It’s Giving News Day.
West Suburban in ‘critical condition,’ say resident
doctors
Patient safety among issues cited in an open letter
By JESSICA MORDACQ Staff Reporter
More than half of West Suburban’s 29 resident doctors say the hospital is in “critical condition” and cited several patient safety issues, including a shortage of epidural kits and nonnarcotic pain measures in the labor and delivery unit, under the management of Manoj Prasad. The unionized residents aired their concerns in an open letter they sent to Growing Community Media, the parent company of Austin Weekly News. In it, they outlined their worries about patient safety that they say
Genius Garden
Westside Environmental Justice Alliance o ers opport unities to learn, lead
Civic engagement, environmental programming and increasing membership among the coalition’s top priorities
By MICHAEL BANIEWICZ Contributing Reporter
There is a lot on the plate of the Westside Environmental Justice Alliance as it seeks to build a coalition to tackle problems of environmental injustice in the re gion.
Climate change, environmental health hazards such as lead pipes, flooding and more are among the concerns of the organization, for merly named the Greater West Side Climate Justice Coalition.
Crystal Gardner, co-founder, said she wants the alliance to be a space for curious minds to learn more about the local environmental factors in their neighborhood.
“I envision this to be a place where you come and participate…to learn,” Gardner said. “It’ a hub…whenever these issue areas are prioritized through government. We have the opportunity to jump up and say, ‘Yep, we need that too.’”
She works in collaboration with Laurie Casey, programs director for One Earth Local with the Oak Park nonprofit One Earth Collective. Gardner is also a founding member of the 290 IPO, a grassroots progressive political organization.
Collaboration between the two organizations began in February, when One Earth Collective and 290 IPO co-hosted a virtual community conversation to discuss the local impact of climate change with exper ts.
Since then, the alliance has promoted civic eng agement. Casey and Gardner both see the alliance as a resource for educational content sur rounding the local environment.
The alliance has hosted guest speakers related to their cause including a representative from the Chicago Teachers Union to talk about the Green Schools Initiative, and Sharif Walker from Bethel New Life, who talked about a food hub initiative, Some examples of environmental hazards causing health concerns that the Westside Environmental Justice Alliance seeks to address include the high concentration of lead pipes in Chicago, lead pollution in soil caused by leaded gasoline,
flooding concerns on the West Side, and rising heat waves due to climate change.
One factor of climate change that residents in Chicago are prone to feel more than residents in other places is the extreme heat. According to a study from the climate science nonprofit Climate Central, the high density of skyscrapers in Chicago, in combination with asphalt and lack of green space, exacerbates the impact of heat. Heat is increased by more than 8 degrees for every 1 million people, and access to air conditioning is becoming less feasible for low-income, environmental justice communities as higher temperatures raise the electricity bill.
The impact of environmental burdens varies across neighborhoods in Chicago, as reported by the Chicago Department of Public Health in the Cumulative Impact Assessment. The citywide project, which was conducted from May 2022 to August 2023, collected data and community input to identify environmental justice neighborhoods, which are predominately Black, Latino, or low-income communities that are disproportionately impacted by environmental hazards.
Several neighborhoods on the West Side of Chicago were among the environmental justice communities listed in the assessment, including Austin, East Garfield Park, West Garfield Park, Humboldt Park, North Lawndale, and South Lawndale. Specific environmental burdens that were faced by these communities that were highlighted in the assessment included the large presence of polluting industries, air and water pollution, and the ne gative impact on a resident’s health pollution exposure.
In a press release about the assessment, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson advocated for policy refor ms mentioned in the assessment to support the environmental justice communities.
“Advancing environmental justice alongside economic development is necessary to better guide our actions to mitigate environmental burdens in Chicago,” Johnson said. “In the months to come, we will work
to build support for a new ordinance that protects all Chicagoans from the cumulative impact of air and water pollution, climate change, improper land use and other stressors…”
As a long-time Austin resident, Gardner said the advocacy she saw for environmental justice neighborhoods interested her to learn more about environmental hazards faced by residents in Austin. Encouraging members of her community to advocate for resources to improve public safety in Austin was one of her motivations to get involved with the coalition, Gardner says.
“Once it was announced that these neighborhoods are going to be prioritized as far as environmental justice is concerned, I said, ‘Well, maybe I should become a student of the environment,’” Gardner said. “Someone should be engaging the community around…like what are the opportunities that are coming from the administration that will support these neighborhoods that have been identified? I was curious.”
As the alliance continues their ef for ts to increase membership, Casey says that the alliance is open to anyone that is interested in climate change solutions and environmental justice. Those interested are encouraged to fill out this Google Form titled “Our Love Letter to the Greater West Side.”
“This is open to individuals, any individuals, and community-based organizations, and nonprofits,” Casey said. “We are open to anybody who is curious and wants to learn.”
The alliance plans to meet in December on a date not yet announced. Although the agenda for the next meeting is fluid, Gardner said that the alliance is focused on creating an inclusive discussion for residents to be heard in addition to learning about environmental justice.
“I want us to continue to identify what does environmental justice look like,” Gardner said. “Is there one project? Is there one issue? Is there one campaign? Trying to just build out the capacity. I think that education and engagement, community conversations are a priority.”
AU STIN WEEKLY news
Editor Erika Hobbs
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Chair Eric Weinheimer
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CIRCULATION Jill@oakpark.com
Austin kids’ artwork inspired by Hebru Brantley on display in pop-up gallery
Paintings by Henry H. Nash Elementary School of Fine and Performing Arts will be displayed at the “You’re My Hero” gallery. (Le to right) “Papa” by Kyreana, “My Mom is My Hero” by Tyrique and “So a” by Daleyza.
Urban Essentials Co ee Café is hosting the ‘You’re My Hero’ gallery through Dec. 17
By MICHAEL LIPTROT Block Club Chicago
AUSTIN — Elementary school students will be displaying their work at Urban Essentials Coffee Café for the holidays in tribute to local artist Hebru Brantley.
The pop-up gallery “You’re My Hero” runs Thursday through Dec. 17 at Urban Essentials, 5300 W. Chicago Ave. It will feature works by 2nd-4th graders at Henry H. Nash Elementary School of Fine and Performing Arts, 4837 W. Erie St.
Hailey Rodden, a fine arts teacher at Nash and event organizer, said the gallery offers
a learning oppor tunity for younger students while building a “gateway” to more events and collaborations between school and community leaders.
“This is an independent shop owned in our school community, which there’s not many places like that,” Rodden said of Urban Essentials. “We’re lucky to have them and want to be able to have school leaders and community leaders work together more.”
The gallery is inspired by Brantley, a Chicago native. The contemporary artist’s style is narrative-driven, revolving around a consistent cast of characters, most notably the goggle-wearing Flyboy, who was inspired by the Tuskegee Airmen.
Patrons of Brantley ’s art include L eBron James, Jay-Z and Beyoncé, L enny Kravitz, George Lucas and for mer Mayo r Rahm Emanuel.
e Aspire Center for Workforce Innovation to open in April
The $40.8 million- center is designed to promote commercial revitalization and a top -notch workforce on the West Side
By ZOË TAKAKI Contributing Reporter
It’s taken seven years of advocating, planning and hard work, but finally The Aspire Center for Workforce Innovation expects to its doors to Austin residents in the second quarter of 2025.
