Blog Posts

Happy New Year from Claretian Associates!

1/8/2020

Thanks for making this year amazing!

We wanted to take a moment to let you know that because of your continued support we were able to achieve a great deal of accomplishments in 2019.

Here is Claretian Associates Year in Review:

We were named one of six finalists for the Chicago Prize of Pritzker Traubert Foundation. We are now advancing to the next step of being awarded the $10 Million Chicago Prize. To learn more, read our press release here.

In the spring of 2019, we became a new outreach organization for the violence intervention program Communities Partnering 4 Peace (CP4P). In 2020, we will be able to expand our boundaries to service South Chicago and South Shore.

Our Executive Director, Angela Hurlock was nominated by Mayor Lightfoot, to be the Board Chair of Chicago Housing Authority. Here is a link to the official press release.

In September, the South Chicago Neighborhood Network held their annual Trauma Informed Symposium. Community residents came together to better understand how trauma affects individuals and communities.

Our Project Manager Jasmine Gunn, was chosen to be a part of the new taskforce for the Chicago Department of Housing. She will be working with other developers on updating the city's Affordable Requirements Ordinance. Read more about the taskforce here.

We were awarded the Neighborhood Opportunity Fund for the redevelopment of the SALUD Center, formally the South Chicago YMCA. Learn about our SALUD project here.

We hosted a youth leadership program, UNITY Squad, made possible by One Summer Chicago. We employed 24 youth who were focused on developing leadership, civic engagement, becoming trauma informed, and workforce preparedness.

We also hosted MAPSCorps as a part of After School Matters. We employed 16 youth from the community that were able to explore South Chicago, do research and completed map assets of the community.

During the summer, we organized our annual Play Streets and Hoops in the Hood events. We shut down high crime streets in South Chicago, so parents and children can enjoy a variety of outdoor summer activities.

We look forward to continuing to serve the South Chicago Community in 2020 and the years to come. To continue to follow our work, make sure to follow us on Facebook & Twitter

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$10 Million Chicago Prize Finalist Are Working Together To Reinvigorate South Chicago

12/19/2019

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 19, 2019

CONTACT:
Office 773-734-9181
angelah@claretianassociates.org

Chicago, IL—When the Pritzker Traubert Foundation, asked community development organizations to imagine what could be accomplished with $10 million; Claretian Associates and its partners envisioned the strengthening of the South Chicago neighborhood.

On December 11, 2019, Claretian Associates and South Chicago was named one of the six finalists for the Chicago Prize of the Pritzker Traubert Foundation. As finalists, they will continue to work toward the $10 million Chicago Prize investment. The initiative titled, Working Together to Reinvigorate South Chicago, will receive $100,000 and technical assistance to continue developing their plans. South Chicago was a top finalist out of 80 proposals submitted to the Pritzker Traubert Foundation.

Project Team: Claretian Associates, Interfaith Housing Development Corporation, Special Service Area #5, Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish/School, Pilgrim Baptist Church, NeighborSpace, Calumet Connect, 10th Ward Alderwoman Susan Garza

Executive Summary

Building on the positive momentum created by ample community engagement sessions over the last decade, South Chicago is in the midst of creating a community focused project that will reinvigorate our neighborhood. The reminder of the economic devastation from the exodus of South Works in 1992, a once global provider of steel, is realized in every closed business and abandoned home. For too long, South Chicago has laid dormant as a forgotten community. Now we are taking action to create opportunities as we work to strengthen our diverse neighborhood. We will no longer accept decisions that are made at the expense of our assets. We will align ourselves with strategic priorities that champion our success.

Today, our plans will incorporate our local waterfront and business corridors connecting to Commercial Avenue, leveraging prime thoroughfares that embrace transit-oriented development and green technologies that make use of existing resources.

Projects such as a 78-unit affordable housing development with a quality grocery store, a redeveloped wellness center with a business incubator, two athletic facilities, a performing arts center and natural play space, and other developments, will make use of the nearby South Chicago Metra Line and six other CTA bus connections to re-ignite the area. We are creating a spark for our built environment, housing portfolio, and workforce development opportunities in 3-5 years, while bolstering in long-term sustainable efforts that vastly improve economic development and health outcomes.