Auburn Gresham Tax Site Puts Recession in Time-out

Ernest Sanders The first week of free tax services did not disappoint more than 100 eager income tax filers from arriving early and waiting patiently outdoors in frigid weather, to receive fast, free, and electronic tax preparation at the Auburn Gresham Resource Tax Center. Sponsored by the Greate... more

Hosei University of Japan Graduate Student Returns to Auburn Gresham

Ernest Sanders Nobuko Nishina, a graduate student of Japans Hosei University Graduate School of Well-being Studies, returned to Auburn Gresham to further her studies in housing resources, foreclosure prevention, health care, supportive services, community schools, job training and welfare to work pr... more

Litter Free Zone Provides Eco-friendly Opportunities

Saturday, January 2, 2010 Ernest Sanders Mayor Richard M. Daley recently announced that the City of Chicago will use funds received from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) to create community-based green jobs for the hard-to-employ, including the formerly incarcerated over the next tw... more

Safety Net Works Student Ambassadors Take Charge

Ernest Sanders As part of Illinois State Governor Pat Quinns Office, The Safety Net Works (SNW) is an initiative designed to stop the tragic and unacceptable loss youth in Illinois by leveraging both state and local community resources to enhance a young person’s positive and healthy develop... more

Auburn Gresham Welcomes New White House Official

Ernest Sanders The Greater Auburn-Gresham Development Corporation (GADC) participated in Local Initiatives Support Corporation of Chicagos (LISC/Chicago) New Communities Program (NCP) annual conference (Chicago Rising: What a Community Can Be) which featured as the keynote speaker Adolfo Carrion, Jr... more

West Haven Sports Club Expands Activities

Tuesday, January 26, 2010 Download Flier Here /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-marg... more

Join the West Haven Giants

Tuesday, January 26, 2010 Download Flier Here BE A WINNER!!!!!! JOIN THE WEST HAVEN GIANTS YOUTH BASEBALL CLUB NOW! Don’t wait until summer to build your skills…. When: Tuesday and Thursday, from 3:15pm to 6:00pm Wednesday, from 3:15-4:30 Where: Victor Herbert Elementar... more

Flex Your Girl Power

Tuesday, January 26, 2010 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; m... more

Chamber Partners with ADT for local discount

Thursday, January 21, 2010 Near West Side Chamber of Commerce The chamber has partnered with ADT Security to provide local business owners and residents a $200 discount on any new ADT security system. Interested individuals are encouraged to call Charis Humphrey at (708) 699-9499 today to recieve a ... more

CTS Financial Entrerpises

Tuesday, January 12, 2010 Near West Side Chamber of Commerce CTS Financial Enterprises 2419 W Madison, map it Chicago, IL 60612 Mon-Fri 10a-5p P (312) 226-9490 F (312) 226-9492 http://www.cts1online.com/ amcnulty@cts1online.com “Taking a holistic approach to understanding your finances, buildi... more

TRP and Pilsen Planning Committee win The Chicago Community Trust Outstanding Community Strategy of the Year

Wednesday, February 10, 2010 Alex Morales On Tuesday, February 10, The Resurrection Project and Pilsen Planning Committee were awarded The Chicago Community Trust Outstanding Community Strategy of the Year award at LISC/Chicago’s 16th Annual Chicago Neighborhood Development Awards (CNDA) cerem... more

Families Helped by TRP Share Their Experiences

Tuesday, January 26, 2010 Alex Morales In 2009, many hardworking families came to The Resurrection Project in search of assistance modifying their home mortgage loans terms and preventing foreclosure. Hundreds of families were able to take advantage of the help TRP’s HUD-certified Financial Co... more

Casa Maravilla: TRP's Newest Affordable Senior Housing to Open in May 2010

Tuesday, January 19, 2010 On May 2010 The Resurrection Project will open Casa Maravilla, an environmentally friendly senior housing building located north of Alivio Medical Center in Pilsen. Casa Maravilla will accommodate adults 55 years and over by providing studio, one and two bedroom apartments ... more

Elev8's Health Center at Orozco Community Academy: Bringing Health Care to Working Families

Friday, January 15, 2010 Alex Morales Last October, our local Orozco Community Academy saw the opening of Pilsen’s first on-campus health center for students, their families, and the community at large. Made possible through a partnership between The Resurrection Project and Alivio Medical Cen... more

TRP Wins Bank of America's 2009 Neighborhood Builders Award!