Located at the now closed Robert Emmet Elementary School on 5500 W. Madison St., the center will be home to four tenants: Austin Coming Together, Westside Health Authority, Jane Addams Resource Corp. and BMO Harris Bank.
Aspire is a center focused on job training for West Side residents, part of Austin Coming Together’s ef for ts to revitalize the commercial section on the West Side and to build a stronger cradle-tocareer pipeline in Austin.
The cost of the project is $40.8 million, according to Darnell Shields, executive director of Austin Coming To gether. Of this, $22.25 million came from state and city funds, $10.43 million from New Markets Tax Credit and $8.12 million came from philanthropic support
Shields stressed the importance of the center being a space that benefits Austin residents. “As we were building this center, the whole focus and attention has been to serve our population, folks that live locally here,” he said. “This is for us, by us.”
That intention stayed true when hiring for the project and the building.
“We focused on local h iring. We we re ve ry i ntentional about c ommunity residents, minorities and women c ontractors being a pa rt of this project,” said Shield s.
He said the center’s programs will include advanced manufacturing training, workforce advancement, financial literacy counseling and small business development support.
Three of the four tenants are nonprofits, all working to provide support to Austin residents.
■ Austin Coming Together is a nonprofit impacting education and economic development outcomes in Austin. At the center, ACT will be connecting residents with the resources they are seeking, including housing and le g al assistance.
■ Westside Health Authority will be providing reentry support, employment services, youth mentoring and a host of other services. According to it s website, the nonprofit has placed and trained more than 10,000 residents in jobs since 2005.
■ Jane Addams Resource Corporation offers numerous kinds of trade training to low-income adults and job seekers, including manufacturing, welding, CNC numerical control and mechanical assembly. Shields said that among the reasons for JARC moving to Aspire was the ability to train more would train more Westside residents than they could do elsewhere.
■ BMO Harris Bank will ensure residents have access to income support and financial coaching.
The building uses adaptive reuse but will still have “remnants of the school,” said Shields. However there are some big changes as well, including making the back of the building now the front. Shields also said that the center will be a space people can use whether working from home or in person with the need to use Wi-Fi or take a break from the cold.
“If you have a meeting with folks virtually or on site you can do that. You want a change in scenery from home, stretch your legs,” Shields said. “This is who we’re here to serve, and we’re accountable to the community.”
Westside Branch NAACP tasked with crime-reduction plan in Austin
Organization won a $250,000 grant to launch the mayor’s People’s Plan for Community Safety initiative
By SAM TUCKER Contributing Reporter
The Chicago Westside Branch NAACP has begun crafting strategies to reduce crime and violence in Austin under Mayor Brandon Johnson’s new People’s Plan for Community Safety.
The plan, launched almost a year ago, will focus on specific blocks in Austin, Englewood, West Garfield Park and South Lawndale/Little Village. In Austin, the two focuses areas are located in one area bounded by Madison Street, Adams Street, Laramie Avenue and Lavergne Avenue and the other bounded by West End Avenue, Madison, Laramie and Lavergne. The NAACP last month was designated as a partner to lead the city’s hyperlocal approach to public safety in this area.
Karl Brinson, president of the local NAACP branch, said they are in the process of evaluating the resources that do exist in the Austin area, and also the gaps.
“Where we are right now is identifying what’s available right here in the midst of us. What institutions, services or facilities are right there that can work and collaborate with us?” Brinson said. “Who can convene with us to address the need s, and also house and facilitate some of those activities that need to take place to improve the community?”
The branch received a $250,000 grant from the city on Oct. 18. The funds were awarded through the People’s Plan’s grant program, and Brinson said that it is a start for more investment on the West Side. He said although his team is still evaluating where these resources will go, right now, it brings positive attention and shows investment is being made.
“It gives us an opportunity to g et people’s attention and let them know that this is an area that has been damaged and marginalized for a long length of time,” Brinson said.
PROVIDED
“It gives us an opportunity to get people’s attention and let them know tha t this is an area that has been damaged and marginalized for a long length of time.”
K ARL BRINSON President of the local NAACP branch
He added that his team is looking to collaborate with churches, schools, park facilities and community service organizations that serve and reside in the two targeted areas in Austin.
“When you deal with shareholders, you know and understand the conditions and what it is that is impacting them, hurting them, or that’s helping them,” he said.
Brinson added that the NAACP branch
will work toward first reducing crime and violence through identifying what resources are available and accessible, and then bring in resources to bolster access to counseling, food and employment.
Because they need to consider all the hurdles to reducing crime and increasing quality-of-life in Austin, they won’t be pinpointing one particular area, he said.
“When you talk about our community, which has been left out since the beginning of time, it’s not that one thing that’s going to help change. It’s not that silver bullet that you can shoot that is going to create this ‘utopia.’ It varies, so it’s how we address it and letting it be known that we are addressing it,” Brinson said.
Deputy Mayor of Community Safety Garien Gatewood, who leads the People’s Plan, told the Austin Weekly News his of-
fice incorporated multiple social and economic factors to identify the areas within the four communities that needed help. This included data on crime, school closures, median-income and unemployment.
December will mark one year since Johnson launched the plan in 2023. Now, Brinson and his organization are working towards finding exactly how they can make an intentional and collaborative impact on Austin.
“We’ve got a skeleton and we’re just trying to put the meat on the bones. We’ve been doing this work for years, so people know the areas of interest that we’ve been working on. It’s all the areas that we’ve mentioned, from crime to education to health,” Brinson said. “Now we’re figuring out what, where, when and how to roll it out to make it match our needs.”
e urgency of passing the baton
The African-American
ingness to share insights
culture — a time when unity and shared responsibility propelled progress. It’s time for a cultural shift, a true “changing of the guard.” Elders must prioritize training and empowering successors, ensuring the community thrives long after their departure. By embracing
a collective mindset and investing in the next generation, we can dismantle the barriers holding us back and ignite a future of shared prosperity. The baton must not only be passed — it must be thrown forward with purpose.
Aisha Oliver is a resident of Austin.
Austin woman helps ‘put a face on re covery’ with statewide center
Dora Wright of The Chicago Recovering Communities Coalition knows the need because she’s been there
By SAM TUCKER Contributing Reporter
Dora Wright knows firsthand the challenges of finding the right services to help herself and her family as she began her recovery from addiction.
The challenges led her in 2012 with her husband, John, to found the Chicago Recovering Communities Coalition.
The Austin-based nonprofit is the first of its kind in I llinoi s. Re cove ry c ommunity organizations, or RC Os, differ from other t ypes of service providers because they are non-clinical. T heir wo rk is directly tied with recove ry suppo rt services, including relapse pr evention and recove ry education.
“I’m a woman in long-ter m recovery, and I had to leave my community and move to Rogers Park to find services for myself and my children,” said Dora Wright. “As [then] a single mother looking for recovery and recovery services, they were not visible on the West Side of Chicago. So I moved.”
