ProgramsCommunities Partnering 4 Peace (CP4P) Shoe Giveaway
Before the holidays, several CP4P Outreach Workers decided to organize a shoe giveaway for the 8th grade class at James Thorp Elementary School. The students were gifted brand new Jordan shoes. Read more about the shoe giveaway here. Outreach Workers, Aaron Dorsett, Roy Cortez, Tiffany Harris, Wesley King, Program Manager James Sims, and CEO Angela Hurlock contributed to the shoe giveaway. Aaron came up with the idea and spearheaded the shoe giveaway as a way to do something good for the community. As a kid, Aaron attended Throp Elementary. “A lot happened at Throp pertaining to my life, so I thought to myself, ‘Why not be that person to give back,’” said Aaron. The students were excited to receive new Jordan's. “The kids gave us hugs. A lot of the kids knew me from the neighborhood,” said Aaron. Some students were not present, so Aaron wants to gift them an outfit for their luncheon or graduation. The principal and counselor were appreciative of the CP4P team for organizing a shoe giveaway for their students. As a child, Aaron played basketball, and older guys or mentors bought him shoes so he could play. Aaron wanted to pay that forward in the community. “As a kid, I probably played a role in the tear down of the community. Now that I’m older and see the value of community and how important it is, I want to play a role in building it back up,” said Aaron. Aaron would like to thank the CP4P team and CEO Angela Hurlock because without them the shoe giveaway would not have been possible. Community Vision Session
On Saturday February 8th, Claretian Associates held a Community Vision Session at the SALUD Center centered around the South Chicago Quality of Life Plan. “We wanted to host a session where community members could discuss the things they would like to see in the quality of life plan,” said Program Manager, Tiarra Owens. The day started with breakfast followed by a series of icebreakers. One of them was an activity, 'Draw Your Dream World.' The attendees drew what they envisioned for their community. Additional icebreakers included puzzles and constructing with Legos so people could get to know each other. Afterwards, attendees created a community agreement. They agreed to be respectful of others, to have a no judgment zone, to share, and to be honest. “We were able to build a rapport with each other. That gave us a very good atmosphere where people were able to connect and hold a conversation to create a vision statement,” said Tiarra. The community agreement also helped the attendees to network with neighbors and community organizations. Throughout the day people participated in breakout sessions to develop a vision statement. The feedback that was collected in the sessions will be brought back to the Quality of Life steering committee. “The steering committee will go through the data of the surveys They will put the information together and create a vision statement,” said Tiarra. The steering committee will meet once a month to review information collected from different events to develop the Quality of Life plan. In the breakout sessions, the attendees focused on the community's strengths, its challenges, opportunities, and solutions. They acknowledged the good things in the neighborhood, but also things that need to change. The breakout sessions allowed them to come up with solutions as a community. One of the things that was mentioned a lot was how South Chicago is historical, not only because the steel mills, but also the business corridor. “I think this is an opportunity for South Chicago to be revitalized,” said Tiarra. There will be a series of focus groups in surrounding neighborhoods like The Bush and South Deering. More focused groups are also planned for youth and seniors. “We want everybody to have an opportunity to share their vision for the community,” said Tiarra. If you are interested to learn more about the South Chicago Quality of Life Plan contact Tiarra at [email protected]. Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) Training
The South Chicago Neighborhood Network (SCNN) and Advocate Health Care Systems held a MHFA training at the SALUD Center. A MHFA training is designed to help providers recognize the signs of a mental health crisis. Participants received a certificate of completion and are now certified for three years. This MHFA training served the Cook County Sheriff’s Department, and medical professionals. The next MHFA training will be Tuesday, March 25th at Metropolitan Family Services. Register here. SALUD Fitness Center Highlight Silver Sneakers at the SALUD Center The SALUD Fitness Center is now partnered with Tivity Health for the Silver Sneaks program. An avid Silver Sneakers member is Alton Rayford. When Alton first moved into the South Chicago SALUD Center, he wanted to join the fitness center but was waiting for the Silver Sneakers program to be available. Now Alton exercises daily and