Thursday, November 19, 2009 On Wednesday November 18 2009, at a reception in Pilsen, The Resurrection Project (TRP) received Bank of America’s prestigious Neighborhood Builders ® Award, which includes a $200,000 unrestricted grant in general operating funds to support the organization&rsqu... more

The Quad Communities Development presents the 3rd Annual Bronzeville Community Market

June 5 – October 30, 2010, 8:00 pm – 1:00 pm If you are interested in vending for the Bronzeville Community Market, please down load the application or send an email to bronzevillemarket@gmail.com for more information.

Quad Communities Development Corporation's Executive Director Receives Prestigious Norman Bobins Award

Thursday, February 25, 2010 Yvette Kelly The Quad Communities Development Corporation Executive Director was recently honored at the 16th Annual Chicago Neighborhood Development Awards, held Feb. 9 at the Hyatt Regency Chicago. Bernita Johnson Gabriel Executive Director of the Quad Communities Devel... more

Winter Snow & Ice Removal

Chicago Municipal Code section 4-4-310 and 10-8-180, fines range from $250-$500. Business owners are encouraged to clear a path of at least 5 ft. in width. Clear sidewalks during heavy snowfall are essential in helping your customers and neighbors get around.

Bringing Businesses Back To Cottage Grove

Tuesday, November 17, 2009 Deborah Alexander Adolph Parker opened his furniture store on South Cottage Grove Avenue in 1934, at the height of the Great Depression. Despite record unemployment, Parker’s business grew because he established good relationships with his customers, offering paymen... more

NEW VIDEO: From Civil War to Civil Rights and Beyond

Monday, November 2, 2009 Lisa Glass Tour the Black Metropolis, a corridor rich with the cultural history of African-Americans in Chicago. The Quad Community neighborhoods of North Kenwood, Oakland, Douglas and Grand Boulevard are home to famous artists, poets and musicians. Visit the the Chicago Blu... more

The Bernard Place Bee Line for February/March, 2010

Monday, March 1, 2010

The Englewood Community Cultural Planning Council ("EC3") Meeting

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

The Chicago Independent Bulletin for March 11, 2010

Sunday, March 7, 2010

Teamwork Englewood's African American Male Initiative Meeting

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

In Englewood, Sowing Seeds for a Better Day

Tuesday, February 9, 2010 Gordon Walek “You Can’t Go Home Again,” the title of Thomas Wolfe’s 1940 novel, has become shorthand for saying that once you’ve left your hometown or neighborhood to seek success elsewhere, there’s no going back. If you do, you won&rsquo... more

Download New Washington Park Quality-of-Life-Plan

Tuesday, June 2, 2009 Washington Park released its new Quality-of-Life Plan this past Saturday May 30, 2009 at the Washington Park Refectory. The Washington Park Consortium was announce as the lead agency in the execution of the plan. Download the Plan here.

End of planning, new era for Washington Park

Sunday, December 7, 2008 Richard Muhammad In Washington Park the effort to craft a Quality-of-Life Plan, or comprehensive road map to a revitalized neighborhood, started on a snowy December 2007 day at a south side restaurant. The planning moved into its final phase on a snowy Dec. 6 morning in a me... more

Building consensus, finding language for quality-of-life plan

Sunday, October 26, 2008 Richard Muhammad A “die hard, core group” met Oct. 18 at St. Edmund’s Episcopal Church for a morning of discussion and feedback on a draft Quality of Life Plan. Washington Parkers are building consensus and crafting language to illustrate their needs, hopes... more