After 15 years in recovery, she wanted to use her recovery as well as her experience working in the field of substance use disorder to help others get the support they need. She moved back to Austin, and said it amazed her that recovery services on the West Side couldn’t be found at all.
“I wasn’t able to access services because they weren’ t visible. There were no recovery support service providers. I wanted to make sure that our community, which had been disproportionately affected with mental illness and substance use, had services that were free,” Wright said.
CRCC, first opened its doors in Austin in 2012. The non-profit provides free support services for people seeking recovery from substance use disorders and mental illness. The organization also operates broad public advocacy and state-wide collaboration with recovery providers.
Support services include recovery education workshops, life-skill building, personalized sessions to clients and their families, job placement services and peerto-peer mentoring. Their services have a multiple-pathway approach to recovery. They provide a variety of recovery meetings and support for all types of treatment to assist and remove bar riers to recovery.
The organization is peer-led and peerdriven, and aims to reduce stigma and make recovery visible.
“Part of our mission and our vision is to put a face on recovery,” said Dora Wright. “ “Recovery is not visible. Addiction is.”
The Chicago Recovering Communities Coalition serves residents throughout Chicago and the surrounding suburbs.
John Wright said their reach is becoming increasingly statewide.
“This organization, to us, is much bigger than just the West Side of Chicago. It is bigger than just the city. We are the first RCO, and we’re covering the entire state of Illinois. Our grants now reflect that. We’re training other agencies outside of Chicago on how to be a more effective recovery based community organization,” he said.
The organization has received major grants from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to create programs like their “Recovery United Illinois Taskforce,” a collaborative network of recovery service providers across Illinois. The organization also partnered with the Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership Board to create the “Illinois Recovery Workforce Network,” a “one-stop” education, training and job placement service for people in recovery
The Chicago Recovering Communities Coalition is the West Side’s lead agency for the Illinois Recovery Oriented System of Care Council. The council is a communitybased network created by the Illinois Department of Human Services that collaborates with stakeholders to bolster recovery
services and support in Illinois.
Venessa Moreno, assistant director of programs, said the organization shares what they’ve learned on the West Side to make a stronger and more collaborative impact in Illinois.
“We have this balance between both, being in our community where we are located in Austin, and also taking the experience, expertise and growth and helping other community organizations across the state,” Moreno said.
The organization leads a drug overdose prevention program, and hosts free, online Narcan training sessions every month. They are also a long-time member of the West Side Opioid Task Force.
Recently, they received a public awareness campaign grant-funded by the Advocates for Human Potential. The state-wide campaign will begin around mid to late December, leaders said, and will target youth to address substance prevention, abuse and overdoses
Dora Wright worked as a licensed counselor for treatment for 25 years, and said she wasn’t allowed to relate to the clients she worked with. Now, she leads an organization that is led and driven by peers to people seeking recovery.
“We were prohibited from discussing our personal recovery with our clients for any reason,” she said. “Peer led and peer driven, means we are peers in this - we understand. We know what it takes, we’ve been there. We know some ofthe pitfalls, and we can help you navigate some of those things.”
For people seeking recovery, the Chicago Recovering Community Coalition meets people where they are at. Dora Wright said they welcome people from all pathways, they “don’t turn anybody away” based on their type of treatment.
“All it takes is a phone call, 773-417-2045, and it’s all free. Recovery support services beyond the treatment door,” she said. “Recovery is a lifetime process, and we’re here to help with that process.”
For more information
■ www.chicagorecovery.org/
■ www.ilrecoveryunited.org/
■ www.ilworkforcenetwork.org/
■ www.dhs . state .il.us/page . aspx?item=117096
■ www.chicagoreco ve ry.org/narcantraining
■ www.chicagoreco ve ry.org/publicawareness-campaign
POP-UP GALLERY
from page 4
Across Chicago Avenue from Urban Essentials Coffee Café stands “Fantastic Flying Lil Mama,” a towering sculpture ofLil Mama, also known as Flygirl, Flyboy’s counterpart. The character erupts out a cloud wearing a pair of flight goggles and bandana with a triumphant first in the air. The piece was unveiled this month.
“[The sculpture] is a big deal because we don’t have a ton of public art pieces in Austin, and to get one by such an iconic, up-and-coming artist in our community is really special and unique,” Rodden said. “We wanted to pay tribute to that through this project. You’re going to see a lot ofbright colors and uniqueness when it comes to the portraits that the students made. [The sculpture] is definitely a student favorite because of that.”
For the gallery, students were instructed to paint their heroes and explain why they look up to them. A QR code will be displayed alongside the paintings that will allow guests to hear and read the students explain their work in their own words.
Daleyza, a 4th grader at Nash, drew her sis-
ter in a painting titled “Sofia.”
“I drew my sister Sofia because she is my hero. She always helps me with a lot ofstuff, she helps me with artwork, she is a face painter and she has a lot ofpaintings in her room,” Daleyza said in the memo accompanying her painting. “I picked these colors because these are my favorite colors and I wanted to get creative with the colors.”
Third grader Kyreana drew her grandfather in a painting titled “Papa.”
“He’s my hero because when I was walking by a car and I wasn’t paying attention and I almost got hit by a car, he saved me,” Kyreana said. “I made a picture of him and I made hearts in the background because I love him and really support him.”
“I made my mom as my hero because she’s nice. She helps people and she helps communities,” Tyrique said “I made my mom my hero because some people aren’t nice and she’s a nice person in my life.”
A gallery opening event will take place 3-5 p.m. Thursday at Urban Essentials, a familyowned coffee shop that opened last year in Austin’s Soul City Corridor.
Urban Essentials is open 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday and 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturdays. More information is on Instagram @urban_ essentials_coffeecafe.
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WEST SUB Services reduced?
from page 1
are a result of “shortages of vital hospital resources, inadequate building maintenance, and understaffing that have become increasingly prevalent under Resilience Healthcare.”
Prasad is CEO of Resilience Healthcare. In December 2022, Resilience bought West Suburban and Weiss Memorial Hospital in Chicago and inherited $80 million in debt as part of the deal. Since then, West Suburban residents said, the hospital’s conditions have worsened.
“We would not write this unless we felt we had exhausted all direct avenues for change,” residents said in the letter. “Residents and residency program faculty have met with hospital administration countless times to no avail.”
What residents say is “substandard care” has an amplified effect on its patients from Austin, a largely Black neighborhood, which has disproportionately lower income and higher rates of chronic disease compared to the rest of the city. When a majority of West Suburban patients rely on Medicaid to cover costs,
residents said, resource shortages and understaffing cause delays that can extend a hospital stay for patients who may not be able to af ford it .
“Some of the most vulnerable c ties in Chicago are paying the price, idents said in their letter. “The crisis at W Suburban reveals how economic and health disparities compound one another, structural racism in the process.”
Supply shortages
In their letter, residents list of the “most concerning” safety issues, like periodically running out of critical supplies including:
■ Vapotherm oxyg en tubing, wh nects to the patient’s nose for respiratory support
■ Nitrous oxide gas, a nonnarcotic pain control option for labor and delive
■ Arterial blood gas kits, which measure levels of oxyg en and carbon dioxide in blood
■ Tube feeding pumps in the intensi care unit
■ Epidural kits for labor and deli
■ Female external catheters
“One night on the labor & delive floor, there were three laboring patients and only one epidural kit in the entire hospital,” residents said in the letter.
