February 2025 Newsletter

Programs

Communities 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.  
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Aaron would like to thank the CP4P team and CEO Angela Hurlock because without them the shoe giveaway would not have been possible. 

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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]. 

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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.

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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.  

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Staff Highlights

New Hire
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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.

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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. 
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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.  
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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