Education, economic development take center stage

Sunday, October 26, 2008 Richard Muhammad The Church of the Good Shepherd played host to a July 26 Neighborhood Summit as residents and stakeholders in Washington Park added more detail to their fast-developing Quality of Life Plan. This Saturday meeting featured special sessions devoted to educatio... more

Project ideas emerge at May 17 Summit

Friday, June 6, 2008 Patrick Barry The outlines of a neighborhood plan began emerging at Washington Park’s first Strategy Summit on May 17, 2008 at St. Edmund’s Episcopal Church. More than 65 local stakeholders participated. The Strategy Summit opened with a prayer by Bishop Edward Peech... more

Building a youth movement against HIV/AIDS, disease

Sunday, February 15, 2009 Richard Muhammad MAGIC’s National Teen Test Day is an example of the Woodlawn non-profit’s determination to grapple with serious issues and have young people save themselves when it comes to things that affect their lives. Teen Test Day, which is actually a year... more

Entrepreneurs today — no wait for tomorrow

Wednesday, February 18, 2009 Richard Muhammad Talk of product expenses, hourly price rates, industry competitors, customer service, marketing strategies, and business pitches might seem odd for teenagers. But young people at Sunshine Gospel Ministries recently tossed around business lingo readily. T... more

Healthy hearts focus of February, free screenings offered

Sunday, February 8, 2009 Richard Muhammad When it comes to women, hearts and February, there first thing that may come to mind is Valentine’s Day, but hold on a minute. February is also National Heart Month and the first weekend in the month was devoted to highlighting the need for women to be... more

Ask The Doctor

Sunday, January 18, 2009 NCP/Woodlawn and TWO Health and Human Services Committee Overview The Ask the Doctor initiative was borne out of discussions that arose from the Life Smart for Women Program at the St. Ailbe Catholic Church developed and funded by the state of Illinois Department of Public H... more

LISC Names Bishop Brazier as First Senior Fellow

Thursday, November 13, 2008 Bishop Arthur M. Brazier has been named the first LISC/Chicago Senior Fellow. Bishop Brazier is a nationally renowned civil rights leader and a founder of The Woodlawn Organization (TWO) in Chicago, a participant in LISC’s New Communities Program. He also founded a ... more

Community Ecumencial Service set for April 3

South Chicago area churches and community groups are preparing for the 10th annual South Chicago Ecumenical Easter Service set for Saturday, April 3. This years theme is "Have faith in our community - God is with us!" Everyone is welcome to celebrate this milestone service with presentations from ar... more

Free tax assistance for Claretian Associates' clients

Claretian Associates offers free, weekly tax services in our offices up until April 15, 2010 through a new partnership with Intuit Tax Freedom Project. To download the flyer and see if you qualify, please click here. If youd like to recieve tax assistance, please call Valentina Gamboa-Turner at 773-... more

Southeast Chicago Goes from STEEL to GREEN

Where steel once was king, a green economy is beginning to bloom. The third annual 10th Ward Green Summit will be held throughout the month of May 2010 and will offer residents with a snapshot of currently available green, eco-friendly and healthy initiatives designed to enhance the quality of life... more

Census 2010: It's in our hands, South Chicago!

Claretian Associates received a Count Me In grant through the Illinois Census Funders Initiative to increase response rates in the 2010 census in communities that are at risk for being undercounted. Over the next eight months, Claretian Associates will reach residents often overlooked by the census ... more

Tour South Chicago - virtually!

Enjoy a short tours of South Chicago online, thanks to YoChicago.com and NewHomeNotebook.com.