West Suburban resident doctors picketed in June for better patient safety and investment in their education.
for the catheters, they added, “multiple women on diuretics languished in diapers with none of their urine output meafor days. One patient’s family member entually purchased catheters and diaper ash cream with her own money.”
Prasad told GCM that the residents ’t send him the letter.
“They have chosen to not share this letter or any complaints with me,” he said.
The complaints, however, are not new. esidents voted to unionize last November and asked for better patient safety and inestment in their education as part of neotiations. Those ne gotiations are ongoing. sad, for his part, also said there have been no service or equipment cuts.
“I am happy to tell you again and again we are not cutting any services and no plans to cut any service,” Prasad said. “Since we took over, we have added hundreds of pieces of new equipment.”
He added that the hospital has not run Vapotherm oxyg en tubing and nioxide gas in labor and delivery, arterial blood gas kits and tube feed pumps in the ICU, or female external catheters.
After checking with the hospital’s sup-
ply chain team and other leaders – whom Prasad said haven’t seen these supplies run out – he added that sometimes medical supplies aren’t readily available because department heads occasionally don’t place orders in a timely manner. When this happens, Prasad said, West Suburban borrows supplies from Weiss Memorial Hospital or other hospitals. West Suburban has also loaned supplies to surrounding hospitals.
“We might have a delivery glitch that sometimes delays supplies, but we are not cutting supplies,” Prasad said.
“This is a normal part of hospital operation,” he added. “Young doctors in training may not understand this and panic. It happens in every hospital, even the large ones.”
In August, hospital workers were notified by Tiger Connect – the hospital’s paging service that allows staff to communicate throughout the hospital and when they’re on-call – that access would be canceled in a week because of nonpayment.
Prasad said there was a past-due balance of $2,400 that he then paid, but the paging system was never impacted.
Continued on next pa ge
JESSIC A MORDAC
Gar eld Park Conservatory breaks ground on children garden overhaul
$10M project begins after more than a decade of fundraising
By MICHAEL LIPTROT Block Club Chicago
GARFIELD PARK — Construction has begun on a new 6,000-square-foot indoor children’s garden at the Garfield Park Conservatory, 300 N. Central Park Ave.
The renovated Elizabeth Morse Genius Children’s Garden is expected to open in fall 2025. Additions will include a dig pit, nature art gallery, toddler area and slide. There will also be a dedicated space for visitors with sensory disabilities, with a spiraling, wheelchair-accessible ramp that goes all the way up to the building’s arched glass roof
“This is the ultimate public-private partnership for the benefit of young people and our children here on the West Side of Chicago,” Ald. Jason Ervin (28th) said Friday
Continued from previous pa ge
Ser vices at risk
The problems, resident doctors said, extend beyond shortages in supplies. They also said there have been gaps in services. In August, the hospital’s dialysis service was cut because of nonpayment. Without notice to staff, the service was replaced by a company with “far less technician capacity,” according to resident doctors, providing only one dialysis machine operator for scheduled dialysis. Patients requiring urgent or nighttime dialysis are now transferred to another hospital, delaying treatment and increasing the risk of complications, residents said. Over Labor Day weekend, residents said that doctors redirected heart attack patients to other hospitals because of a scheduling coverage issue with the hospital’s cardiology group.
during a groundbreaking ceremon is an important project to bring this level of sensory and recreational [experience] to our community.”
The conservatory raised more than $10 million for the upgrades. That $4.6 million in private donations; $2 million in tax-increment financing funds from the city; $1.75 million in state money; and an additional $1.5 million from the Chicago Park District, according to officials. Last year a fundraising campaign garden reached a goal of $250,000 that then was matched by an anonymous donor.
“There hasn’t been a lot of private ing in this area, so to say that 50% of the funding came from private sources is pretty incredible,” said Jennifer Van Valkenburg, president and CEO of the Garfield Park Conservatory Alliance.
Gar eld Park Conservator y Alliance, Chicago Park District and City of Chicago leaders take part in the groundbreaking ceremony for the Elizabeth Morse Genius Children’s Garden at 300 N. Central Park Ave. on Nov. 22.
“This is a decade-long journey,” she added. “The pandemic set us back, construction costs set us back, different things created obstacles that we overcame — so this day is a huge day for everyone.”
Prasad said that, because of unfounded rumors in August that West Suburban was closing, its dialysis vendors stopped service overnight. So, the hospital had to change vendors – to one that worked with Rush University Medical Center for 20 years, Prasad said – and it took a few days to get staffed. He added that the new vendor has the same number of technicians at a lower cost.
“We even bought our own three sets of dialysis machines, so no vendor could disrupt services in the future,” Prasad said.
“We have had two occasions when, due to a sudden non-availability of a cardiologist, we have had to divert cardiac patients to another hospital,” Prasad confirmed. “Again, this happens in many hospitals. Several times, other hospitals have to divert their patients to us.”
The cardiologist group, he added, is a private group that organizes its own scheduling
The Garfield Park Conservatory hosts more than 10 hours of children’s programming daily in spaces across its campus including a “Play & Grow” outdoor garden
“In this day and age when hospitals are shutting down departments or laying of f large percentages of their staf f,” Prasad said, “we are standing tall, recruiting more and more staf f and providing services to the community.”
Legal battles
In the letter, residents pointed to a 2002 lawsuit. Louis Cole bought Kern Hospital in Michigan, where Prasad was CEO a year before the purchase. Cole said he discovered the hospital had a medical equipment lease that left him with unexpected financial obligations. He also said Kern officials concealed that the hospital was not in compliance with Medicare conditions. The case was later settled out of court.
“It’s not a Medicare investigation, but a routine survey,” Prasad said. He wasn’t involved with the hospital at that time and
for kids 0-8 years old and a “Child Wild” outdoor nature play area. For more information on children’s programming, visit garfieldconservatory.org.
said the Medicare survey is a re gular process where hospital CEOs can submit their plans of cor rections.
The residents also pointed to copies of three lawsuits against Resilience Healthcare for owing money for medical supplies or services.
Prasad said the lawsuits are often for nonpayment of amounts Resilience inherited from previous owners.
The residents said it seems like something similar is happening at West Suburban.
“He’s not paying the bills and he’s slashing staffing and vital resources,” they wrote. “This time, some of the most vulnerable communities in Chicago are paying the price.”
The full residents’ letter can be read here: h ttps://www.austinweeklynews.com/wpc ontent/uploads/2024/11/The- Pe o ple-vsManoj-Prasad.pdf
MICHAEL LIPTROT/BLOCK CLUB CHICAGO
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Nov. 27-Dec. 4
BIG WEEK
Compiled by S am Tucker
A Growing Community Media Partnership
Donation shopping event at Ten Thousand Villages
y and coat drive at Loretto Hospital
y donations accepted through Dec. 2, coats and clothes through Dec. 31, Loretto Hospital
etto Hospital is hosting a coat drive for patients in need of winter clothing. The coat drive runs through Dec. 21, and is accepting new or slightly used items. The hospital is looking for winter clothing like boots, coats, scar ves, pants, hats and gloves. The hospital is also accepting unwrapped toys for its annual toy drive for children ages one to 12. etto is also looking for new, unwrapped toys for its toy drive, and will ccept donations until Dec. 2. For more information about the coat drive, t crystal.carey@lorettohospital.org. View the yer : https://ow.ly/ hYH550UcOYT. You can also donate to the toy drive online: https:// .ly/gvM750UcP0U. 645 South Central Ave
League of Women Voters higher education info-session
Dec. 5, 6 - 8 p.m., Located at 121 N. Marion St.
