South Chicago New Communities Program
Celebrate Chicago Artists Month in South Chicago! Click here to see free art events taking place throughout the month. For more information, call Jackie Samuel, South Chicago NCP Director.
Summer Internship program a big success
Over the summer, 150 South Chicago youth participated in the City of Chicago's 2008 Summer Youth Internship Program. The South Chicago effort was coordinated by our NCP program.
The program offered youth on south and west sides the opportunity for life skills training, job readiness, work experience. During their service, interns put in 16 hours a week at job sites, ranging from political offices to summer camps. For their participation, students received bi-weekly stipends, continuing studies certificates, and were provided the opportunity to meet and be congratulated by Mayor Richard M. Daley.
In 2007, Claretian Associates became the lead agency in South Chicago for LISC/Chicago’s New Communities Program. Claretian Associates is working closely with the community to implement South Chicago’s quality of life plan that includes creating partnerships to address issues including employment, health care, housing, commercial development and education. For more information about the NCP program, please click here.
Ecumenical Easter Service
Claretian Associates coordinates other community leadership efforts as well. We join with an ecumenical council of area faith leaders who jointly plan an annual interfaith Easter service at South Chicago People's Park, a square-block of green space at the site of a former community eyesore that was completed in 2000. For coverage of our 2008 service, click here.
Financial literacy program
Fifteen local financial institutions, businesses and other groups have come together in our bilingual moneyy-management initiative for South Chicagoans. The goal of the program is to increase the financial education and literacy of South Chicago residents including educating homeowners about securing their asset, assisting renters who want a more sophisticated understanding of how to manage their money and young people who need to learn the basics of money management.
Housing Resource Center
As a designated Housing Resource Center by the City of Chicago's Department of Housing, we develop strategies that address the lack of affordable housing in South Chicago, including options for homeless families. We focus on affordable housing initiatives including new construction, property management and community-driven planning to meet the needs of a low- to moderate-income African-American and Spanish-speaking Latino population. We also provide referrals for lending and pre- and post-purchase counseling to support new homeowners and provide referrals to those in need of rental housing, shelters or transitional housing. This program is funded in part by a Community Development Block Grant allocated by the City of Chicago's Department of Housing.
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