Promoting Health at Marquette Elementary School

Please follow these links to learn more about efforts related to improving health outcomes for students at Marquette Elementary School through Elev8. http://www.newcommunities.org/communities/chicagolawn/articleDetail.asp?objectID=1104 www.lisc-chicago.org/display.aspx?pointer=9231

SWOP and Keep Our Homes Campaign Announce Partnership With Bank of America to keep families in Homes

Thursday, July 9, 2009 Southwest Side residents stood along side Bank of America officials yesterday to announce a new partnership to combat the foreclosure crisis in the neighborhood and ensure hundreds of families can stay in their homes. The announcement came after a two-hour meeting with Bank of... more

SWOP featured in local news media regarding signing of foreclosure grace period legislation

SWOP executive director Jeff Bartow was featured in Chicago news outlets on recent bill signing of foreclosure grace period legislation sponsored by State Senator Jacqueline Collins. The law would give homeowners facing foreclosure an additional 90 days to remain in thier homes. Lenders would be r... more

Leaders Gather for Candlelight Posada Highlighting Plight of Families Facing Foreclosures

Neighbors and community members gathered for prayer and a “posada” to highlight the plight of families facing foreclosures in one of Chicago’s hardest hit neighborhoods this holiday season. Families formed a procession through the neighborhood, beginning at St. Nicholas of Tolenti... more

More than 200 ESL and GED Students Complete Fall Semester

Students of the Southwest Organizing Project’s ESL and GED program participated in a special ceremony and potluck dinner celebrating their completion of the Fall 2008 semester. The Southwest Organizing Project, working in partnership with Malcolm X College, recognized the achievements of two-h... more

Helping Her Live: Gaining Control of Breat Cancer

The Helping Her Live/Apoyandola a Vivir (HHL) program at Sinai Urban Health Institute (SUHI) located in Mt. Sinai Hospital is committed to eliminating the disparities found in breast cancer mortality rates between minority and white women. Funded by the AVON Foundation the goal of the Helping Her Li... more

Clinicians, health organizers challenge feds

Ed Finkel This article, featured on the LISC-Chicago New Communities Program website, describes the scope and activities of the Humboldt Park Health Forum. Read the full article here.

The Greater Humboldt Park Community of Wellness

The Greater Humboldt Park Community of Wellness is a broad coalition of organizations and individuals dedicated to improving our communitys health. Our work is focused around eight health priorities in Humboldt Park: Asthma, Active Lifestyles, Behavioral Health, Diabetes, Health Careers, HIV/AIDS, ... more

Job Postings

Work opportunities related to health and wellness

Funders

We are grateful to all our present and past funders, including: Advocate Bethany Hospital Community Health Fund AIDS Foundation of Chicago Chicago Community Trust CLOCC Field Foundation Illi... more

Mayor Daley unveils Smart Communities Program with FCC Chairman

Mayor Daley speaks at the press conference in front of Federal Communications Commission officials and community leaders.           On December 21st, 2009, Mayor Daley and Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski held a press conference at Churchview Supportive Living on 63rd ... more

Street Performers and Musicians entertain at Holiday Festival on 63rd St.

  Street performers entertain customers outside the Subway on 63rd St. Starting in November of 2009, the 63rd Street Growth Commission sponsored daily events along the 63rd Street business district to promote commerce in the area and bring joy to shoppers during the holiday season... more

"Check, Please!" Highlights 63rd St. Restaurant

On August 6th, the Chicago Readers Food and Drink Column featured Garifuna Flava, a popular 63rd Street restaurant which serves authentic Belizean cuisine. On Friday, October 16th, Garifuna Flava was featured on WTTW Channel 11s show, "Check Please!". "Check, Please!" features local Chicagoland res... more

People Power makes partners of SWOP, GSDC, NHS, & BofA

by: John McCarron - reposted from www.newcommunities.org They weren’t indoors at the negotiating table, but the 200 demonstrators praying and singing on the front lawn of St. Rita’s church rectory on a rainy Wednesday morning delivered a powerful message to the bankers inside. “Bank of America! th... more

Fighting Foreclosure on Two Fronts: New Foreclosure Grace Period Arrives As GSDC, KOH Counselors Work One-on-One with Homeowners