A portion of purchases made at Ten Thousand Villages, an ethical artisanal goods store, will be donated to Austin Coming Together on Dec. 5. The retailer o ers fair-trade crafts and decor, including housewares, jewelry and scar ves. From 6 to 8 p.m., 15% of all purchases made at the Oak Park location will be donated to Austin Coming Together.
nt
ers of Illinois is hosting a discussion about funding , the executive direc ax and Budget Accountability, and a professor of public polic t Roosevelt University. During the virtual event, attendees can learn about scal and education policy related to colleges in Illinois. Learn more about the alendar. Register for the event: https://
er Flower show at the Conser vatory
Open Nov. 27 to Jan. 5, Gar eld Park Conser vatory eld Park Conservatory’s annual Winter Flower Show begins this month. The show, “Snow akes,” includes macroscopic photos of snow crystals that hang above ower and plant arrangements. onifer, r, and cedar trees along with themed poinsettia owers
A Very Austin Christmas
Dec. 6, 5 to 8 p.m., Located at 600 N. Lorel Ave
See live reindeer and take photos with Santa at this year ’s “A Very Austin Christmas” event hosted by Austin Coming Together and the 600 Block of Lorel Block Club. At the holiday event, participants can see live reindeer up-close, and enjoy festive treats and family-fun activities. This free Christmas event is open to the community. View the yer: https://ow.ly/A4sc50UcP4j
RALPH MARTIRE
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENTCHANCERY DIVISION
REAL ESTATE FOR SALE
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENTCHANCERY DIVISION
LOANDEPOT.COM, LLC
Plaintiff vs. DELLA G. GRADY; U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT; CITY OF CHICAGO; THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, DEPARTMENT OF TREASURY; UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NON-RECORD CLAIMANTS
Defendant 23 CH 1602 CALENDAR 57 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE is hereby given that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure entered in the above entitled cause Intercounty Judicial Sales Corporation will on December 17, 2024, at the hour 11:00 a.m., Intercounty’s office, 120 West Madison Street, Suite 718A, Chicago, IL 60602, sell to the highest bidder for cash, the following described mortgaged real estate: P.I.N. 16-08-412-017-0000. Commonly known as 140 North Mason Avenue, Chicago, IL 60644. The real estate is: single family residence. THE SALE SHALL BE SUBJECT TO A PRIOR RECORDED FIRST MORTGAGE.. Sale terms: At sale, the bidder must have 10% down by certified funds, balance within 24 hours, by certified funds. No refunds. The property will NOT be open for inspection. Prospective bidders are admonished to check the court file to verify all information. For information call Sales Department at Plaintiff’s Attorney, Diaz Anselmo & Associates P.A., 1771 West Diehl Road, Suite 120, Naperville, IL 60563. (630) 4536960. 7034-190874
INTERCOUNTY JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION intercountyjudicialsales.com
I3255119
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENTCHANCERY DIVISION
BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY AS OWNER TRUSTEE OF MORTGAGE ASSETS MANAGEMENT SERIES I TRUST Plaintiff, -v.BARBARA RANDOLPH, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - SECRETARY OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NONRECORD CLAIMANTS, UNKNOWN HEIRS AND LEGATEES OF MARY HALE, GERALD NORDGREN, AS SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE FOR MARY HALE (DECEASED)
Defendants 2021 CH 03808 426 NORTH HARDING AVENUE CHICAGO, IL 60624
NOTICE OF SALE
PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY
GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on September 5, 2024, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 A.M. on December 27, 2024, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker, 1st Floor Suite 35R, Chicago, IL, 60606, sell at a public
REAL ESTATE FOR SALE
sale to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate:
LOT 14 IN THE SUBDIVISION OF THE EAST 1/2 OF BLOCK 13 IN HARDINGS SUBDIVISION OF THE WEST 1/2 OF THE NORTHWEST 1/4 OF SECTION 11, TOWNSHIP 39 NORTH, RANGE 13 EAST OF THE THIRD PRINCIPAL MERIDIAN IN COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS
Commonly known as 426 NORTH HARDING AVENUE, CHICAGO, IL 60624
Property Index No. 16-11-126-0160000
The real estate is improved with a single family residence.
Sale terms: 25% down of the highest bid by certified funds at the close of the sale payable to The Judicial Sales Corporation. No third party checks will be accepted. The balance, in certified funds/or wire transfer, is due within twenty-four (24) hours. The subject property is subject to general real estate taxes, special assessments, or special taxes levied against said real estate and is offered for sale without any representation as to quality or quantity of title and without recourse to Plaintiff and in “AS IS” condition. The sale is further subject to confirmation by the court.
Upon payment in full of the amount bid, the purchaser will receive a Certificate of Sale that will entitle the purchaser to a deed to the real estate after confirmation of the sale. Where a sale of real estate is made to satisfy a lien prior to that of the United States, the United States shall have one year from the date of sale within which to redeem, except that with respect to a lien arising under the internal revenue laws the period shall be 120 days or the period allowable for redemption under State law, whichever is longer, and in any case in which, under the provisions of section 505 of the Housing Act of 1950, as amended (12 U.S.C. 1701k), and subsection (d) of section 3720 of title 38 of the United States Code, the right to redeem does not arise, there shall be no right of redemption.
The property will NOT be open for inspection and plaintiff makes no representation as to the condition of the property. Prospective bidders are admonished to check the court file to verify all information.
If this property is a condominium unit, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale, other than a mortgagee, shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/9(g)(1) and (g)(4). If this property is a condominium unit which is part of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/18.5(g1). IF YOU ARE THE MORTGAGOR (HOMEOWNER), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN IN POSSESSION FOR 30 DAYS AFTER ENTRY OF AN ORDER OF POSSESSION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 15-1701(C) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW.
You will need a photo identification issued by a government agency (driver’s license, passport, etc.) in order to gain entry into our building and the foreclosure sale room in
Cook County and the same identification for sales held at other county venues where The Judicial Sales Corporation conducts foreclosure sales.
For information, examine the court file, CODILIS & ASSOCIATES, P.C. Plaintiff’s Attorneys, 15W030 NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD, SUITE 100, BURR RIDGE, IL, 60527 (630) 794-9876
THE JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION
One South Wacker Drive, 24th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606-4650 (312) 236SALE
You can also visit The Judicial Sales Corporation at www.tjsc.com for a 7 day status report of pending sales.
