will be engaged in creating a plan for Austin, Austin Coming Together has formed a Steering Committee for the plan.
Our Working Vision
An empowered and thriving Austin community.
Our Mission
To engage community stakeholders in the creation and implementation of a “Quality of Life Plan” for Austin.
Austin Coming Together
Our Values
Unity, Commitment, Transparency, Collaboration, Action
STEERING COMMITTEE MEMBERS As of July 18, 2017
NAME Annette Wilkerson Cassandra Norman Crystal Bell Deborah Williams George Green Maretta Brown-Miller Mildred Wiley Natasha Smith Walker Ruth Kimble Sharif Walker Terry Redmond Sharon Hartshorn Vanessa Stokes Tom Drebenstedt Athena Williams Allen Van Note Crystal Dyer Dollie Sherman Marvin Austin Stephanie Bell Danielle Dixon Jacquelyn Conard
AFFILIATIONS 1300 N Long Block Club South Austin Neighborhood Association Ella Flagg Young Elementary Austin Coming Together, D. W. Provision Consulting Services Power of Peace Block Club Chicago Park District, Friendship Baptist Church ACT, Institute for Nonviolence, Austin Community Action Council Project Exploration Austin Coming Together, Austin Childcare Providers Network Austin Coming Together, After School Matters South Austin Neighborhood Association South Austin Neighborhood Association Austin Coming Together, 600 N Lockwood Block Club North Ave District Austin Ascending Program Austin Community Action Council, GADA Gone Again Travel Austin Coming Together, 600 N Lorel Block Club Bethel New Life Hope Community Church Westside Health Authority, Good Neighbor Campaign Austin Coming Together, Americorps
Interested in joining the Steering Committee? Contact ACT’s Community Organizer, Jose Abonce, at 773-417-8615 for more information.
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Austin Weekly News, July 26, 2017
THRIVE 2025: 2017 QUARTER 3
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Austin Weekly News, July 26, 2017
THRIVE 2025: 2017 QUARTER 3
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Austin Community Summit: Help Shape Your Community By Lacey Sikora
such as attracting and retaining employers and retail; and human development such n Saturday, July 29, Austin Coming as safety, education and opportunities for Together with the support of LISC residents. Chicago, will hold an Austin ComSteering Committee member and Execumunity Summit from 9 a.m. until 12 tive Director of Project Exploration, Nap.m. at the By the Hand Club at 415 tasha Smith-Walker says her social justice N. Laramie. Led by the Austin Quality of background, her ties to Austin and her work Life Plan Steering Committee, this summit informed her decision to join the steering is the first of three planned summits and committee. She has been an Austin resident aims to create a Quality of Life Plan which for ten years and sees education as a key to will state a clear vision for the future, ad- the success of every community. dress the neighborhood’s key “From my day job, I know assets and challenges, and dethe value of engaging minority scribe tangible projects that youth and girls in STEM educaare achievable in five years. tion. As a person who has been Armed with these goals, the doing this work for many years, I group will assign clear reknow that in order to bring about sponsibilities, leads and time change, we have to start from frames for implementation, all within with grassroots efforts, with widespread community not top-down changes.” support. Austin resident and steering ACT’S Jose Abonce notes committee member Vanessa that the purpose of the first Stokes says that moving her own summit is to get 200 to 300 comcommunity towards a brighter munity members to come out future is a big motivator. As and help identify the issues president of her block club and to address. “We have a twenty a member of ACT, she thinks two person steering committee the community summit will be made up of Austin residents, a good way to join residents tostakeholders and civically engether. SHARIF WALKER gage people who are affiliated “Austin was hit hard by the with community-based organi2008 housing crisis. We have a lot zations.” of vacant homes. We need a lot He says that these steering of business development. Going committee members will reach out to their forward and having Austin thrive, it’s impornetworks to invite community members to tant to have residents stay in the community attend the workshop style event, ensuring and be involved.” that the summit will build a community For Sharif Walker, steering committee consensus of the important needs facing member, ACT board chair and Regional Dithe community. Some of these key issues rector of After School Matters, the desire to include: physical development such as get involved stems from his deep ties to the housing, commercial development and community. “Mostly, I’m coming as a resitransportation; economic development dent of Austin. My family has been in Austin
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“One of the things that is created with events like this is the political capital of hope. A lot of people across the spectrum have lost hope. We want to turn this around.”
PROVIDED
Members of the Austin Quality of Life Plan Steering Committee plan for their first community summit. for over twenty five years.” As a steering committee member, Walker will lead a table at the initial workshop and help guide the conversation to make sure that residents’ voices are heard. For him, this is a concrete way to work towards a larger goal. “In general, I want the residents of the
community to have a more optimistic look at what our opportunities are. One of the things that is created with events like this is the political capital of hope. A lot of people across the spectrum have lost hope. We want to turn this around.” For more information on the Saturday July 29th Community Summit, call 773.417.8615.
Austin Coming Together OUR COMMON AGENDA • Quality Early Learning • Living Wage Jobs • Safe Neighborhoods • Stable Housing Market Join the conversation at austincomingtogether.org
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Austin Weekly News, July 26, 2017
THRIVE 2025: 2017 QUARTER 3
Austin Community Summit Saturday July 29, 2017 9:00am to 12:00pm 415 N Laramie (By the Hand Club) Light breakfast will be served
Open to all Austin community members! Join us for the first of three community summits that will result in a plan for the Austin community, by the Austin community. The purpose of the first community summit is to reach consensus on what strategic actions we need to take as a community over the next 5 years. To RSVP call 773-417-8615. Hosted By: The Austin Quality of Life Plan Steering Committee