“I knew enough to know that I’d have been signing my death warrant, says recent GSDC home counseling client Alexis Smith. Smith, a West Englewood homeowner, knew the loan modification – or “loan mod – she refused to sign and that a for-profit housing counseling agency negotiated for her with lender ... more

Volunteers Reach Out Into Community of Englewood

Tuesday, February 9, 2010 Joseph White / Photos courtesy of COV On a picture-perfect, sunny afternoon, Officer Wingard of the Chicago Police Department looks out at Hamilton Park, located in the middle of her patrol area in Englewood. A group of 10 teenage boys is stretching for a game of touch foot... more

Teamwork Creates a Safe Haven for Englewood's Youth

Tuesday, January 12, 2010 Joseph White / Photos by Joseph White At 6:30 on a Friday evening in late August at a Southside Salvation Army, coach Daryl Bell is sitting in the bleachers of the large gymnasium as a hotly-contested game between teenage boys in its final minutes is playing out on the floo... more

Fun Run helps families take many steps in the right direction

Saturday, November 7, 2009 Cristobal Martinez The thousands of people gathered at Chicago’s Washington Park on November 7th observed an athletic spectacle. No, it was not the Olympic opening ceremonies that Chicago had hoped for, but it certainly had an Olympic spirit. Over 6,000 Chicago Publi... more

Chicago Run trains CPS students for November 7th Fun Run

Thursday, October 22, 2009 Cristobal Martinez Over 6,000 Chicago Public School students are anticipating Chicago Run’s “Fall Fun Run”, scheduled for Saturday, November 7th at Washington Park on Chicago’s South Side. A one-mile “Fun Run/Walk” is open to all student... more

Pilgrim Baptist Church Campers Spring Into New Sports

Monday, October 19, 2009 Joseph White / Photos by Joseph White Sometimes, one good thing does lead to another. When Reverend Leotis Johnson sat down to plan out Pilgrim Baptist Church’s annual Southside youth summer camp, he decided this year’s program needed a new theme. Thinking back t... more

ACCION Chicago in 2009

In 2009, ACCION Chicago disbursed 170 loans and provided technical assistance to over 2,000 entrepreneurs. Small business owners have been hit hard by the recession, as banks pull back from lending. ACCION Chicago is proud to take a lead role in helping to fill this gap. A generous grant from t... more

Friends of El Hogar

Friends of El Hogar Denise Castillo Dell Isola, the new Executive Director at El Hogar Del Nino hosted this year’s first fundraiser event, “Friends of El Hogar”, on January 28, 2010. This was also Dell Isola’s first fundraiser as the Executive Director for El Hogar Del ... more

Support Immigration Reform Action

On March 21st, 100,000 marchers will descend on Washington, DC to make history and demand COMPREHENSIVE IMMIGRATION REFORM… Illinois will send 200 buses – that’s 10,000 riders – to deliver our message to President Obama. The Resurrection Project is currently fundraising t... more

Pilsen looking to be completely counted for the 2010 Census

On February 6th there will be a press conference announcing the COMPLETE COUNT COMMUNITY campaign, led by the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR). It is an attempt to educate people in various communities about the 2010 Census and the importance of taking part in it. Sarahy... more

Pros Arts Studio Mobile Lab at Dvorak Park

Pros Arts Studio is pleased to announce a Mobile Lab available at Dvorak Park Mondays and Wednesdays from 12 to 3 p.m. The free lab offers eight new Macbook Pro laptop computers for participants to research and apply for work, improve their job skills and become familiar with using the Internet. F... more

The How and Why of Comprehensive Development

How does comprehensive community development actually get done? Whats involved and how long does it take? How do politics, funding, and local rivalries factor in?Those questions and others will be the focus of a new web site launched Friday by the Institute for Comprehensive Community Development. A... more

Big Boosts Coming for Neighborhood Small & Micro Biz

In last nights State of the Union address, President Barack Obama pledged $30 billion in Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) funds to community banks for small business loans. Chicago is ahead of the curve on this one, to a smaller tune. Last November, City Treasurer Stephanie Neely announced the c... more