participates in the Get Fit class three days a week. Alton arrives at the fitness center early every morning to exercise in the cardio room. He likes to train with a group of fellow weightlifters. Alton likes exercising so much that he doesn’t know when to stop. He can exercise for about five hours. Alton used to exercise in high school and in the early 90s, he was a member of the former South Chicago YMCA, now the SALUD Center. “Now I’m back. I definitely still have the strength, durability, and the potential to keep going and encourage others,” said Alton. One of Alton’s role models for exercising was his father. “He used to take a dumbbell and me, and lift them at the same time,” said Alton. Seeing his father lift weights regularly influenced him to exercise at a young age. Since joining the fitness center, Alton’s goals are to keep his cholesterol down, eat healthier, and continue to lift weights. One of the many reasons Alton joined the fitness center was to start living a healthier lifestyle. “This is a blessing to have Silvers Sneakers and to be a part of a wonderful group of people at the fitness center,” said Alton. Although Alton is familiar with the weight room equipment, he likes receiving mentorship from his fellow gym mates. “I thank God for this group,” said Alton. Alton likes the upgrade the fitness center has received, especially in the weight room. He enjoys the weights because they are plastic coded. Another thing that he likes is the fitness center's atmosphere. “It's not crowded, nobody has a bad attitude, everybody is in good spirits,” said Alton. He also likes volunteering and participating in the Get Fit class. Staff Highlights New Hire Claretian Associates welcomes new Chief Real Estate Officer, Drakia Wilkins, Drakia will be working with the development team on current real estate projects and future developments. Drakia is excited to be a part of the Claretian team and support the South Chicago community because it reminds her of home Detroit, Michigan. “We experienced a lot of the same economic setbacks that South Chicago experienced when South Works U.S. Steel left. Similar to when the automotives industry picked up , it took a lot of jobs out of the Detroit, Michigan,” said Drakia. A lot of the problems Claretian is working to resolve in South Chicago are issues Drakia grew up with Detroit. “I feel very connected to the Claretian mission,” said Drakia.
As a child, Drakia wanted to rebuild Detroit because she saw abandoned homes from the 1960s still in ruins in the 1990s. Therefore, Drakia became interested in real estate. It also inspired her to move to Chicago and pursue a career in real estate. Drakia studied at De Paul University and earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Real Estate. Later, Drakia attended Roosevelt University where she earned her Masters in Real Estate. Drakia’s background includes being a licensed broker for the state of Illinois for the past 16 years. Drakia was a part of a team that built six high rises in seven years in downtown Chicago. Drakia loves development, construction, and design of quality housing. “I love being able to make a positive impact on a community through developing appropriately priced sustainable ecofriendly housing,” said Drakia. As chief real estate officer, Drakia’s responsibilities include acquisition of land, raising capital for development, and furthering the development of Claretians portfolio. “I look forward to helping Claretian in those initiatives,” said Drakia
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A Year in Review 2024Claretian Associates would like to thank you for your continued support. Claretian continues to focus on its mission of providing affordable housing and services to its residents of the South Chicago community. We look forward to an exciting 2025. Take a look at our past achievements.  Yield Giving Open Call Awardee Claretian Associates was the recipient of a $2 million gift from the Yield Giving Open Call. Claretian was selected from among 6,353 applicants in the United States. The gift helps Claretian to further its mission of affordable housing and services in South Chicago and surrounding neighborhoods.  Advocacy in Springfield In the spring, Claretian Associates and Communities Partnering 4 Peace went to Springfield to advocate for continuing funding of the Community Violence Intervention (CVI) program. Claretian has been a partner of violence prevention for over seven years. Youth Summer Employment