CODILIS & ASSOCIATES, P.C. 15W030 NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD, SUITE 100 BURR RIDGE IL, 60527
630-794-5300
E-Mail: pleadings@il.cslegal.com
Attorney File No. 14-20-06288
Attorney ARDC No. 00468002
Attorney Code. 21762
Case Number: 2021 CH 03808 TJSC#: 44-2506
NOTE: Pursuant to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, you are advised that Plaintiff’s attorney is deemed to be a debt collector attempting to collect a debt and any information obtained will be used for that purpose.
Case # 2021 CH 03808 I3255614
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENTCHANCERY DIVISION PLANET HOME LENDING, LLC
Plaintiff, -v.-
BEEONCA M. BROWN, CITY OF CHICAGO
Defendants 2022 CH 02697
1528 S. HARDING AVENUE
CHICAGO, IL 60623
NOTICE OF SALE
PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY
GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on August 23, 2024, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on December 30, 2024, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker, 1st Floor Suite 35R, Chicago, IL, 60606, sell at a public sale to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate:
Commonly known as 1528 S. HARDING AVENUE, CHICAGO, IL 60623
Property Index No. 16-23-122-0430000
The real estate is improved with a multi-family residence.
The judgment amount was $328,093.23.
Sale terms: 25% down of the highest bid by certified funds at the close of the sale payable to The Judicial Sales Corporation. No third party checks will be accepted. The balance, in certified funds/or wire transfer, is due within twenty-four (24) hours. The subject property is subject to general real estate taxes, special assessments, or special taxes levied against said real estate and is offered for sale without any representation as to quality or quantity of title and without recourse to Plaintiff and in “AS IS” condition.
The sale is further subject to confirmation by the court.
Upon payment in full of the amount bid, the purchaser will receive a Certificate of Sale that will entitle the purchaser to a deed to the real estate after confirmation of the sale. The property will NOT be open for inspection and plaintiff makes no representation as to the condition of the property. Prospective bidders are admonished to check the court file to verify all information. If this property is a condominium unit, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale, other than a mortgagee, shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/9(g)(1) and (g)(4). If this property is a condominium unit which is part of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/18.5(g-1).
IF YOU ARE THE MORTGAGOR (HOMEOWNER), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN IN POSSESSION FOR 30 DAYS AFTER ENTRY OF AN ORDER OF POSSESSION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 15-1701(C) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW.
You will need a photo identification issued by a government agency (driver’s license, passport, etc.) in order to gain entry into our building and the foreclosure sale room in Cook County and the same identification for sales held at other county venues where The Judicial Sales Corporation conducts foreclosure sales.
For information, contact Alexander Potestivo, POTESTIVO & ASSOCIATES, P.C. Plaintiff’s Attorneys, 223 WEST JACKSON BLVD, STE 610, Chicago, IL, 60606 (312) 263-0003. Please refer to file number 315067.
THE JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION
One South Wacker Drive, 24th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606-4650 (312) 236SALE
You can also visit The Judicial Sales Corporation at www.tjsc.com for a 7 day status report of pending sales.
POTESTIVO & ASSOCIATES, P.C. 223 WEST JACKSON BLVD, STE 610 Chicago IL, 60606 312-263-0003
E-Mail: ilpleadings@potestivolaw. com
Attorney File No. 315067
Attorney Code. 43932
Case Number: 2022 CH 02697
TJSC#: 44-2377
NOTE: Pursuant to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, you are advised that Plaintiff’s attorney is deemed to be a debt collector attempting to collect a debt and any information obtained will be used for that purpose.
Case # 2022 CH 02697
I3255747
U.S. Bank Trust National Association as Trustee of Chalet Series III Trust Plaintiff vs. Ruthie Mae Porter; Latisha Porter; Unknown Owners and Nonrecord Claimants Defendant 19 CH 12550 CALENDAR 64
NOTICE OF SALE
PUBLIC NOTICE is hereby given that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure entered in the above entitled cause Intercounty Judicial Sales Corporation will on January 6, 2025, at the hour 11:00 a.m., Intercounty’s office, 120 West Madison Street, Suite 718A, Chicago, IL 60602, sell to the highest bidder for cash, the following described mortgaged real estate: P.I.N. 16-16-409-032-0000. Commonly known as 4817 W. Polk Street, Chicago, IL 60644. The real estate is: single family residence. If the subject mortgaged real estate is a unit of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by subsection (g-1) of Section 18.5 of the Condominium Property Act. Sale terms: At sale, the bidder must have 10% down by certified funds, balance within 24 hours, by certified funds. No refunds. The property will NOT be open for inspection. Prospective bidders are admonished to check the court file to verify all information.
For information call Sales Department at Plaintiff’s Attorney, Sottile & Barile, LLC, 7530 Lucerne Drive, Suite 210, Middleburg Heights, Ohio 44130. (440) 5721511. ILF1905017
INTERCOUNTY JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION intercountyjudicialsales.com I3256230
All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Fair Housing Act, which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, limitation or discrimination based on age, race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin, or intention to make any such preferences, limitations or discrimination.
e Illinois Human Rights Act prohibits discrimination in the sale, rental or advertising of real estate based on factors in addition to those protected under federal law.
is newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. All persons are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised are available on an equal opportunity basis.
Restrictions or prohibitions of pets do not apply to service animals. To complain of discrimination, call HUD toll free at: 1-800-669-9777.
It’s Thanksgiving week. We are thankful for our readers, especially those who also support our reader supported nonprofit newsroom.
This holiday week also leads right into Giving Tuesday (Dec. 3). In the nonprofit news biz, we call it Giving News Day Yes, we’re clever and we like puns.
It’s an important part of our end-of-year campaign. So important that our MatchMakers, our most loyal supporters, have already pooled their donations so can we DOUBLE YOUR DONATION to GCM’s Wednesday Journal, Austin Weekly News, Forest Park Review and Riverside-Brookfield Landmark. This $25,000 match will double your donation through Giving Tuesday. Right now we’re at 66% of our $50,000 goal. These are dollars we need to pay reporters, fuel digital projects and keep reporting stories no one else is covering across our nine neighborhoods.
by AUSTIN FORWARD. TOGETHER. 2024 QUARTER 4
November 27, 2024
THE AUSTIN COMMUNITY PUBLISHED ITS FIRST QUALITY-OF-LIFE PLAN CALLED AUSTIN FORWARD. TOGETHER. (AFT) IN 2018.
THIS QUARTERLY PUBLICATION DESCRIBES HOW AUSTIN COMING TOGETHER (ACT) IS SUPPORTING THE COMMUNITY TO IMPLEMENT AFT AND OTHER EFFORTS.
AUSTIN’S NEW ASSET IS COMING
Details on the Aspire Center for Workforce Innovation
WHAT THE COMMUNITY CAN EXPECT FROM THE ASPIRE CENTER PAGE 3
AUSTIN CONTINUES TO SUPPORT THE ASPIRE CENTER: FROM GROUNDBREAKING TO GRAND OPENING PAGE 4 FROM GRASSROOTS TO CORPORATE SUPPORT: HIGHLIGHTING THE PARTNERSHIPS MAKING THE ASPIRE CENTER POSSIBLE PAGE 7
Special thanks to these Austin Forward. Together. quality-of-life plan legacy investors:
With the release of the AFT Highlighted Agenda, ACT is going “on the road!” Our team will be on tour and available to co-host discussions about the new phase of Austin’s AFT quality-of-life plan and its vision and strategy, with block clubs, churches, community organizations, coalitions, etc. Other ways we’ll ensure to update the community on the progress of implementing the Highlighted Agenda are through newspaper sections like this, emails, and social media.