School-Community Partnerships for Extended Learning

Catalyst Chicago just published a great set of stories on how Chicago might extend its abysmally short school day and year. The lead story shows how Marquette Elementary extended the day for its middle school students by one hour with money from Elev8.To add real time to the system would require a g... more

Stimulus, Neighborhoods and Schools

A couple of recent news items from the Chicago Public schools related to stimulus spending have caught my attention. First, todays hot CPS story is the announcement of details about the districts $30 million, stimulus-funded plan to reduce youth violence. WBEZs Linda Lutton did a good overall piece ... more

Broadband, Narrow Minds

Ive been on this Earth and around this town long enough that virulent sourness about what sounds to my ears like positive lifting up of poor people and communities of color rarely surprises me too much. Even so, I had a hard time swallowing the anger expressed in many of the comments following the C... more

Bike Repair Class Gets Ames Students Geared Up

Friday, March 5, 2010 Ed Finkel Generations of middle-school students have taken shop class and home economics, but few outside Ames Middle School in Logan Square have learned to repair bicycles for course credit. By the end of this school year, 500 Ames seventh- and eighth- graders will have rotate... more

Realizing the Promise

Friday, February 26, 2010 LISC/Chicago’s neighborhoods make no little plans. So when the dream of the 2016 Olympics in Chicago was over, they didn’t miss a beat, turning plans put forward to support the bid into sustainable strategies to accomplish community goals. The plans developed as... more

CWFs Help Get Chicagoans on Their Feet

Friday, February 26, 2010 LISC/Chicago’s network of Centers for Working Families (CWF) is serving more people than ever before as demand increases in response to a turbulent economy. With new resources including access to credit scores and tuition reimbursement for skills training, the CWFs ar... more

CNDA Ceremony Celebrates Perseverance

Wednesday, February 17, 2010 Ed Finkel When the going gets tough in Chicago’s neighborhoods, the tough – and innovative, and resourceful – get going. The 1,200 people who gathered Feb. 9 at the Hyatt Regency Chicago for the 16th Annual Chicago Neighborhood Development Awards (CNDA)... more

CNDA Panel Tackles Thorny Issues

Wednesday, February 17, 2010 Ed Finkel A panel discussion that preceded the awards ceremony, held Feb. 9 at the Hyatt Regency Chicago, touched on how the recession has undermined the fragile process made in distressed communities during the past two or three decades – and how important the vex... more

Lipinski threatens ‘no’ on health reform

Supporters of health care reform plan a protest at the congressmans LaGrange office.

Real balance on state budget

While some call for balancing spending cuts and tax hikes, and Governor Quinn readies a budget heavy on cuts and borrowing, the Responsible Budget Coaltion points out that the state has already been cutting spending for years now.

NPA at the Fed: TARP financing payday lending

Community leaders from across the country are calling on the Fed chair to stop Wells Fargo and other big banks that received bailout funds from financing payday lending companies.

Health groups promote new female condom

Wednesday is National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, and the Chicago Female Condom Campaign is holding trainings (open to the media) for service providers and for high school students on how to use the new, improved female condom, which the FDA approved last year.

IWD: Immigrant women speak out

On International Womens Day, March 8, civic leaders will offer personal testimonies as aa report on the state of immigrant women is released, and later women leaders of the Mexican community will speak out for immigration reform.

School Prayer Battle Marches On

Public schools across the state await an appellate decision on whether they must reinstate the controversial moment of silence at the beginning of each school day. The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is grappling with the decision to uphold the district court’s opinion that held it unconstit... more

Police Board Mulls “Code of Silence,” Police Misconduct Case

Chicago Police Board Growing Bored?