In partnership with One Summer Chicago, Claretian Associates employed 70 youth over the summer. UNITY Squad youth, ages 14 – 15, learned about civic engagement, mental health, financial literacy, being trauma informed, and more. Through the partnership with Tech Corps, youth ages 16 –18, created mock business websites and are now considered junior web developers.  Quality of Life Plan Claretian Associates and the South Chicago Neighborhood Network started the work around updating the Quality of Life Plan. The plan will consist of housing, work force and job development, economic development, and environmental concerns.  New Arrivals Support Claretian Associates in collaboration with Communities Partnering 4 Peace and New Life Centers hosted a “Welcome to the Neighborhood” event for new arrivals. The event provided new arrivals with resources from the community, a dinner, clothing and school supplies.  Annual Trauma-Informed Symposium The South Chicago Neighborhood Network (SCNN) accomplished another successful virtual Trauma-Informed Symposium. The theme was Addressing Misconceptions, United, and Strengthening the Black and Brown Community. The symposium had 175 attendees and provided continuing education units (CEUs). Since 2018, SCNN has held seven symposiums. In most recent years the symposium became virtual, reaching people all over the country. Holiday Celebration
Communities Partnering 4 Peace, the South Chicago Neighborhood Network, Claretian Associates and community organizations celebrated the holidays with a Winter Wonder Fest. Children took pictures with Santa Claus and received a bag of winter gear and toys. The holiday celebration served 200 families in the South Chicago neighborhood and surrounding neighborhoods.  Safe Passage The Safe Passage team continued to ensure the safety of children going to and from school. Throughout the year, Community Watchers took a series of financial literacy workshops. They learned about the basics of banking, the importance of having a bank account, and how to improve their credit score.  Communities Partnering 4 Peace Communities Partnering 4 Peace organized 30 Light in the Night events in the neighborhoods of South Chicago, South Shore, and South Deering. Light in the Night events bring resources to each community such as clothing, warm meals, recreation, and more. Advocacy Breakfast
Claretian Associates held an advocacy breakfast to share accomplishments, success stories, and their mission and vision in the community. Local dignitaries and representatives from local and partnering organizations gathered to learn more about Claretian’s work in the community.
 ProgramsWinter Festival
Claretian Associates, South Chicago Neighborhood Network, Communities Partnering 4 Peace, Special Service Area #5, and other community organizations hosted a Winter Wonder Festival, on December 19th at the SALUD Center. Families enjoyed a holiday dinner, hot chocolate, music, and pictures with Santa Claus. The festival included a toy giveaway and children were gifted a bag with winter gear and toys based on their age. Families also received a bag of donated baked goods from Bimbo. This year, with community organizational collaboration, the event served 200 families.
SALUD Fitness Center Highlight Still Exercising For the past two years Edith Fornes, a South Chicago SALUD Center resident, faithfully exercises three times a week at the SALUD Fitness Center. In 2011, when Edith moved into the former YMCA building, she exercised regularly. After the reopening of the SALUD Fitness Center, Edith became a member because she likes exercising. At the age of 80, Edith thinks it’s important to exercise. “I like to exercise, it's good for your health to exercise,” said Edith. She sometimes has pain in her knees and exercising helps her relieve it. Since exercising Edith has also lost a lot of weight. Edith’s weight used to be 160, and now she weighs 130. When Edith became a member of the fitness center, her goal was to stay active, strong, and have energy by exercising. Edith likes exercising on bikes and is a regular participant in the Git Fit classes. She likes walking in the gymnasium for the Senior Walk, on Tuesdays. Edith does at least 25 or 30 laps around the gymnasium and then continues with the Get Fit Class. About 25 years ago, another form of exercise for Edith was dancing every weekend. Edith used to dance to any type of Latin music, it was a huge part of her life. When the former YMCA pool was operating, she took water aerobics classes. She looks forward to the reopening of the pool. Edith is thankful for the fitness center because it keeps her active. AnnouncementsFitness Center
If you have not joined the fitness center, take advantage of our memberships: Classic $14.99, Classic Plus One $25, and Classic Paid in Full $150. Our January special includes a 3-month membership for $39.99. The fitness center will be closed Christmas and New Year’s day and will operate on a holiday scheduled through January 2nd. Staff HighlightsCompany Holiday Party
Claretian Associates held the Staff Holiday Party at Harborside International Golf Center. Staff enjoyed a brunch with holiday music and games. Staff were entered into a raffle and had several chances to win a holiday gift throughout the brunch. The Claretian team was wished a happy holiday and thanked for their hard work and dedication throughout the year.
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