Plan Leaders
Community
Narrative
TASK FORCE CHAIRS
Kenneth Varner
Healthy Schools Campaign
Dearra Williams
Austin Coming Together
STRATEGY LEADS
Suzanne McBride
Austin Talks
Alicia Plomin
Austin Coming Together
Cindy Gray Schneider Spaces-n-Places
Jai Jones
PSPC, The Chicago
Community Trust and Community Resident
Adrienne Otkins
Community Resident
Economic Development
TASK FORCE CHAIR
Roxanne Charles West Side Forward
STRATEGY LEADS
Erica Staley Manufacturing Renaissance
Emily Peters
Jane Addams Resource Corporation
Tina Augustus
Community Resident
Melissa O’Dell Defy Ventures
Fanya Buford Berry
Community Resident
Education
TASK FORCE CHAIR
Charles Anderson
Michele Clark High School
STRATEGY LEADS
Ruth Kimble
Austin Childcare Providers Network
Cata Truss Community Resident
Housing
TASK FORCE CHAIRS
Athena Williams Oak Park Regional Housing Center
Allison McGowan Community Resident
STRATEGY LEADS
Shirley Fields Community Resident
Rosie Dawson
Westside Health Authority
Baxter Swilley Community Stakeholder
Public Safety
TASK FORCE CHAIRS
Bradly Johnson BUILD Inc.
Marilyn Pitchford Heartland Alliance
STRATEGY LEADS
Edwina Hamilton BUILD Inc.
Bertha Purnell Mothers OnA Mission28
Jose Abonce The Policing Project
Ruby Taylor Taproots, Inc.
Youth Empowerment
TASK FORCE CHAIR
D’elegance Lane
Community Stakeholder
STRATEGY LEADS
Aisha Oliver Root2Fruit
Helen Slade Territory NFP
Dollie Sherman
Austin Coming Together
Chris Thomas YourPassion1st
Civic Engagement
TASK FORCE CHAIR
Deborah Williams-Thurmond
Habilitative Systems Inc.
From Grassroots to Corporate Support: Highlighting the partnerships making the Aspire Center possible
By Sydni Hatley
Marketing & Development Coordinator, Austin Coming Together
The Aspire Center for Workforce Innovation stands as a testament to the power of community organizing and collective vision. Built on the efforts of passionate advocates and community trailblazers, this project reflects a legacy crafted by and for the people it serves. Here are some highlights from the journey to revitalize the site at 5500 W. Madison.
2013
CPS closes Emmet School, but Austin steps up and fights for it to be repurposed to continue addressing the community needs, holding ground while other government agencies proposed alternative uses that residents did not agree with.
2018
Over the next several years, the former school building remains vacant and at risk of being demolished, until Westside Health Authority (WHA) officially acquires the site. At the same time, Austin Coming Together is stewarding a grassroots effort for the community to create its first-ever quality-of-life plan called Austin Forward. Together. (AFT)
Recognizing an unique opportunity to partner, WHA and ACT collaborate with AFT leaders to reimagine the closed
Emmet school space, which gets included as a focal project of the AFT plan.
With support from LISC Chicago, planners at Teska Associates lead a visioning session to brainstorm ways the community could address critical needs through property redevelopment and the concept for the Aspire Center Workforce Innovation is born.
Lamar Johnson Collaborative (LJC) also joins the partnership, bringing additional design expertise and resources to realize the community’s vision.
2019
Austin releases the AFT plan and starts implementation.
In partnership with ACT and By the Hand Club for Kids, WHA submits a Letter of Inquiry in response to the $10 million Chicago Prize opportunity through the Pritzker Traubert Foundation and is awarded a planning grant to develop a full proposal for submission.
four investments strategically clustered around existing assets in an area bound by Madison St., Chicago Ave., Central Ave., and Laramie Ave.: The Aspire Education & Wellness Campus; Aspire Austin College & Career Academy; The Aspire Center for Workforce Innovation; and Aspire Housing.
2021-2022
2020
After being named one of six finalists for the Chicago Prize, ACT helps convene AFT and other leaders who collectively create The ASPIRE Initiative. The $121-milliondollar effort initially supported by United Way of Metro Chicago, IFF, Applegate & Thorne-Thomsen, Krista Inc., and Purpose Built Communities incorporates several goals and ideas from the community’s AFT plan and outlines how Austin can build a stronger cradle-to-career pipeline through
Community engagement continues with two in-person grassroots events occurring, as well as virtual engagements to garner input from Austin residents, in addition to ongoing AFT leader involvement.
ASPIRE begins to attract investment. Financial and pro-bono services support from private philanthropy, government, and technical assistance partners help generate over $40 million in capital from 2020 to 2023.
2023
Financing closes on the project. The Aspire Center’s groundbreaking event is attended by former Mayor Lori Lightfoot.
Followed by a community celebration that includes free food and a chance for residents to learn about the services that will be available at the Center directly from the groups who will provide them.
2024
Community engagement and participation are still underway as we continue mobilizing the Aspire Center for operations. ACT is excited to expand our services and be part of the vibrant hub that the Center and the intersection of Madison and Central will become! n
Austin continues to support the Aspire Center: From groundbreaking to grand opening
When Emmet School was shut down in 2013, community organizers sprung to action, partnering, brainstorming, and collaborating on resources and efforts that would help keep this space in the community. Since then, hundreds of local leaders have come together to craft a roadmap for how Austin can lead the change it wants to see. Community leaders have influenced not only the mission and vision of the Aspire Center but also the operations and design projects for the center. As construction continues, nearing the 2025 Grand Opening, the team is grateful for the ongoing support of community members.
Community activists recognized for protesting the 2013 CPS closure at 2023 community celebration
Austin residents invited to hard hat tour
WHA
Mural engagement workshop led by artist Shawn Michael Warren
2024 EVENTS
2024 CONSTRUCTION
ANCHOR TENANTS AT THE ASPIRE CENTER:
Jane Addams Resource Corporation (JARC) will provide comprehensive support and skills training for Central Austin’s unemployed, and underemployed in search of living-wage careers in high-demand economic sectors. Since 1985, JARC has trained low-income adults in manufacturing and will continue their free on-site skills training at the Center, teaching Computer Numerical Control machine operation, welding, and mechanical assembly.
Austin Coming Together (ACT) has facilitated collaboration among its member network to collectively impact education and economic development outcomes in Austin since 2010. ACT assisted the community in creating its first-ever qualityof-life plan and manages its ongoing implementation, in addition to engaging with residents to get them connected to resources through its Austin Community Hub Initiative.
Westside Health Authority (WHA) has owned the property of the former Emmet school, now Aspire Center, since 2018. They will leverage their 30 years of experience while offering services at the Center that include community reentry, youth development, and employment connections. In addition to the Aspire Center, WHA is involved in many efforts that are helping to revitalize and rebuild the Austin community and surrounding areas by leveraging the power of ordinary citizens.