Calories Counts Could Appear on Fast-Food Menus

Eating a Big Mac, a Whopper or a juicy Potbelly sandwich could come with a reminder for consumers in Illinois. State Rep. Deb Mell (D-Chicago) introduced a bill last month that would force chains such as McDonald’s, Burger King, Subway and Potbelly to disclose on their menu boards the number o... more

Teacher Scholarship Program Could Fall Victim to Budget Crisis

For Dora Brooks-Rodriguez and Trista Bond, it’s the second chance they’ve been waiting for. After years of volunteering at their local schools, they are now on their way to the head of the classroom. But the program that has given more than 500 an opportunity at a college education and a second chan... more

Cook County Falls Short of New Clean Air Standards

Nancy Buckley knows all too well the ill effects of bad air. In the past year, the 44-year-old has been hospitalized three times due to severe asthma attacks. “It’s like somebody sticking a pillow over you and you’re trying to breathe through it, said Buckley, who lives on the North Side of Chicago.... more

A matter of time

Compared to national averages, the Chicago Public Schools school year is 10 days shorter and the school day 45 minutes shorter. Research shows low-income students stand to gain the most from extra learning time, and district and state officials are planning bids to win federal funds to pay for it.

Making after school cool

From job apprenticeships to enrichment, after-school activities can provide valuable experiences for teenagers, but many stop attending.

Not just an add-on

Research suggests that after-school activities are an important addition to the regular school day, especially for poorer children. Opportunities to dance, learn to play a musical instrument, play sports or get tutoring-all the activities that middle- and upper-class children take advantage of becau... more

More Time for Learning: Necessity or Tangent?

From Mayor Daley to Education Secretary Arne Duncan to President Obama, there is a drumbeat to extend the school day and year to keep schools open as community centers, providing more learning times to children and their families. Moreover, leading educators point out that teachers in the US spend t... more

Second chance for dropouts

The average student who enrolls in an alternative school faces steep odds to graduating. Low skills, tough lives and scarce resources at schools are big barriers. New York has a strategy for dropout recovery, but CPS has yet to develop one.

Catalyst wins national reporting award

Deputy Editor Sarah Karp and Data and Research Editor John Myers have won first place in the Education Writers Associations 2009 National Awards for Education Reporting, the countrys most prestigious competition for education journalism. Karp and Myers won for "Reaching Black Boys," our May/June 200... more

Quinn warns of drastic cuts to Illinois schools without tax hike

Governor Patrick Quinn used his budget address today to back lawmakers into a corner on school spending. His ultimatum: Enact a 1 percent income tax hike for education or slash state funding for schools by 17 percent....

In the News: Wednesday, March 10

The Sun-Times unearths thousands of changed grades at Hyde Park Academy, including more than 870 Fs that were boosted to passing marks. Search through a database of changed grades by high school. * Olympic Speedskater Apolo Anton Ohno visits Smyth Magnet to discourage underage drinking and push heal... more

In the News: Tuesday, March 9

The US Department of Education has released final rules for the $650 million Investing in Innovation grant, a stimulus-funded competitive grant aimed at school districts and nonprofits. (Ed Week) * While the Supreme Court considers Chicagos handgun ban, Mayor Richard Daley pushes statewide gun restr... more

Chicago group set to take parent education campaign statewide

To outsiders, the fact that a school is performing poorly might seem obvious from the numbers readily available on state school report cards. But theres a vast difference between the quality of education many parents think is taking place in schools and what students are actually experiencing, says ... more

En Español: Home Loan Purgatory

En Español: Home Loan Purgatory...

Methodology (Home Loan Purgatory)

Methodology for "Out On Loan"...

Tips For A Successful Modification

Find out tips on how to try and improve your own chances for a successful home loan modification....

Home Loan Purgatory

On March 4, 2009, homeowners could start applying to have their unaffordable monthly mortgages altered as part of a $75 billion loan modification program—the Home Affordable Modification Program. One year later, a Chicago Reporter investigation shows that many Chicagoans have less than a 50-50 chanc... more

Growing Home CSA Scholarships Now Available

Growing Home understands that some individuals may not be able to afford the full price of our CSA. With the help of many generous donors, we now have a limited number of 2010 CSA Scholarships now available. Please find more information at the bottom of our CSA membership page. Or download the sc... more

January Englewood Nights Recap

Thursday, January 28th was the second installment of our monthly Englewood Nights at Wood St Farm. Despite the cold, turnout for this event was good, with guests joining us from all across Chicagoland. Guests came in from the snow bearing delicious dishes, including creations ranging from Butternut... more

Positions Available at Growing Home

Growing Home currently has four staff positions open: Urban Farm Assistant Rural Farm Assistant Field Training Specialist Administrative Assistant You can find downloadable .pdf job descriptions here.

Growing Home Wins 2009 Harry Chapin Self-Reliance Award

Growing Home is one of ten winners of the 2009 Harry Chapin Self-Reliance Award. The award honors "organizations that go beyond emergency services to provide the education, training, and other supports necessary to end poverty" and includes a cash grant of $7,000. The award presented by World Hunger... more

Kaaren's Obituary in the Tribune

The Tribune published a beautiful obituary for Kaaren today. You can read it here.

Econsult study creates new framework for understand commerical corridors

Econsult Corporation, commissioned by LISC, and in partnership with the City of Philadelphia, has examined commercial corridors in Philadelphia and produced a framework to help funders, the City, and other interested parties better understand the effectiveness of interventions for commercial corrido... more

LISC MetroEdge Finds Pilsen Primed for Business Expansion

LISC MetroEdge partnered with the 18th Avenue Development Corporation, The Resurrection Project and LISC Chicago to conduct a Retail Scan in Pilsen, a New Communities neighborhood. By analyzing market data and conducting on-the-ground assessments, LISC MetroEdge identified unmet retail demand and st... more

Commercial revitalization planning guide: A toolkit for community based organizations

With so many local organizations and government groups working to revitalize and develop neighborhood commercial districts, LISC has published a resource dedicated to helping communities plan and implement commercial corridor revitalization programs. Commercial corridor managers, economic developmen... more

LISC MetroEdge Works With Stakeholders to Develop Work Plan for Lower Broadway Commercial Market in Newark, NJ

During the spring and summer of 2009, MetroEdge worked with La Casa de Don Pedro and a steering committee of stakeholders (including neighborhood residents, merchants, members of Newark City Council, Newark UEZ, Newark Police Department and funding partners) to assess the neighborhood market and set... more

The Commercial District Advisor - an online resource for practitioners

The Commercial District Advisor is an on-line resource for information-sharing, ideas and strategies for successful commercial district revitalization. Maintained by Larisa Ortiz Associates, this web site regularly features stories and resources from around the country about best practices in comme... more

Using Video to Tell Community Development Stories

Non-profits are realizing that YouTube videos can play an important role in spreading the word about their programs and how they do their work. Short videos – under five minutes – are the general rule, to avoid losing viewers part way through, but longer ones an also be useful when tryin... more

The 'Long, Hard Slog' of Neighborhood Building

Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld once said that establishing a democratic, civil society in Iraq will be a “long, hard slog.” And Fareed Zakaria, a Newsweek columnist, wrote “… the long, hard slog toward democracy is boring and unsexy. It means constant engagement,... more

Going to Scale: A Good Thing, If We Do It Right

Almost every day these past few months I’ve been involved in conversations about achieving scale, sometimes with public and philanthropic partners, other times with community developers or policymakers, and certainly with staff and our Local Advisory Committee members. We talk about scale in... more

Call for Papers, Video, Commentary

The Journal of Comprehensive Community Development is written for practitioners, researchers, funders and policymakers engaged in comprehensive community development. Topics range from the impacts of foreclosure to promising initiatives to strengthen public education through community development.... more

For Once, Planning Trumps Politics

In the summer of 2007, thousands of Indianapolis residents turned-out for an unprecedented opportunity – to create quality-of-life plans for their own neighborhoods. Six low-income communities had been selected to collaborate on plans for improving all aspects of neighborhood life, including ... more