BMO will ensure residents have access to a walk-up ATM, financial coaching, and other banking products/services. business development.
Historic cornice restoration in progress
ACT team presents Aspire Center updates at AFT Summit
JP Morgan Chase press conference with Governor Pritzker
What the community can expect from the Aspire Center
By Darnell Shields Executive Director, Austin Coming Together
Alongside Westside Health Authority, Austin Coming Together (ACT) is codeveloping Austin’s former Emmet Elementary School into the Aspire Center for Workforce Innovation (ACWI), a central location for resources and high-performing on-site workforce development training.
ACWI is located at Madison and Central, one of the most important intersections in our community because Central Avenue is the spine that connects Austin’s other smaller neighborhoods. Developing existing assets in this densely populated area directly addresses many of the community’s needs and is a visible symbol of the investment our community deserves.
We understand it is important that the center help address both residents’ immediate and long-term challenges, so we have established a holistic model to approach serving residents along a spectrum of outcomes from economic stability through wealth creation.
Just as ACT’s Austin Community Hub currently does, the Aspire Center will support individuals by connecting them to a comprehensive range of services, many of which will be provided at the Center or by local service organization partners. Whether it be mental health, housing, or
even steady employment, we will help residents overcome the barriers holding them back from thriving.
However, we know that simply connecting an individual to a job will not allow them to build wealth unless that job is a career opportunity that pays a living wage. That’s why the Aspire Center will provide linkages and pathways to high-demand economic sectors such as healthcare, transportation distribution, and logistics, information technology, and advanced manufacturing so Austinites can truly have the chance for upward mobility.
The program model for the Aspire Center for Workforce Innovation will be guided by these principles:
Focus on the individual
Infuse humanity in all we do
Commit to meet a person where they are and inspire
Address all related barriers
Help a person imagine goals they never thought possible
Help residents remain in Austin and thrive
Use our collective experience with who we serve as our primary source of research at the outset
Design for possibility, not necessarily services that exist
When you visit, you’ll find a welcoming environment with various spaces designed for community engagement, including reservable conference rooms and even a rooftop terrace!
The Aspire Center will be a place that offers so much more than just services; it will help aspirations take flight. We want the center to inspire everyone who walks through the doors to reach for their dreams and ambitions!
Completing the project will be a milestone in the community-led renaissance that’s been underway in Austin for years. It will
catalyze economic development and represent how the community is rising above a history of disinvestment, limited opportunities, and underfunded services.
The story of the Aspire Center is a powerful reminder of what can be achieved when communities come together to build their future. It exemplifies how grassroots efforts can successfully transition to impactful and strategically funded initiatives that honor the voices of those they serve.
Construction is on track and the grand opening will be Spring 2025! n
Since 2010, Austin Coming Together (ACT) has facilitated collaboration to improve education and economic development outcomes in Chicago’s Austin neighborhood.
Today, we serve a network of 50+ organizations committed to improving the quality of life in the Austin community. Our strategic plan is called Thrive 2025 and outlines how we will mobilize our resources to achieve four impact goals by the year 2025: Quality Early Learning, Safe Neighborhoods, Living Wage Careers, and Stable Housing Markets.
ACT BOARD
OF DIRECTORS
Officers
CHAIR
Larry Williams
Broker, State Farm Insurance
VICE CHAIRMAN
Bradly Johnson
Chief Community Officer, BUILD Inc.
SECRETARY
Jerrod Williams
Law Clerk, Illinois Appellate Court
ACT STAFF
Leadership
Darnell Shields
Executive Director
Research & Evaluation
Andrew Born*
Senior Director of Community Impact
Mia Almond
Research Associate
Operations
TREASURER
LaDarius Curtis
Senior Director of Community Engagement & Health, West Side United
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Darnell Shields
Austin Coming Together
Directors
Sharon Morgan
Director of Graduate Support & Community Outreach, Catalyst Schools
Reverend Reginald E. Bachus Pastor, Friendship Baptist Church
Deirdre Bates*
Director of Operations
Dearra Williams
Executive Operations Lead/ Assistant to the CEO
Londen Mance
Office Administrator
*Also part of the ACT Leadership Team
Strategic Initiatives
Sandra Diaz*
Service Delivery Enhancement Manager, Austin Community Hub
Emone Moore
Engagement Coordinator, Austin Community Hub
Dollie Sherman
Engagement Specialist, Austin Community Hub
ACT MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS
A House in Austin
Academy of Scholastic Achievement
Austin Childcare Providers Network
Austin Community Family Center
Austin Weekly News
(Growing Community Media)
Be Strong Families
Beat the Streets Chicago
Bethel New Life
Beyond Hunger BUILD Inc.
By The Hand Club For Kids
Cara
Catholic Charities
Chicago Austin Youth Travel Adventures
Chicago Community
Loan Fund
City of Refuge
Defy Ventures Illinois
Erikson Institute
Friends of the Children
Friendship Community Development Corp. of Austin
Greater West Town
Community Development
Project
Tenisha Jones
Chief Program Officer, UCAN
Reginald Little
Business Development Specialist, Great Lakes Credit Union
Dawn Ferencak
Senior Marketing Strategist, Chicago Parent
Deborah Williams-Thurmond
Community Outreach & Engagement Specialist, Habilitative Systems, Inc.
Saenovia Poole
Community Resources Coordinator, Austin Community Hub
Clara Bonnlander
Social Services Coordinator, Austin Community Hub
Ethan Ramsay* Planning and Investment Manager
Grace Cooper Lead Organizer
Housing Forward
i.c. stars
IFF
Institute for Nonviolence Chicago
Jane Addams Resource Corporation
Kids First Chicago
KRA Westside American
Job Center
Learning Edge
Tutoring (fka Cluster Tutoring)
Ruth Kimble
Founder & CEO, Austin Childcare Providers Network
Max Komnenich
Associate Principal, Lamar Johnson Collaborative
In Memoriam
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Jack Macnamara 1937–2020
FOUNDING BOARD CHAIR
Mildred Wiley 1955–2019
Nyla Larry
Project Coordinator
Arewa Karen Winters
Community Organizer
Natalie Goodin
Special Projects Manager
Nicholas Galassini
Chicago Neighborhood Recovery Program Associate
Legal Aid Chicago (fka LAF)
Manufacturing
Renaissance
Mary Shyrese Daycare
Maryville Academy
Mercy Housing Lakefront
New Moms
OAI, Inc.
Oak Park Regional
Housing Center
Open Books
Marketing & Development
Alicia Plomin*
Director of Marketing and Development
Jon Widell Marketing and Development Specialist
Sydni Hatley
Marketing and Development Coordinator
PCC Community Wellness Center
Project Exploration
Renaissance Social Services, Inc.
Sarah’s Inn
South Austin
Neighborhood Association
St. Joseph Services
St. Leonard’s Ministries
Stone Community Development Corporation
The Catalyst Schools
The Journey Forward
The North Avenue
District, Inc.
Towers of Excellence
UIC Jane Addams
College of Social Work
VOCEL
Westside Health Authority
West Side Forward
Worldvision
Youth Guidance